Field notes

Real jobs, written up by the people who did them.

What we noticed, what was actually going on, what we did about it, and the bit most people get wrong. One genuine job at a time.

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Two cattle dogs, a blue heeler and a red heeler, sitting together in the back of a ute Rodents · Eltham

Dogs in the house? We swap the bait. Selontra stays locked either way.

We use Selontra when there are no dogs on the property, and only in lockable stations. If there are dogs, we generally switch to a first-generation bait like Racumin Paste. Selontra's main pet risk is direct, not secondary.

Dexter
Rodent bait station secured inside a roof cavity Rodents · Ashwood

Dust rodenticide. Decent for rodents. Dangerous to the rest of us.

An Ashwood client's previous pest company used dust rodenticide and told her to wait 48 days. Dust is extremely toxic when disturbed, dangerous to trades, pets, and wildlife. We used soft bait in secure stations, found the main entry under the tiles, and sealed it with aluminium flashing for a long-term fix.

Dexter
A box gutter and rainhead on a new apartment building Possum · Brunswick

The Brunswick apartment possum getting in through the rainheads

A brand new apartment building in Brunswick had possums getting in through the box gutter rainheads. Four gaps, none sealed at build. The first company told the owner to cut holes in the plaster and pull the possum out. One-way doors and internal mesh is how you actually do it.

Mitch
Arriving at a Thornbury home to inspect the roof for possums Possum · Thornbury

The Thornbury heat camera that found five possums that weren't there

A Thornbury homeowner was told she had five possums after a company used a heat camera on her ceiling. The heat signatures were light fittings, perfectly round, dead centre of each room, not moving. There were no possums, no droppings, no entry points. She'd paid $600 for work she didn't need.

Dexter