Rats and mice are collectively known as rodents.
The species that become problematic in buildings throughout Australia are all introduced and have become well adapted to Australian conditions. They are:
- Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) also commonly referred to as ‘Sewer or Brown rat’;
- Roof rat (Rattus rattus) also commonly referred to as ‘Black rat’; and
- House mouse (Mus musculus).
Anyone who has had a rat as a pet will tell you how cute and intelligent they are. We don’t deny it – our Operations Manager has a high level of respect for these clever creatures, yet takes great delight in outwitting them when they’ve decided they want to live in areas they are not welcome. This usually happens as the weather cools down and they seek warmer shelter – where their numbers start to multiply. Rodents can cause issues in buildings due to their ability to gnaw materials causing damage to structures and electrical wiring. They also eat food and urinate as they move through areas potentially transmitting disease.
Our rodent service includes:
- Species identification;
- Assessment of the problem and identification of any conditions conducive to rodents;
- Consultation and information about to best manage the problem;
- Initial trap setting or baiting; and
- Recommendations for ongoing monitoring and trapping or baiting.
Traps are the preferred option when rodent levels aren’t high and you want to catch them before the family grows and multiplies. Traps pose no toxicity issues and can be strategically placed in the rodents path. Baiting is best used for larger infestations – carefully selected to suit the situation and always placed in tamper proof stations. Rats in particular can be very shy of anything “new” in their environment and so we often have to find ways to “trick” them into trusting the smell of a new “food” source before they will take a the baited “food” from the same location. These are the types of strategies we’ll use to help you get rat problems under control if you need to call on our services.