Rodents and cockroaches are opportunists. They are not looking for your house specifically, they are following food, water and a warm void. Remove two of the three and the pressure drops sharply.
Seal the obvious entry points
Roof rats travel along fence lines and overhanging branches into roof voids through gaps at the eaves, around solar cable entries and under broken tiles. A young rat gets through a 20mm gap; a mouse needs about 6mm.
Weep holes are meant to stay open for ventilation, so fit purpose-made weep-hole covers rather than filling them with mortar or foam.
Cut the food and water
Bins at least a metre from doorways with lids that actually close, pet food lifted overnight, fruit picked up off the lawn, and dripping taps or air-conditioning condensate directed away from the slab edge.
In units and townhouses, shared bin rooms are usually the source. If your neighbour's kitchen has German cockroaches, yours is next along the shared plumbing chase.
When to bring us in
Droppings, gnaw marks on packaging, night-time scratching in the ceiling, or a musty smell in the roof void all mean an established population. At that point proofing alone will not fix it, you need tamper-proof baiting or trapping plus entry sealing, then a follow-up to confirm activity has stopped.
Quick takeaways
- Rats need 20mm, mice need 6mm, so seal small gaps first
- Fit weep-hole covers instead of blocking the weep holes
- Bins, pet food and standing water do most of the attracting
- Scratching at night means an active population, not a passer-by
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Outdoor species treated at the source: garden beds, pits and roof voids.
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