Rat and mouse control in Port Elizabeth
Mice are usually noticed in the kitchen, sometimes in the lounge, bedrooms and other parts of the house. Rats turn up in garages and kitchen cupboards, and clients often hear them running in the roof.
At True Clean in Port Elizabeth, I start with where you've seen or heard them. Then I look for how they're getting in. Baiting without looking at that leaves a big part of the job undone.
Written by Diederik Visser
Operations, marketing and pest control at True Clean. Seven years in pest control.
First-hand information recorded .
What do you look for if I haven't seen the rat or mouse?
Where the client has seen them is the number one thing I ask. Mice are often reported in the kitchen, lounge or bedrooms. Rats are commonly noticed in garages, kitchen cupboards and the roof. We have had mice in roofs too, so those usual locations help guide the search without settling the identification on their own.
Inside the house, I look for droppings and the holes where they could have entered. At entry holes, I also look for dark brown marks. Their body oils and the dirt that sticks to them leave that browning, which can help show a route even when the animal isn't there during the appointment.
In the garden, I check close to the house, especially where there is thick foliage or a water source. Burrows in those areas and sightings along fences or in trees can help connect the outside activity with what is happening in the building.
How are rats getting into the roof?
I walk around and look at the roof, then see how rats can access it from the ground up. Rainwater downpipes and their condition are one of the first things I check.
Electrical piping, plumbing pipework and overhanging trees can give them routes up. Cracks and gaps around unplastered walls are worth checking too. The route isn't always obvious from the room where you hear them.
I am looking at the route all the way up, rather than only the hole at the top. A downpipe, a run of pipework or a branch touching the roof can make a route from the ground to an opening. We check the condition of those areas and what can realistically be corrected.
What comes first, exclusion or baiting?
The number one thing we do is work on exclusion, which means dealing with the ways they are getting in. I look at the holes and what can realistically be closed. Depending on the gap, we use mesh and other suitable materials.
A damaged door, or the bottom of a door being gnawed through, may need proper building repairs or a fitted metal plate. Sometimes the owner needs a builder for that work. I explain which openings we can address and which need the owner to arrange someone else.
Roof routes and rainwater pipework need thinking about too. Any alteration has to suit the building and preserve its drainage. We assess those routes as part of the exclusion work.
Sometimes full exclusion is too costly, or the client doesn't want to go that route. If some openings stay there, the control plan needs to take that into account. Baiting may help manage the activity, but it doesn't do the building repair.
Depending on what we find, we use bait stations and other suitable control measures in the relevant areas. Tell us about children, pets and other animals before the work so placement and the treatment plan can account for them.
When do you come back to check?
With a very heavy infestation, we may follow up after seven days. Other jobs may be checked about a month later, and some properties have ongoing three-monthly visits.
That is how we plan the work in practice, rather than a fixed schedule for every house. The activity, site and treatment used decide what needs checking.
For a heavy problem I want an earlier check on what is happening. For properties needing ongoing management, three-monthly visits are an arrangement I often suggest, with the exact work planned for that site. It is the follow-up on the activity and control measures that matters, rather than assuming every property should receive identical treatment on a calendar.
How soon do people notice a difference?
Usually within three to seven days, in the cases I treat. That's a drop in activity, rather than a promise that every rat or mouse will be gone by a particular day.
Let us know what you're still seeing or hearing. The follow-up checks help us work out whether the activity is reducing and whether entry points are still being used.
What should I do around the property?
There usually isn't a special preparation job before I arrive. Afterwards, the main things I ask about are bushes, rubble, overgrowth and trees that need trimming back.
If there are gaps or maintenance problems in the building, those need attention as well. Clearing a yard can help, but it doesn't close a hole in the wall.
The point of clearing rubble and cutting back overgrowth is to deal with the places around the house where the rats are sheltering and moving. Trees touching the roof are worth addressing because they can be part of the access route. And if an unplastered wall has gaps, that is a building-maintenance job to sort out alongside the pest work.
Questions we get asked
Do rats and mice always use the same places?
No. I usually find mice being reported inside kitchens and other rooms. Rats are often reported in garages, cupboards and roofs. There are exceptions, so we inspect rather than decide from the noise alone.
Will closing a few holes guarantee they don't return?
No. We assess which routes can be closed and explain any remaining access or maintenance work. Some properties need ongoing management.
What does the work cost?
Rodent work is quoted per property. Bait choice, the treatment needed, the building and the work around entry points all affect the job. We'll confirm the quote after assessing the property.
See the travel charges by area for work outside Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha.
Prices can change. We keep the site up to date as best we can, and the price we quote you before we start is the one you pay.
What else might help?
Tell us what you're seeing
Tell us where the problem is and what you've noticed. We'll take it from there.
Or phone 061 905 0514 if you'd rather talk to a person.