what are some common signs you’ve got mice or rats? read on!

There are 2 common rat pest species in Australia, they are the Norway rat and the Roof rat. These rats only need a 12mm hole or gap to gain entry into your home. Both are mostly active at night, but they have different food and burrow preferences. 

So while you will generally find them living in different locations from each other, you will sometimes find a Norway rat where you would expect a Roof rat and vice versa. 

However, both rat species are fearful of new objects in their environment, sometimes taking several weeks before they deem it safe to investigate. They will also travel along wall and floor junctions for safety and cover from predators. 

Rats teeth continue to grow throughout their entire lives, so they must constantly gnaw to keep their teeth from getting too long. Their teeth are so tough that they can gnaw through wood, cement, copper, plastic and bricks. 

As they are mostly nocturnal animals their eyesight is quite poor, relying on their other senses for information about their surroundings. Their sense of smell, taste, hearing and touch is heightened to make up for this.

So they can smell out new food sources, as well as smell the pheromones left by other rats to gather information. 

Their taste is so sensitive that they can tell if there is something strange in their food. They will link this taste with a bad association, avoiding foods with the linked taste and smell. 

Their hearing is so keen, they can hear into the ultrasonic range.

They rely on their sense of touch to help navigate their surroundings, having nerve endings at the base of their whiskers as well as special long hairs over their body. This is why they like to move along surfaces where flooring meets a wall. 

All of these attributes put together can make it difficult to eradicate the colony making its home in yours. This is why we take the time to investigate potential entry points, food sources and nesting locations. 

Norway rats are the bigger of the two, some weighing almost half a kilo (450g). They are about a ruler in length, to just under half a meter long (30-45cm). They have a heavy-set body, with their tail being shorter than their body length. They have a blunt nose with small finely haired ears and red-brown coarse fur all over. Their droppings are blunt and are just under 2cm in length.  

Norway rats are omnivorous, but they prefer protein based food like fish and meats. They will also eat cereals and forage through garbage for food. They require about (20-30g) of food daily and about (20-30ml) of water daily. Generally living within 40 meters of their food and water source, but no more than 130 meters away from either. 

This particular rat prefers to make its nests at ground level, burrowing under buildings and trees. However, it can still jump and climb well being found in roof spaces burrowing through insulation to make its nest. They are excellent swimmers and are commonly found in sewers.

The average lifespan of the Norway rat is about a year, producing between 5-6 litters in that time. Each litter has roughly 8-10 young, reaching sexual maturity within 3-4 months. 

So one mating pair of this species within one year, can produce anywhere from 40-60 young. 

The Roof rat is the smaller of the two, about the weight of a deck of playing cards roughly (200g). They have a slender body with the overall length the same as the Norway rat (30-45cm), but their tail is longer than their body. They have a pointy nose with large, almost hairless ears and fine fur ranging from brown, grey to black. Their droppings are just under 1.5cm long and have pointed ends. 

Roof rats are omnivorous, but they prefer fruits and vegetables as well as cereal grains. They require about (15-20g) of food daily and about (15-20ml) of water daily. Generally living within 40 meters of their food and water source, but no more than 90 meters away from either. 

The Roof rat prefers to make its nest in high places, such as in trees or roof spaces. It jumps and climbs exceptionally well, but is a poor swimmer. You will commonly hear them in wall and roof spaces preferring the indoors rather than the outdoors.

The average lifespan of the Roof rat is about a year, producing between 4-5 litters in that time. Each litter has roughly 6-8 young, reaching sexual maturity within 3-4 months. 

So one mating pair of this species within one year, can produce anywhere from 24-40 young. 

IPS provide baiting, trapping and proofing services to eradicate rodents.

To discuss your specific needs, please book in a phone call here.