Rodent Control - Rat and Mouse Control, Auckland
Rodents have been introduced to New Zealand and pose a major risk to our environment, economy, health and wellbeing. There are three types of rats and one type of mouse in New Zealand.
- Norway or brown rat (Rattus norvegicus)
- Ship or common rat (Rattus rattus)
- Kiore or Polynesian rat (Rattus exculans)
- House mouse (Mus musculus)
Kiore rats arrived in NZ on the canoes of the early Maori and are now mainly located in the lower South Island. Norway rats came ashore in the late 18th century on sailing ships from North America & Europe, soon followed the Ship rats and mice which are among the world’s 100 worst invaders.
Rats and mice are prolific breeders
- Mice can reach sexual maturity at 5 weeks of age and can have 5 to 10 litters a year containing 5 to 6 young each litter.
- Rats reach sexual maturity in 2 to 5 months of age and can have 3 to 6 litters a year containing 7 to 8 young.
Think you’ve got rodents in your home or workplace, are you noticing any of these tell tail signs?
- Droppings – rodent droppings are dark, long and skinny. Mice droppings are approximately 5mm long, rat droppings are approximately 15m long.
- Smell – rodent urine has a strong ammonia-like smell.
- Scratching noises in the walls or ceiling as rodents scurry around, especially at night.
- Damage – rodents gnaw on wood, plastic, cables and other hard materials.
- Nests – rodents shred paper and fabrics to build their nests. Nests can be found in places such as under floor boards, in ceiling spaces, in hot water cupboards, behind appliances and in your garage.
- Burrows – entrance holes 70 to 120mm in diameter in grassy banks, under tree roots, at the edge of paving or drain cover surrounds.
- Runs – rats will follow the same routes when traveling so you may see trails through the grass and vegetation.
If you’ve got rodents in your home or workplace you need them gone! Here’s why it’s important:
- Diseases rodents carry pose a serious health risk to you, your family, your colleagues and customers.
- Rodents carry allergens that can be a trigger to asthma sufferers.
- Food, clothing, furniture, books and many other household items have the potential to be ruined by contamination from rodent droppings and urine.
- Rodents are constantly gnawing to control the size of their incisors (front teeth) and can chew through anything softer than their teeth. Furniture, wood, plastics, water pipes and electrical wiring are all targets.
- There are cases where rodents have been suspected of causing house fires by chewing through electrical wiring, here are a few articles we’ve found from the Herald and the Herald and from TVNZ
Rodents are a major threat to our environment. Rats and mice eat:
- Native birds’ eggs and chicks.
- Seeds, fruits and seedlings of native trees.
- Native invertebrates including snails, beetles and stick insects.
- Native skinks and geckos.
How to get rid of rodents
Give Go Pest a call and we’ll send out an experienced technician to inspect your home or workplace and check for entry points. He’ll offer you proofing advice specific to your situation which will help prevent mice from entering in the future. He will then place tamper resistant bait stations with highly effective bait in strategic locations.
In two weeks your technician will re-visit and inspect the bait stations, if the infestation is minor no further visits will be required. If all the bait has been eaten he will re-bait the stations and discuss further treatment options with you.
For Auckland Rodent Control call Go Pest now on 0508 467378 or email info@gopest.co.nz.
Tips to help keep rodents away from your home or workplace
- Seal up any holes in interior and exterior walls and gaps around plumbing. Mice can fit through a gap the size of the end of a pencil.
- Keep your house or workplace free of food and liquid spillages, including under appliances.
- Store food in airtight containers.
- Make sure rubbish bins have tightly sealed lids.
- Cut back trees that touch or overhang your house or workplace.
- Keep outdoor areas free of building materials, cardboard, waste and clipping piles.
- Keep lawns cut short.
- Keep wood piles as far away from your house as possible.
- Don’t leave pet food out overnight were rodents can access it.
5/5
Wayne has gone over and above to ensure good service. He is knowledgeable and diligent. We have always found him to be punctual and professional. Most importantly, he achieves results. We have spent a frustrating year using other pest control companies with no tangible results. However, Wayne was immediately effective in removing rats from our property. Do yourself a favour and give him a call!
James
Remuera
FAQ
Every situation is different, for a minor infestation where there are just a few rodents we expect it will take around one to two weeks to get rid of them.
Some will die outside your home but there is a possibility they may die inside too, unfortunately we have no control over this. If they die in an area which cannot be reached and you notice an odour, we have strong odour bags available which will absorb the smell while the decomposing takes place.
No, traps are not the best way of eliminating rodents. They are best used for rodent control, not elimination. They tend to catch just some of the careless juvenile rodents, not many of the adult rodents. So using traps for getting rid of a rodent problem is an ongoing measure requiring constant removal of dead rodents. Since our customers want us to rid their home or workplace of all the rodents as quickly as possible, using traps is not an option. Getting rid of rats and mice effectively is best accomplished with the correct rodent baits.
In our opinion these devices are not proven to give satisfactory rodent control, rodents become used to the sound and will not be deterred by it.
For the safety of our customer’s children and pets, Go Pest use tamper resistant bait stations in areas where pets and children are able to reach, these are a robust plastic and require a key to open them. Bait is securely placed over a pin within the station so it cannot be shaken out. We only use bait that contains a bittering agent designed to deter cats and dogs from eating it.
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