Rodents are a major pest in human lives because they eat what humans eat & store in their homes or business.  When Rodents enter our homes they are seeking food and shelter and bring disease and illness with their presence, they also pollute and damage our living space.  They will nest in burrows adjacent to waterways, under buildings, trees, in garbage dumps, rubbish heaps and places where food and shelter.  Indoors they construct nests in wall voids/cavities and in roof void/space, under floors and inside in food pantries and cupboards.

Habits & Behaviours

Rats & Mice live and nest within buildings provided they have access to food, water and shelter. Typically in the autumn and winter allowing the rodent to be close to its food source. Rats & Mice are very adaptable to our environment.

Being agile creatures and mostly nocturnal, they feed during the day if the population is very large and food is short and very little disturbance.

They are very sensitive to changes and wary of changes around their environment.  Rats and mice are extremely good climbers.  Rats are a creature of habit they are referred to as neophobic they have a fear of new objects or change.  Mice seem to maintain a degree of caution and are very curious and more adventurous and will access food sources within a short period compared to rats who may take longer to take new baits.

Norway rats are good swimmers and have known to navigate the S-bend in toilets in homes.

Rats feeding in school-yards may cause problems in adjacent buildings during school holidays when the children are not providing the foods.

Both Rats & Mice groom themselves regularly and gnaw as their teeth are structure to gnaw and they do gnaw on many materials including wiring in roof voids of domestic and commercial properties.

They cause serious damage through gnawing and will damaged upholstery, food, containers, machinery & equipment, motor vehicle motors when left in garage unattended for long periods of time usually when people go on holidays and lock their car in a garage, doors, skirting boards, plaster walls, electrical wiring like telephone systems causing short-circuiting resulting in equipment damage in domestic and commercial premises.

Nests & Gnawing’s paper rags straw or chew marks on wiring indicates recent activity

Urine Stains/Tracks/Runs can be evident in dusty areas, footprints and tail marks on dusty or soiled floors, oily stains and dirty marks along skirting edges or walls are an indication of runs.

Food disappearing which are often carried away by rats that is why loose rodent baits are not recommended in roof space and should be secured

Sound like gnawing, clawing, squeaking, scratching in roof void

Odour is distinct and noticed

Visual Sighting when rodents are signed during the day this often indicates a large population of rodents present.

Pest becoming very sensitive or foreign odours, noises and will become excited with the intrusion of rodents sometimes barking and clawing at the area where the rodents may be present.

Disease Transmission

It is very likely rodents play a large part in the transmission of disease which are often difficult to track back where they came from.

A Rodent can transmit diseases to humans by means of food & utensils being contaminated from urine & faeces. Like salmonella poisoning, choriomeningitis, mild meningitis virus carried by mice, Weil’s disease bacteria entering through the skin through scratches, infectious jaundice(bacteria), tapeworm, by direct biting of humans, indirect contamination via biting fleas, via pets to humans skin disease fungus from mice.

Control Methods for Rodents

Sanitation – Rodent Proofing – Chemical Control – Baiting – Trapping – Tracking powers or Gels – Fumigation

Control of high health risk large rodent infestation usually requires the implementation of several of the above procedures but sanitation is a major player if areas are not clean other controls alone will continue to encourage rodent issues at the property.

Safety in Rodent Control

Baits need to be placed in areas and in locked containers to prevent children, pets, wildlife, domestic animals and livestock access.  There are many rodent bait containers on the market that are designed for rodent baiting.

Occupants of the building need to be made aware of where the baits are located and what product is used in case poisoning occurs this needs to be noted on the container or invoice.