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Print A simple guide to dealing with rats and mice
Getting rid of rats and mice can be an uphill battle, particularly if you’re squeamish or don’t understand rodent behaviour and how to get rid of them. As pest and rodent experts, Kiwicare has done the research for you and pulled together an easy to follow three step plan, to help you rid your home and garden of rats and mice.
Why you should get rid of rats and mice
Don’t let those fuzzy little faces fool you. Rodents pose more danger than just making noises in the roof and walls that disturb your sleep. They are well known for causing electrical shorting, fire, leaks, and structural damage to properties.
Worse still, rodents transmit disease by continually dribbling urine and leaving droppings where they travel. In addition they have a tendency to move from sewers to food preparation and storage areas.
Also, did you know that every year in New Zealand, around 25 million native birds are killed by introduced predators like rats, mice and possums?
Prevent rodent problems before they start
Rodents tend to be most active during autumn when they’re gathering food and heading indoors in preparation for the winter. So, it’s best to start preventative action in late summer/early autumn.
Stop rats and mice entering your buildings. Rats and mice can squeeze through any gaps that they can get their head through. This can be as narrow as a pencil. Look around your buildings and seal gaps under doors, around pipes, cables and broken vents, etc.
Rats and mice are good climbers and often enter at eaves, so cut vegetation away from the eaves and roof. Vines and creeping plants should be cut well below eaves and overhanging trees should be cut back 2 metres from the roof.
Restrict food sources that may attract rats and mice. Pick up fallen fruit in the garden, remove pet food bowls after pets have fed, sweep up spills in kitchens and put food in sealed containers or refrigerators, and do not leave seeds exposed in sheds and garages.
Kiwicare’s 3 easy steps to rodent control
- Step 1: Search for signs of rodent activity
Before you can deal with a rodent problem you need to establish that you actually have one, and ideally if you’re dealing with rats or mice.
Rats and mice are most active at night (if you see rodents during the day, this indicates you’re dealing with a large infestation). Ceilings amplify sound due to acoustics, so if you have rodents in your roof, it’s typically easy to hear them. Mice make a scurrying sound. Their paws follow each other so quickly that the sound of their movement is almost continuous. With rats however, you tend to hear the definite sound of each individual paw hitting the ground as they run. Note: Sounds heard in eaves at dusk and dawn is likely to be birds.
Another thing to look out for is damage to your property. Rats and mice gnaw things other than food to keep their teeth worn down and sharp. They often choose to gnaw wiring, plumbing, joists and stored items. This can cause electrical shorting, fire, leaks, and structural damage.
The three most common rodents in New Zealand are Roof Rats, Norway Rats and the House Mouse. In the event you happen to see them, here are the identifying characteristics to look for:- A Roof Rat has a tail longer than their body, and a body up to 225 mm long. Their droppings are 7-14 mm long with pointed ends.
- The Norway Rat has a tail shorter than their body, with a body up to 250 mm long. Their droppings are 14-19 mm long with rounded ends.
- While the House Mouses’ tail is about the same length as their body, and their body is up to 115 mm long. Their droppings are 4-7 mm long with pointed ends.
- Fur colour is not a distinguishing feature.
One easy way to identify what you’re dealing with is by using Kiwicare’s Predator-Free Discovery Kit. This kit is made up of three rodent detector cards that you can secure in places where rodents are most active. The cards are treated with a non-toxic lure that will encourage the rodents to chew on the card. The presence of bites and their pattern will help you to identify what you’re dealing with.
- Step 2: Remove food sources & restrict access
Before you start laying baits and traps, you need to do a bit of preparation, to tip the odds in your favour. Rodents tend to be most active during Autumn when they’re gathering food and heading indoors in preparation for the Winter. So, it’s best to start preventative action in late Summer/early Autumn.
Stop rats and mice entering your buildings. Rats and mice can squeeze through any gaps that they can get their head through. This can be as narrow as a pencil. Look around your buildings and seal gaps under doors, around pipes, cables and broken vents, etc.
Rats and mice are good climbers and often enter at eaves, so cut vegetation away from the eaves and roof. Vines and creeping plants should be cut well below eaves and overhanging trees should be cut back 2 metres from the roof.
Restrict food sources that may attract rats and mice. Pick up fallen fruit in the garden, remove pet food bowls after pets have fed, sweep up spills in kitchens and put food in sealed containers or refrigerators, and do not leave seeds exposed in sheds and garages. - Step 3: Bait or trap and monitor
Place baits like NO Rats & Mice One Feed (a single feed product) or NO Rats & Mice Bait Blocks (a multi-feed product) under cover, along walls or rafters and in dark sheltered areas where there are signs of rodent activity.
- For mice — use single bait blocks 5m apart, or 2m apart for high infestations.
- For rats — use 1 to 3 blocks 10m apart, or 5m apart for high infestations.
In dry areas where other food is not limited NO Rats & Mice Dual Action Bait & Tracking Powder should be sprinkled where rodents run.
For effective control continue to replace eaten bait until feeding ceases. Once rodent activity has ceased ensure untaken baits are removed and safely disposed of.
NOTE: One feed may be sufficient to kill a rat or mouse but they will continue to eat bait. It may take up to 2 weeks to control a significant rodent problem.
Rodenticide Bait Stations
Use Bait Stations like the Kiwicare NO Mice One Feed Bait Station or NO Rats One Feed Bait Station to keep baits secure. Bait stations are designed to:
- Protect pets and children from access to bait.
- Protect bait from moisture and contamination.
- Provide enclosed space where rodents feel comfortable and will consume more bait.
- Can be used indoors and outdoors.
- Should be lockable and refillable.
NOTE: By law rodenticides must only be used in bait stations and as specified on the label. A bait station is defined as “A rigid, reusable device or container designed or adapted to physically contain baits in such a way as to allow unrestricted access by target pests while preventing or minimising spillage of bait and access of off-target species. Also, to protect baits from the elements and extend their usable life.” This could include a roof void.
Rodent Traps
Using traps in conjunction with baits is a great way to hedge your bets. Use traps to catch and remove rodents affected by the rodenticide, or those who are more attracted to the likes of peanut butter than rodenticides.
For the first few days (using gloved hands) place the traps out with bait like peanut butter, but keep them closed (i.e. not set). This allows rodents to get familiar with them, understand that they provide food and most importantly discount them as a threat.
It’s important to place multiple traps a few feet apart along the sides of a wall, where rodents tend to run. Having a few traps in a row means that if a rodent runs across or next to a trap and it isn’t triggered, the next trap may still get it. It also means, if a trap captures a rat or a mouse, there are still traps set up and ready to trap other rodents.
NOTE: It’s important to regularly check traps and dispose of dead rodents. This allows you to prevent nasty smells taking over your property, other rodents learning traps can kill them and lets you set up new traps as well as monitor rodent activity. View our Easy 1-2-3 Step Guide to Rodent Trapping for more tips and advice.
Final Clean & Check
Once the rats and mice on your property have been killed off use gloves to do the following:
- Bag and dispose of expired rodents.
- Clean up droppings.
- Wipe down and disinfect surfaces where rodents have run.
- Bag and dispose of used bait.
- Check for potential rodent entry points and seal these.
For best results
Remove other food sources: If other food sources like pet food, fruit from trees, rubbish etc is freely available, rodents will be less likely to interact with baits and traps, as they’ll go for the tastier, less risky options. By removing other food sources, traps and baits will become more attractive and rodents’ primary food source.
Wear gloves: When handling rodenticide baits, bait stations and rodent traps; gloves protect the wearers and also prevent baits and traps from acquiring human scent which might deter rodents.
Pulse your Baits: Rodents are smarter than we give them credit for. If they’ve seen other rats or mice eat your bait and then die, they may steer clear of it. If you find that you’ve removed all other easy food sources and rodents are still active but your bait isn’t being eaten, it’s time to switch to another type of bait. There are two key types of bait; a single feed rodenticide that kills a rodent after one feed and multi-feed rodenticides. Multi-feeds tend to be more palatable but require a rodent to consume bait a number of times before the rodent is killed. Switching to a different type of bait and moving its location can help trick the rodents into thinking the new bait is a safer food alternative.
Check and replenish bait stations and baiting points regularly: If all bait has been eaten replace it with double the bait used previously; bait should always be available to the rodents.
Placement: Rodents prefer to stay under cover and are reluctant to move into open spaces. They stay close to walls and upright surfaces. Bait stations and traps should be placed where rodents will encounter them and feel safe.
Traps: Snap traps with strong springs are the most effective and humane. They should have a platform trigger. Set correctly perpendicular to a wall or other place rodents are running it is not necessary to use bait. If bait is used the best are peanut butter or chocolate.
Mice: Are nibble feeders, they eat a little and move on. So, place many small amounts of bait and many traps.
Rats: Will stop and feed for longer. Roof rats store food and will take bait away if they can, so be sure to fix baits in place.
Still need some help eradicating rodents?
Watch our Rodent Control How-to Videos. They’re jam packed with useful tips and information on how to make your home and property rodent free.
Eradicate rodents from your backyard and save our birds
Every night in New Zealand approximately 68,000 native birds are killed by introduced predators like rats, mice and possums. Predators like these don’t only put birds at risk by preying on their eggs, they also compete with them for food and destroy our native plants. Currently 4,000 native species are threatened or at risk of extinction in New Zealand.
Controlling the rodents in your home and backyard is a great way to help protect New Zealand’s native birds and keep our birdsong going strong. Find out more about Kiwicare’s Predator-Free movement and how you can get involved.
