Rat & Mouse Eradication and Control

In your home or business, rodents or any other verman are not only serious risk to your health, they can also damage the fabric and structure of buildings and destroy crops, food and materials.

Rodents need to gnaw constantly as their teeth grow at a highly paced rate throughout their lives. This can lead to damage to pipe work, electrical cables and actual buildings, causing fires, floods and expensive repair bills, hence the need for Rodent Control.

Rodents carry an alarming amount of diseases such as tuberculosis, salmonella, gastro- enteritis, rat bite fever, leptospirosis and numerous others, all of which have serious health implications. Their droppings and fur will also contaminate food preparation surfaces and foodstuffs. Rodents are incontinent and consequently foul wherever they travel.

Rodents also breed at an accelerated speed. As a yardstick it is estimated that if two mice were left in a building with a food source for twelve months their population would grow to approximately 2000.

With many insurance companies no longer insuring against rodent damage, it is important that this pest is excluded from premises with the latest rodent control techniques before they cause damage.

The Black Death, otherwise known as the plague, ravaged Europe and Asia between the 14th and 17th centuries killing hundreds of millions of people. It was the black rat that transported the fleas infected with the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The fleas fed on the blood of the rats and of the people that they came in contact with, spreading the disease as they sucked. Other diseases that rats are known to transmit through their activities include Murine typhus transmitted by rat fleas.

Rats and mice are commensal rodents. That is they live in association with humans. In homes, offices, shops, factories and farms they take advantage of our food supplies and the shelter our buildings and structures provide.

The first line of defence against rodents is proofing; stopping the rats or mice getting in.

HEALTH AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:

OUR TREATMENT METHODS ARE SAFE TO USE, AS WE FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTION OF PRODUCTS BEING APPLIED, RECOMMENDED BY MANUFACTURES.

BAIT STATION IS RECOMMEND FOR USE AT ALL TIMES.( It is important to keep all toxic baits out of reach of children, pets and other non-target animals both from a safety point of view and from the point of view of finding the best place for rodents to find and eat the bait. Ideal bait sites are roof and ceiling voids, behind cupboards, fridges, freezers, etc)

PLEASE ADVISE US IF THERE ARE AREAS THAT YOU DO NOT WISH FOR US TO LAY BAIT IN.

COST:

Starting from $199+GST. Additional cost depending on type of treatment, the level of infestation, problem areas and expected warranty. Material used. Every place is different we may treat your property once and you may have a very successful results or you might need ongoing maintenance for heavy infestation so please call to discuss levels of infestation and size of property.

For heavy infestations more than one treatment may be required have a look at our package deals for ongoing maintenance or we can design a programme to suit the severity of infestation on yours and your neighbouring properties. Persistence and patience is the key for effective pest control.

The species of rodent (Rats and Mice) found in new Zealand are:

The Brown Rat, Norway Rat or Water Rat, scientific name – Rattus Norvegicus

The Roof Rat, Black Rat or Ship Rat, scientific name – Rattus Rattus

The Kiore, Polynesian Rat, scientific name – Rattus Exulans

The House Mouse, scientific name – Mus Musculus

Mice

The common house mouse is a pest of significant importance both as it damages wiring, pipe work and buildings with its gnawing and will carry and transmit disease. Of the mice, the house mouse (Mus Musculus) is a pest in urban and rural environments. Rodents will enter your buildings at any time of the year; however, autumn/winter is the time when mice and rats seek new supplies of food, as the natural supplies in the countryside dwindle. They also seek shelter from the colder weather. All too often they easily find shelter and ample food in our homes, offices, shops and factories.

Rats

Rats are the most successful of all the world’s pest animal species. They live in association with humans, scavenging on our waste and living in our homes. Rats are vectors of disease.

Common Species of Rats in New Zealand:

The Brown Rat or Norwegian rat (Rattus Norvegicus), the Black Rat or Ship Rat (Rattus Rattus) and the Kiore or Pacific Rat (Rattus Exulans). The Black Rat is the more commonly encountered rat. It is sometimes difficult to identify which species you might have. Even a young rat can easily be misidentified as a mouse.

The Norwegian Rat can be up to 30cm but is normally around 20 cm. The tail is usually shorter than the head and body, an adult can weigh up to a Kilo, and it has grey-brown fur and is lighter on the underside. Their droppings are 15-20mm long, coloured usually grey or black. The Norwegian Rat will build nests in any suitable enclosed, safe space but naturally digs burrows into the banks of rivers. It will often nest in the walls and roof voids of homes and other buildings
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The Black Rat is smaller and more agile than the Norwegian. The tail is usually longer than the body and head. It is a better climber than the Norwegian and often finds its way into buildings via poorly sealed eaves. New Zealand buildings are susceptible to infestation by black rats because of gaps under roofing in the eaves. Rats may find their way onto the roof by climbing overhanging trees. The Black Rat does not build burrows and will nest in trees or in the voids of homes and other buildings.

Rats & Mice:

Rats and mice are usually regarded as pests only when they move indoors. However, they can also be a significant pest in the garden. Rats and mice will readily eat planted bulbs, seeds and seedlings in the garden. Many a vegetable patch has been devastated by the rodents digging up newly planted vegetables. Compost heaps can be a souse of infestation. Rodents will be attracted to discarded food matter and may nest in the warm conditions found in the compost. It is important to never put cooked food in a compost heap as this will be very attractive to rats and mice.

OUR TREATMENT METHODS USED ARE:
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Identify the problem– Check for typical evidence of a mouse or rat infestation. If droppings are found, the identification is much easier. Rat droppings are much larger, typically one inch (25mm) long and with a characteristic pointed end. Mouse droppings are less than 1/4 inch (4mm) long and usually more numerous. A mouse can produce around 80 droppings in a day!

Rodenticide baits – safe points, inside and outside affected buildings, in order to reduce populations around the building and to deal with individuals that enter, before an infestation can take hold. Strategic points include places where rodents travel safely. Rodents prefer to remain under cover in walls, roof voids, vegetation and piles of material. They stay close to walls and vertical surfaces where possible. Lockable bait stations can encourage rodents to feed on rodenticide baits in an enclosed space; they also keep bait dry and keep baits away from non-target animals.

Snap traps – are the safe and effective way to catch mice. The new traps can be used in conjunction with rodenticides helping catch rodents that have taken bait so the bodies can be removed. Snap traps can also be used where rodenticides cannot be placed.
Our experienced technicians will advise and make recommendation on the following findings during inspection:

Exclusion preventing the Rats or Mice getting in – A mouse can squeeze beneath a door if there is a gap large enough to fit a pencil and a young rat is only a little larger than a mouse! Draft excluding brush strips, are an ideal method of proofing such gaps. However, there are almost always other possible entry points around any building.

Seal gaps – around pipes and cable where they enter buildings or go from one room to another. Pipes and cable often act as rodent highways.

Prune -climbing plants and overhanging trees well away from roofs as these act as ‘ladders’ for rodents. Check eaves for entry points to the roof voids. If possible seal these.

Keep – fresh rodenticide bait in place in safe places such as the roof void so that any rodents that get in are dealt with before you know about them.

Clear – a wide area around a building; this will deter rodents from reaching and entering the building. Rodents are what we would call agoraphobic; they fear open spaces, and like to be under cover.

Remove – available food and shelter from within a building as this can have a powerful deterrent effect. This is an important and often overlooked aspect of controlling pests.