Rats & Mice
RodentsDroppings, gnaw marks and night-time scratching in the roof or walls. Tell a rat from a mouse and spot the roof rat.
Read the guide
The PestOz Pest Library
What pest is that? Your Sydney identification guide
Saw something scurry, found droppings, or got bitten in the night? Start here. Match it to the right pest, learn the signs to look for, and know exactly what to do next.
The quick answer
What are the most common household pests in Sydney?
The pests Sydney homes deal with most are rats and mice, German cockroaches, termites, ants, spiders, bed bugs, fleas, mosquitoes and wasps. Rodents and cockroaches move indoors and get worse over the cooler months, termites are a year-round threat to timber, and biting pests like bed bugs and fleas turn up in any season. Use the library below to match what you have found, then see the signs, the risks and how to deal with it.
The Sydney pest chart
Browse the pests we treat
Pick a category to narrow it down, or scan the lot. Each guide covers what it looks like, the signs, whether it is dangerous and what to do.
German Cockroaches
CrawlingSmall, fast, tan roaches with two dark stripes, clustered in kitchens and appliances. Worse indoors over winter.
Read the guideTermites
Timber pestMud tubes on walls or piers, hollow-sounding or blistered timber, and discarded wings. The one that quietly does the most damage.
Guide coming soonBed Bugs
BitingRusty spots on the mattress seams and itchy bites in lines or clusters. No season, often after travel or second-hand furniture.
Guide coming soonAnts
CrawlingTrails across benchtops and paths, and fine soil pushed up around slabs and pavers. Several species, treated differently.
Guide coming soonSpiders
SpidersWebs in corners and eaves, plus the two to know: the dangerous funnel-web and redback. Tell the harmless ones apart.
Guide coming soonFleas
BitingTiny, fast jumpers and itchy bites around the ankles, usually where pets sleep. Often peak just as the weather warms.
Guide coming soonMosquitoes
BitingWhining at night and itchy welts, worst near still water around the yard. A summer and warm-evening problem in Sydney.
Guide coming soonWasps
StingingPapery nests under eaves and in wall cavities, aggressive if disturbed. Know the difference from a bee before you swat.
Guide coming soonNew guides are added to the library regularly. Cannot see what you are after? Ask our team and we will identify it for you.
Match the sign to the pest
Not sure what you are looking at? Start with what you noticed
Often you see the evidence before the pest. Here is what the most common signs usually point to.
Scratching or scurrying in the roof at night
Likely: rats or mice, or possums if the noise is heavier
Small fast roaches around the kitchen
Likely: German cockroaches
Mud tubes on brick, or hollow-sounding timber
Likely: termites
Itchy bites in a line, plus spots on the sheets
Likely: bed bugs
A trail of ants across the benchtop
Likely: ants
A web in the corner with a red-marked spider
Likely: a redback (see spiders)
Itchy bites around your ankles, worse with pets
Likely: fleas
A papery nest under the eaves
Likely: wasps
Active right now · Winter
The pests that get worse in a Sydney winter
Pest problems are not just a summer thing. As it cools, these three move indoors looking for warmth and food, which is exactly why enquiries climb from May.
Rats & miceInto the roof and walls
German cockroachesWarm kitchens over winter
Bed bugsNo season, peak with travel
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Frequently asked questions
Identifying pests in Sydney
What are the most common household pests in Sydney?
The pests Sydney homes deal with most often are rats and mice, German cockroaches, termites, ants, spiders, bed bugs, fleas, mosquitoes and wasps. Rodents and cockroaches tend to move indoors and get worse over the cooler months, termites are a year-round threat to timber, and biting pests such as bed bugs and fleas can appear in any season. Our Pest Library has a guide for each, covering what it looks like, the signs, whether it is dangerous and what to do.
How do I identify a pest I have found at home?
Start with three things: its size, where you found it, and the signs it left behind. Size separates a mouse from a rat and a cockroach from a beetle. Location is a strong clue, as roof and ceiling noises point to rodents, kitchen sightings to cockroaches or ants, and bites in bed to bed bugs. Signs like droppings, mud tubes, shed skins, webs or gnaw marks narrow it down further. Match those against the guides in this library, and if you are still unsure, send us a photo.
What pest makes scratching noises in the roof at night?
Night-time scratching, scurrying or gnawing in the roof or wall cavities is usually rats or mice, most often the black rat, also called the roof rat, which is an agile climber that nests in ceilings and roof voids. In Sydney it can also be possums, especially when the sounds are heavier, like thumping, heavy footsteps or a low territorial growl around dusk and dawn, while rats and mice tend to be lighter, faster and scratchier. Possums are a protected native animal, so they are dealt with by removal and proofing rather than extermination. If you are not sure which one you are hearing, send us a photo, or a short video that captures the noise, and we will tell you what you are dealing with.
What should I do if I cannot identify the pest?
Take a clear photo if you safely can, note where you found it and any signs like droppings or damage, and send it to PestOz or give us a call. Our licensed Sydney technicians can identify it and advise on the best treatment, and there is no charge to ask. Avoid handling anything you think could be a dangerous spider or a wasp nest, and never disturb a suspected termite tube, since that can make the problem harder to treat.
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