"Austrapest has been established for over 20 years"

Rats and mice are mammals, warm blooded animals, which belong to the group known as rodents. They live in most countries sharing food and shelter with humans.

These pests are responsible for large amounts of food loss and contamination from the crop stage through to the storage of processed foods. We feel fear at their ability to transmit disease. Bubonic Plague or black death (which is transmitted to humans via the Oriental rat flea) killed 25 million people in 14th Century Europe. Although not a problem in present day Australia, other diseases - eg. salmonellosis, do exist.

Rodents need to continually gnaw on hard materials to wear down their front teeth. This behaviour results in damage to electrical and telephone cables and this can cause fires and other costly damage.

Biology and Habits

Rats and mice are social animals living in groups. They are nocturnal and omnivorous scavengers (ie. can eat a wide range of human foods), and can adapt very well to human living conditions. They have keen senses of smell, touch, and hearing, but their sight is poor.

Rats are neophobic, which means they have fear of new things in their environment and stick to well known routes. Mice on the other hand are curious and adventurous. The Roof rat is a very good climber - it can be seen walking across electricity wires to enter roof voids. The Norway rat is a good swimmer.

Winter is the time of year when rats and mice will come in out of the cold to nest in our roofs, subfloors and kitchens.

They construct their nests close to areas where they scavenge for food and water and use soft materials such as shredded paper or fabric. Their nests are often found in wall cavities, roof voids and underfloor areas. Norway rats will burrow in garbage tips and other similar sites.

Detecting the Presence of Rodents

sounds - scratching, light thumping, gnawing; evidence of droppings over surfaces they travel; urine stains, or greasy smear marks along their main routes; and teeth marks,

all assist technicians to determine the species and size of infestation.

Control

The first steps in control for the householder is to give attention to sanitation and hygiene, and block entry holes where possible. When the problem is out of control professional assistance is necessary.

Austrapest provides a service for rodents including thorough inspections, physical trapping, proofing of entry points and baiting.

Technicians use their specialised knowledge of rodent behaviour to successfully control these pest problems.