Rodents

RATS AND MICE AS PESTS

• Eating and contaminating the stored food items– Rats and Mice are responsible for huge losses of food in storage in SE QLD especially in Gold Coast & Brisbane. They drop faeces and urinate on kitchen surfaces and floors while move in and around stored foods which in result contaminates the stored food items.
• Gnawing leading to physical damage – Rodents gnaw tirelessly to keep their teeth from growing too long and that can be the cause of serious damage to a range of materials. They may damage the doors, plastic items, upholstery, electrical wiring and parts of machinery.
• Disease Transmission– Rats and mice pose a serious threat to human health. Rodents transmit a wide variety of diseases. Rats and mice can contaminate food items, utencils and kitchen surfaces through their droppings and urine. They can bite humans or transfer the diseases through pets.

MAJOR RODENT PEST SPECIES

1. Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Norway Rat, also known as Brown Rat, Common Rat or street rat, is the larger of the two pest rats in Australia. Their life span is between 9 and 18 months. It is brown or grey rodent weighing around 650grams. Its reproductive potential is very high. It is said the brown rat lives wherever humans live, particularly in urban areas. The brown Rat is a true omnivore and will eat almost anything. Norway Rats have acute hearing and they possess a very highly developed olfactory sense. They are usually active at night. They are good swimmers and can dig well and are capable of communicating via ultrasonic vocalizations. They infests warehouses, factories, flour mills, poultry farms, shops, supermarkets and many other locations that offer food and shelter to them in Brisbane & Gold Coast area.

1. Roof Rat (Rattus rattus)

Roof rat is also known as the black rat or ship rat and is smaller than the common Norway rat and is of slighter build. Their life expectancy is around 12 months. Unlike other rat species, roof rats have good climbing ability and they can nest above ground in built up areas, roof voids and even in ships. Out of doors, they may nest among vines and trees, but they seldom burrow. They eat a variety of food items preferably meat scraps and high-protein foods and fruit materials. They will also chew through plastic and metal pipes to get to water which can then lead to structural damage of the houses/buildings located throughout Gold Coast & Brisbane.

1. House mouse (Mus domesticus)

House mouse is a small mammal of all species of rodents. They have adapted very well to Australian environment. Their life span is approximately 12 months. Their pelt is short brown, grey or black hair on back. They are curious animals and can survive indoors or outdoors in close proximity to humans. Mice are usually nocturnal animals and have no or little color vision. They enter buildings or houses through openings as small as 6mm. The house mouse is omnivorous and can eat both plant and animal matter. Mice can transmit diseases to humans and other animals via biting, fleas, ticks, mites and droppings. Common diseases namely, salmonella, Hantavirus, plague, etc. are carried by mice.