Rats and mice chew wiring, foul food and breed faster than most people expect: a pair of rats can produce dozens of young in a year. The sound of scratching in the roof at night or a trail of droppings along a skirting board usually means they have been inside for a while. Send one request with where you hear or see them and the property size, and registered pest controllers in your area quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation.
Rats or mice, and the signs they leave
The two pests behave differently. Roof rats climb well, nest in roof voids and trees, and run along cables and walls. Norway rats burrow, live near drains, rubbish and compost, and enter at ground level. House mice are small, stay within about ten metres of their nest and nibble many things a little.
- Droppings: rat droppings are about 12 mm, mouse droppings about 4 mm and pointed.
- Gnawing on cables, pipes, pet food bags and wooden edges.
- Rub marks: greasy smears along walls and pipes where they travel.
- Noise in the roof or wall cavity at dusk and before dawn.
Bait stations, traps and secondary poisoning
Most professional work uses lockable, tamper-resistant bait stations, placed along walls and runs, numbered, and recorded on a map so each visit can be checked. Stations keep bait away from children, pets and wildlife. Active ingredients such as brodifacoum or bromadiolone are anticoagulants, and registered operators know the product and the dose.
The danger is secondary poisoning: owls, eagles, cats and dogs that eat a poisoned rat can be poisoned too. This is a real concern for barn owls and raptors on farms and plots. Ask your operator to use tamper-resistant stations, collect carcasses and consider snap traps or tracking tunnels where owls hunt. Loose poison scattered under a bush is not acceptable.
Proofing: close the way in
No amount of bait fixes a house that remains open. A mouse can squeeze through a gap of 6 mm, about the width of a pencil, and a rat through 12 to 15 mm. Check:
- Gaps where pipes, geyser lines and cables pass through walls.
- Eaves, air bricks, ridge caps and broken roof tiles.
- Gaps under garage doors and sliding doors.
- Drains without covers, loose gratings and cracked pipes.
Seal holes with steel wool, wire mesh and cement, because rodents chew through foam and plastic. Store pet food in lidded tins, keep bins closed and trim branches that touch the roof. Roof void work is covered under pest control.
Service plans and cost
Rodent control is a process, not a single visit. A first set-up installs stations and traps, then a check follows within a week or two, and a regular service keeps them topped up. Homes usually need 4 to 8 stations, each R120 to R350 installed. Food premises are normally on a commercial contract with monthly checks and a station map for audits. See the price guide for examples.
What to include in your request
- Rats or mice, if you know
- Where you hear, see or smell them
- Property type and floor area in m²
- Children, pets or owls nearby
- Once-off job or a monthly service
Rodent Control for different properties
- Homes and families: bait stations around the house, traps and roof void checks, with gaps sealed against re-entry
- Landlords, agents and body corporates: treatment between tenants, with station maps and a record for the letting agent or body corporate
- Restaurants and food businesses: a monthly bait station map, trap checks and reports for audits and municipal health inspections
- Hotels, guesthouses and lodges: kitchens, bins, laundry and thatch roofs checked quietly, with discreet stations near the stoep
- Offices, schools, clinics and shops: ceiling voids, canteens and server rooms checked, with traps and sealed cable gaps
- Factories, warehouses and mines: warehouse perimeters, docks and stock areas covered by numbered stations and monthly service
- Farms, grain stores and smallholdings: feed stores, grain sheds and poultry houses protected, with care taken over owls and raptors
- Exporters and freight forwarders: depots and container yards with station maps, trap checks and a rodent-free record
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get rid of rats?
Is rat poison safe around children and pets?
Why do I smell something after baiting?
What can I do before the pest controller comes?
Rodent Control by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg