Find a trusted pest controller in Sydney

Termites and Sydney’s timber

Termites are the pest that costs Sydney homeowners serious money, because they eat structural timber out of sight. Subterranean termites are active across much of the city, and the risk climbs where houses sit near bushland, mature gums or old tree stumps, as they do through the Hills, Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai, the Northern Beaches and the Sutherland Shire. Timber floors on piers, weatherboard extensions and decks give them plenty to work on. By the time a skirting board goes soft or a door starts sticking, they may have been there a while.

The Australian Standard for termite management around existing buildings (AS 3660.2) suggests a professional inspection at least every 12 months, with shorter gaps where the risk is high. A proper inspection covers the subfloor, roof void, wet areas and garden, uses moisture and thermal tools, and ends with a written report. If termites turn up, treatment is usually a chemical soil barrier, a baiting system or both. Leave the damaged timber alone until the inspector has seen it, because breaking it open or spraying it tends to drive the colony elsewhere in the house.

Cockroaches, rats and unit living

Pests don’t respect unit boundaries, which matters in a city with as many strata blocks as Sydney. German cockroaches, the small fast breeders found in kitchens, move between units through wall cavities and pipe risers, so treating one flat on its own often doesn’t hold. If you’re in a strata block, ask your strata manager about a building-wide treatment, which tends to work far better than one unit at a time.

Rats and mice move into roof spaces as the weather cools, and scratching above the ceiling at night is usually the first clue. Baiting deals with the ones already inside, but the lasting fix is finding and sealing the gaps they use. If they’ve been chewing in the roof, have an electrician look over the cabling.

Checking an EPA pest licence

Pest control in NSW is licensed by the Environment Protection Authority, not Building Commission NSW. Anyone paid to apply pesticides to control household pests needs a pest management technician licence, issued as a photo card, and termite treatments generally call for a timber pest management technician licence. Ask to see it on the day: the photo should match the person in front of you and the expiry date shouldn’t have passed. You can also search by name or number through the EPA pesticide licence register. Every other NSW regulator and lookup is listed on our NSW licence checks page.

Pest control prices in Sydney

Most Sydney homes pay around $180 to $400 for a general treatment covering cockroaches, spiders, ants and silverfish, or $150 to $250 in a unit, which puts the city in the middle to upper part of the national range. Budget about $200 to $400 for a termite inspection and report, and commonly $2,000 to $5,000 if an active colony needs treating. The full list of jobs and ranges is in our pest control price guide; all of it is indicative, a guide rather than a quote.

One licensed technician for your home

Let us know what you’ve seen and which part of Sydney you’re in. The one pest controller we match you with has had their EPA licence, insurance, ABN and reviews checked, and we don’t sell your details to anyone. How we match pest controllers explains the process; you can also browse other Sydney trades or go straight to a free quote.