DJ PestPerth's northern
suburbs
Pest identifier

What's my pest?

Pick the thing you saw. Each card tells you what it usually is in Perth's northern suburbs and takes you to the right treatment page. If none of them fit, text us a photo.

What did you see?
Droppings in the roof or pantryDark, spindle-shaped pellets, scratching at night, gnawed packets.Rats or mice. Rat droppings are 12–18 mm, mouse droppings 3–6 mm. We identify the species, find the entry and place tamper-resistant stations.Trail of small brown antsA steady line along skirting, paving edges or into the pantry.Most likely coastal brown ants, a super-colony species. Sprays split the colony; we use slow-acting non-repellents and baits that reach the queens.Cockroach in the kitchen at nightSmall, tan, two dark stripes, near the fridge or dishwasher.German cockroaches breed in warm appliance voids. Gel bait plus an insect growth regulator, not aerosol, is the treatment that holds.Mud tubes on brick or piersPencil-width earthen tunnels running up a wall, pier or slab edge.Subterranean termites. Do not break the tubes open. Book an AS 4349.3 inspection; we map the activity before recommending a system.Messy tangled web in a cornerUntidy, strong web low down, under outdoor furniture, in the meter box.Redback territory. Their webs are irregular, not the neat orb of a garden spider. External harbourage treatment with a check of play equipment.Sawdust-like piles near timberFine granular frass below a skirting, window frame or beam.Borers or drywood termites leave pellets; subterranean termites usually do not. Either way it needs a timber pest inspection to tell which.Bites overnightSmall itchy welts in lines or clusters, worse on arms and legs.Fleas if you have pets or carpet; bed bugs if the bites are along the mattress edge. Different treatments, both with a 30-day re-treatment period.Bitten in the yard after fiveMosquitoes biting on the patio from late afternoon, resting on shaded walls by day, wrigglers in saucers or the bird bath.Container breeders at home plus wetland species flying in. A breeding-site audit and a residual treatment of the shaded harbourages cuts the numbers for weeks.Wasps around the eavesRepeated wasp traffic to one point under the roofline or in a wall vent.A paper wasp or European wasp nest. We treat and remove accessible nests; 30-day re-treatment period. Keep children away from the flight line.Large dark cockroach on the patio35–40 mm, reddish or with yellow wing markings, mostly outdoors.American or Australian cockroaches from mulch, drains and wood piles. External harbourage treatment, not a kitchen program.Scratching in the ceiling at duskRunning or scratching above the bedroom as the light goes.Roof rats are active at dusk and dawn. Possums are heavier and slower. We check the roof void, then bait or refer accordingly.Large black ants at night5–15 mm, slow, single ants rather than a trail, drawn to sweet spills.Sugar ants. Mostly outdoor, occasionally wandering in. A sweet bait along the entry point usually settles it.Grey-brown spider with banded legsCigar-shaped body, found in bedding, towels or shoes.White-tailed spider. They hunt other spiders, so reducing their food (daddy-long-legs and black house spiders) is part of the treatment.

Still not sure? Text a photo.

A phone photo is enough for most identifications. Send it to 0447 747 769 with your suburb and where you found it (kitchen, roof void, garden bed). We reply during business hours, Monday to Saturday, with what it is, whether it needs treatment and roughly what that would cost. No charge for the identification.

Helpful photos: the pest next to a coin for scale, droppings where you found them, mud tubes with a wider shot of the wall, and any damage to timber or packaging. A blurry photo of a fast ant is still useful if the trail is in the frame.

Why identification comes first

Every pest on this page is treated differently, and getting the species wrong wastes the treatment. A repellent spray on a coastal brown ant trail splits the colony into several. Aerosol on German cockroaches scatters them deeper into the voids. Breaking a termite mud tube sends the workers elsewhere and hides the evidence an inspector needs. Rat bait placed for mice, or mouse bait for rats, gets ignored.

That is why the first thing we do on any visit is look, not spray. Species, entry point, harbourage and conditions first, then the chemistry that fits, applied to its APVMA label. The pricing guide shows what each treatment typically costs once we know what we are dealing with.

Perth's northern suburbs pest calendar

Timing narrows the answer too. Ants and spiders build in spring as the sand warms. Termite swarmers appear on warm, humid evenings from November to April. Cockroaches move indoors as the nights cool in autumn. Rodents look for roof voids in winter. If you saw the pest this week, the season is a strong clue.

Right now
Sep – NovSpring: ants and spiders wake up

Warmer soil brings coastal brown ants and redbacks out. Good time for a perimeter treatment before summer.

Nov – AprSummer: termite swarm season

Subterranean termites swarm on warm, humid evenings. Sandy northern-suburb soils and garden timber raise the risk.

Mar – MayAutumn: cockroaches move indoors

German and Australian cockroaches follow warmth and food into kitchens as nights cool.

May – AugWinter: rodents in the roof

Rats and mice look for warm voids. Sealing entry points now beats baiting later.

Quote request

Send us what you saw.

Describe it or attach nothing at all, we'll call and ask the right questions. Identification is free.

Prefer to talk? Call 0447 747 769

Or text photos of the pest or droppings to 0447 747 769 and we'll identify it.

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