Rats & mice · Auckland-wide

Rodent Control Auckland

Rat and mouse control across Auckland. We find the entry points, not just the rodents. Typical cost $180–$350 incl. GST. Free estimate — call 09 925 0448.

Species identified before anything is treated
Typical cost $180 – $350 incl. GST — quoted up front
Written record of products used and where they went

09 925 0448 Get a free estimate

Trained & insured techniciansUrban pest management, applied to label

Usually within 2–4 working daysUrgent jobs prioritised where we can

Pet & child-conscious methodsEPA-approved products, targeted placement

Written record every visitWhat was used, where, and what to seal

Rat and mouse control in Auckland: the short answer

Rodent control in Auckland typically costs $180 to $350 including GST for a standard home, covering inspection, treatment and one follow-up visit. The two species you will almost certainly have are the ship rat (Rattus rattus), which lives at roof level and causes most night-time ceiling noise, and the house mouse (Mus musculus), which needs a gap of only about 6 mm to get in. Treatment without sealing entry points reliably fails — the rodents you remove are simply replaced by the next ones.

Signs to look for

Signs of rats or mice in your house

Scratching, scuttling or gnawing overhead after dark, usually starting shortly after sunset
Droppings — rat droppings are 12–18 mm and spindle-shaped; mouse droppings are 3–6 mm, like coarse grains of rice
Dark greasy smear marks along skirtings, joists and pipe runs where fur oils rub off on repeated routes
Gnawed packaging, chewed cabling, or shredded insulation and paper used as nesting material. Rodent incisors never stop growing, so they gnaw constantly, and chewed wiring is a genuine fire risk
Droppings or urine on benches, in the pantry or on food packaging. Contamination is the real health risk: rat urine can carry leptospirosis, and rodent droppings can spread salmonella (salmonellosis) through contaminated food
A persistent stale, musky ammonia smell in a roof space, cupboard or subfloor
A cat or dog fixating on one spot in a wall, ceiling or cupboard for no obvious reason

If any of these sound familiar, describe what you have noticed when you call — where it is, when it started and what you have seen. You do not need to identify anything yourself. Call 09 925 0448 or request an estimate online.

Get a free estimate

Tell us what is going on. We will come back with a firm price, usually the same day.

No call-out fee · No obligation

Know what you have

Rats and mice in Auckland: ship rat, Norway rat and house mouse

Correct identification changes the treatment, the cost and how long it takes. This is the part most people skip — and it is the part that decides whether the problem comes back.

Ship rat

Rattus rattus — also called the black rat or roof rat

Auckland's most common rat and an excellent climber. It travels through tree canopy, along fence lines and over power lines, entering at roof level rather than ground level. Slim, with a tail longer than its body and noticeably large ears. If you hear scratching above a ceiling at night, this is almost always what it is.

Norway rat

Rattus norvegicus — the brown rat or sewer rat

Bigger, heavier and a ground dweller. It burrows, swims well and uses drainage networks, so it turns up most in properties near water, mangroves, stormwater outfalls or compromised gully traps. Blunter nose, smaller ears and a tail shorter than its body. More common in Onehunga, Te Atatū, Pakuranga and along the harbour margins than up in the hill suburbs.

House mouse

Mus musculus

Small, curious and prolific. A mouse needs a gap of roughly 6 mm — about the width of a pencil — and it will explore new objects rather than avoid them, which is why mice are usually easier to trap than rats. They breed fast: a single pair can produce dozens of offspring in a season, so a small problem stops being small quickly.

Our method

How we get rid of rats and mice

Every job follows the same sequence, because skipping a step is how treatments end up being repeated at your expense.

Full property inspection
Roof space, subfloor, perimeter, garage and any outbuildings. We are identifying the species, the scale, the harbourage and — critically — how they are getting in.
Entry point mapping
Every gap we find gets recorded. Rats need a gap of only about 12 mm, mice about 6 mm. Common culprits are corroded subfloor vents, gaps at the roof-to-wall junction, unsealed service penetrations, damaged gully traps, and trees or vegetation touching the roofline that give ship rats a bridge onto the roof.
Targeted treatment
Tamper-resistant, lockable bait stations in the places rodents actually travel, and snap traps where rodenticide is unsuitable — around food preparation, or where a client has pets and prefers no toxicant.
Proofing recommendations
A written list of what to seal and repair, in priority order, plus the food sources to remove: pet food left out overnight, bird seed, and pantry goods not in sealed containers. This is the part that determines whether the problem returns, and we would rather you did it than paid us twice.
Follow-up and verification
A return visit to check bait uptake, remove carcasses where accessible, confirm activity has stopped and close out any remaining entry points.

Pricing

How much rat and mouse control costs in Auckland

Typical range for this service is $180 – $350 including GST. We quote before we start, and the price we give you is the price you pay unless the job turns out to be materially different from what was described on the phone.

What moves the price: property size and access, how far the infestation has progressed, whether roof or subfloor work is needed, and whether follow-up visits are required to complete the job properly.

See the full cost guide

Typical cost: $180 – $350 incl. GST
Call-out fee: None
Typical wait: 2–4 working days
Follow-up: Included where the pest requires one
Coverage: Wider Auckland region
Documentation: Written record of products and placements

Where we work

Rodent Control across Auckland

Rodent pressure is heaviest on bush-edge properties across the North Shore and West Auckland, and along tidal margins in Onehunga, Te Atatū and Pakuranga.

Guides on this pest

Rat Traps and Bait in NZ: What Works, Where to Put Them, and When DIY Isn't Enough · 10 min read
Rats in the Roof? What That Night-Time Scratching Actually Means · 8 min read
9 Signs You Have a Rodent Problem (Before You Ever See One) · 8 min read
How to Rodent-Proof an Auckland Home Before Winter · 10 min read

All pest advice guides →

Questions

Rat and mouse control: questions people ask

How much does rodent control cost in Auckland?

A standard residential rodent treatment runs $180 to $350 including GST, covering inspection, treatment and one follow-up visit. Larger properties, roof-void access difficulties or well-established infestations run $300 to $600 or more. Commercial premises are quoted on a scheduled programme basis rather than per visit.

How long does it take to get rid of rats?

For a typical home, activity usually drops noticeably within 3 to 7 days and stops within 2 to 3 weeks. Rats are neophobic — genuinely wary of new objects — so they may ignore a bait station for several days before touching it. Mice respond faster because they investigate new things rather than avoiding them.

Will there be a dead rat smell in my walls?

Sometimes, and we will not pretend otherwise. If a rodent dies in an inaccessible cavity there can be an odour for one to three weeks. We reduce the risk by placing stations where rodents are most likely to die in accessible areas, and by using trapping instead of bait where a cavity death would be particularly difficult. If odour does occur we will come back and help locate it.

Is rodent bait safe around pets and children?

All bait is placed in tamper-resistant, lockable stations that a child or pet cannot open, positioned where rodents travel and people do not. Where a household has dogs that dig, free-roaming cats, or a young child crawling, we will use trapping instead — just tell us and we will plan around it. There is more detail in our guide to pest control safety around pets and children.

Do I need to seal the holes, or does the treatment handle it?

You need to seal them, and it is the single most important part of the job. Treatment removes the rodents present; proofing stops the next ones. A property that is not sealed will have a new rodent problem the following autumn, without exception. We give you a written, prioritised list and you can do the work yourself or get a builder in.

Why do rodents come inside in autumn?

Outdoor food supply collapses and night temperatures drop, so rodents move towards warmth and reliable food. In Auckland the shift typically starts in March and peaks through April and May. This is why we recommend sealing work in February and March rather than waiting until you hear something.

How many rats are there if you see one?

There is no reliable ratio, whatever the internet says. What one sighting does tell you is that rats are established nearby, because they are cautious and nocturnal; a rat seen in daylight often means competition for food or shelter. Judge the scale by the signs instead: fresh droppings in several places, multiple runways with smear marks, gnawing in more than one room, and noise from more than one part of the roof.

What kills rats immediately in the house?

A correctly set snap trap kills instantly, which is why traps are the right tool inside a living area. Anticoagulant rodenticides are not instant: signs can take several days to appear after a lethal dose. But speed is the wrong goal. A rat killed today is replaced next week if the entry point is still open, so trapping or baiting only works alongside sealing the gaps they came in through.

What smell do rats hate most?

No smell reliably keeps rats out. Peppermint oil, ammonia, mothballs and ultrasonic devices are sold as deterrents, but university extension research finds little or no evidence they drive rats out or keep them away, and rats get used to them. A deterrent might move a rat from one corner of a roof to another. Sealing entry points and removing food is what actually makes a house unattractive.

Will pest control get rid of rats permanently?

Only if the house is proofed afterwards. Treatment removes the rats that are there now; it cannot stop the next ones arriving through the same gap. Permanent results come from treatment plus sealing every entry point, trimming vegetation back from the roofline and removing food sources. Our guide to rodent-proofing a house before winter walks through what to seal and in what order.

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References and further reading

Written and reviewed by the Pest Control Auckland technical team. Last reviewed 24 September 2026.

Need rodent control in Auckland?

Describe what you have seen and we will tell you what it is likely to be, what it takes to fix, and what it will cost — before you commit to anything.

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