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Rodents
Rodents are among the most successful mammals on earth. They reproduce quickly, are very adaptable, and will eat many different types of food. We humans help their survival by providing shelter, warmth and food!
Rodents are widely spread throughout New Zealand and are often transported on trucks, in containers, and by boat. A mouse can excrete between 40-100 droppings a day and a rat 20-50 as well as up to 14 mls of urine. As a result, there are potential risks of disease and sickness such as salmonella. Even in New Zealand, people die from disease spread by rodents.
Rodents cause serious damage to buildings, equipment, and furniture and can create a potential fire risk by chewing through electrical wiring and plastic insulation. They also pose an ecological concern by damaging crops, contaminating stock, stealing eggs, and killing young birds.
Don’t forget, rodents carry fleas and fleas carry worms. Keep these pests out of your home!
Did you know that rats can:
Common species of rodent in New Zealand:
Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
The Norway rat, also known as a sewer rat is large and robust. It has a short snout with small eyes and ears. Its coat is coarse, shaggy and light brown in colour. While its sight is poor the Norway rat’s other senses are excellent. It is omnivorous but prefers meat products. It can climb but is not that agile so nests are usually found in underground burrows. An excellent swimmer, the Norway rat is often associated with wetlands, rivers, landfills, sewers and estuaries.
Roof Rat (Rattus rattus)
Other names for the Roof rat are Ship or Black rat. It is smaller than the Norway rat and is considered sleek and graceful in comparison. It has a pointed snout with large eyes and ears. The Roof rat’s tail is especially long and usually dark in colour. This species is also omnivorous but prefers fruits, nuts, grains and vegetables. It is agile and a good climber so comfortably nests in walls, attics, vines and trees. The Roof rat can swim but prefers to stay on dry land.
Both species have quite a large range from their nest so will wander up to 30 metres looking for food. Both will store food so it is important to secure baits to monitor and ensure digestion. Their average life span is 9-12 months. Rats require a lot of water daily.
House Mouse (Mus musculus)
The house mouse is a small and slender creature with large ears, small eyes and pointed snout. Like the larger rodents the house mouse is colour-blind but what it lacks in sight, it makes up for by using its other very strong senses. Usually light brown or light grey in colour, it is a good climber, can swim and generally burrows to make nests. The house mouse is very territorial and rarely goes further than 6 metres from its nest to obtain food.
Rodent Control - HELPFUL HINTS
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