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PreventionModerate risk

How Do I Make My Property Less Attractive to Rats?

Written by PestMan Editorial TeamTechnical review pendingPublished Updated

Quick answer

Make your property less attractive to rats by removing food, water and shelter. Pick up fallen fruit, store pet food and bird seed in sealed containers, use rodent-resistant compost bins, remove clutter and dense vegetation near the house, cut back branches from the roof, and seal gaps into roofs, walls and sheds.

Why this happens

Rat populations are limited by food and shelter. Gardens with fruit trees, bird feeders, chickens, compost and dense cover support more rats.

Neighbouring properties matter too. Rats travel along fences and through gardens, so community-wide effort gives the best results.

What you can do

  • Harvest fruit promptly and remove fallen fruit and nuts.
  • Feed pets and chickens in the morning and remove leftovers by evening.
  • Store feed in metal or hard plastic bins.
  • Use enclosed compost systems and avoid adding meat or dairy.
  • Stack firewood and materials off the ground and away from walls.
  • Thin dense groundcover, bamboo and palms near the house.
Using pest products safely

Rodenticides must be used exactly as the label directs, in tamper-resistant bait stations where required, and out of reach of children, pets and wildlife. Dead rodents should be removed with gloves. If a child or pet may have eaten bait, call the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26) or your vet immediately.

When professional help may be needed

Where rats are established around a property, professional monitoring and exclusion can complement these measures.

Rats

Introduced rodents that live alongside people, nest in roofs, walls and gardens and gnaw through building materials and wiring. Roof rats are the most common household rat in many Australian cities.

Species mentioned

Roof Rat (Black Rat)

Rattus rattus

An agile climbing rat that nests in roof voids, trees and dense vegetation. The rat most often heard in ceilings in Brisbane and other coastal cities.

Norway Rat (Brown Rat)

Rattus norvegicus

A large, heavy-set burrowing rat found around drains, creeks, sheds and under slabs. Less of a climber than the roof rat.

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Sources & further reading

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