Controlling RATS AND MICE in Homes

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Rodents are the most common mammals in the world, both in numbers and in species.  Australia has more than 60 species of native rodents.  These natives rarely invade homes but some do cause problems in agriculture.  

There are also three introduced rodents:

            Rattus norvegicus        the sewer or brown rat

Rattus rattus                the roof or black rat

            Mus musculus              the house mouse.

It is the introduced rodents that cause problems in urban areas. 

These are known as commensal rodents – those that live with or near people and depend on humans for at least part of their food or shelter.  They are often attracted to houses for food and shelter as the weather cools in autumn/winter.

Rodents prominent incisor teeth grow continuously.  ‘Rodent’ is derived from the Latin ‘rodere’ which means ‘to gnaw’.  Gnawing is a natural and necessary survival behaviour of the rat and mouse.  Rats and mice enjoy gnawing wires – a potential cause of fires in Wyong homes.

Rodents contaminate our environment with their urine and droppings and by spreading disease.  Rodents are known to be vectors of over fifty disease organisms including the causes of plague, leptospirosis, murine typhus and food poisoning.

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Rodent species

SEWER RAT                        Rattus norvegicus                       

Originated in Central Asia.  Large, aggressive, adaptable and sly. 

ROOF RAT               Rattus rattus

A native of the forests of equatorial Southeast Asia.  It was the most common rat in urban areas in Europe during the outbreaks of plague.

HOUSE MOUSE      Mus musculus           

Believed to have originated in Central Asia.  Mice adapted to structures associated with the storage and transport of grain, with their provision of shelter, warmth and food. 

	Sewer Rat	Roof Rat	House Mouse
Snout	Blunt	Pointed	Pointed
Ears	Small	Large	Large
Tail / body	Shorter	Longer	Body-length
Droppings	18mm Sausage-like	12mm Pointed	4mm Pointed
Weight (g)	340 – 460	150 - 250	13 – 30
Intake /day (g)	15 – 30	10 - 20	2 – 4
Food preference	Garbage	Fruit, nuts	Grains
Offspring / year	20	20	40 – 60
Gestation (days)	22	23	18 – 21
Litter size	4 – 10	4 – 8	5 – 6
Lifespan (mths)	5 – 12	5 - 18	12 – 24
Home range (m)	8 – 30	8 – 30+	2 – 10

IT IS IMPORTANT TO CORRECTLY IDENTIFY THE SPECIES SO EFFECTIVE CONTROL PROGRAMMES CAN BE DESIGNED TO SUIT THE BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS OF THAT SPECIES.

ACCESS TO FOOD AND SHELTER, POOR HYGIENE, INCORRECT PLACEMENT OF TRAPS AND BAITS AND CHOICE OF INAPPROPRIATE ACTIVE AND FORMULATION OF BAITS WILL RESULT IN A SLOWER OR EVEN INEFFECTIVE CONTROL.

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