Terminator Pest Control has vast experience in all aspects of rodent control as my Specialised Phone Number would suggest 0800 RATMAN (0800-728626)

The 3 main rat species we deal with in New Zealand are all introduced.

• Norway Rat: Also known as (Rattus norvegicus)and Sewer Rat, Brown Rat, Water Rat & Wharf Rat. This is the biggest & most common Rat problem Terminator Pest Control deals with. The Norway rat Country of origin is North China. Norway Rat’s tail is shorter than its body, however I often see them around 50cm, from nose, to tip of tail. This rat, spread from China through Trading Routes, and is now established in every Continent except Antartica.
• Roof Rat: Also known as (Rattus rattus)and Ship Rat, House Rat, & Black Rat. Is the smaller of the 2 European Species. Its tail is longer than it’s body. It has larger ears than the Norway rat, and when it presses it’s ears forward, the ears can cover it’s eyes.
• Kiore Rat: Introduced by Maori to New Zealand. Species botanical name is (Rattus exulans), also known as Polynesian or Pacific Rat. Similar in appearance to an adult Ship Rat, but 4cm. shorter. Also it’s tail is shorter than it’s body.

Prices for rodent control vary greatly, depending on what your individual requirements are, and the cost of the consumables used on your job, also whether the job is ongoing, or just a basic one off job. Distance to travel is also a factor. Even architecture of the home, will have an impact on price as some homes have no crawl space in the ceilings, and some have no manholes. So lets have that friendly phone chat first, and I will try to work out the best solution tailored to your needs.

Rat Facts:

As long as a rat colony has abundant food, they will breed at an alarming rate. A Norway rat can live between 1 and 3 years, but the life expectancy of a dense population of rats, where there is great competition for food, is only a little over a year.

Rats reach sexual maturity in just 4 to 5 weeks, and the female will birth litters between 5 to 12 rat pups, and raises about 6 litters each year. Just 2 rats left unchecked have the potential to swell from 2 to 1250 in just a year.

Heres the frightening bit, just before 911 a guy spent a year researching a large rat colony in New York, and learned that a singe male rat had up to 35 partners in just 1 night,…Do the maths on that.

Rats can climb vertical walls of houses and easily jump 4 to 6 feet, but often climb trees that overhang the house roof, and gain entry to the ceiling void. Rats need about 2 ounces of water a day, and this usually comes from the homes roof spouting.

A New Zealand Landcare Researcher, claims that rats kill aproximately 47000 birds every night in NZ.

Ship and Norway rats and kiore have a major impact in New Zealand because they are omnivores – eating birds, seeds, snails, lizards, fruit, weta, eggs, chicks, larvae and flowers. The varied diet of rats also makes them competitors with native wildlife for food sources.

Rats can make you sick:

It is possible for rats to transmit diseases to people. They can transmit diseases if they bite or scratch people and also by leaving their droppings and urine around the home. People can also get sick when rats contaminate their food or run across countertops where food is later prepared. Some of the most common diseases transmitted to people by rats include:

Leptospirosis is a blood infection that can be transmitted from rat urine to humans. Signs and symptoms can range from none to mild (headaches, muscle pains, and fevers) to severe (bleeding in the lungs or meningitis).

Salmonellosis – if you consume food or water that has been contaminated by rat faeces you can get diarrhoea, fever and abdominal cramps.

Dysentery – a gastrointestinal disorder that causes abdominal pain and cramps.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV) – a viral infectious disease that is transmitted through the urine and saliva of rats, causing fever, malaise, lack of appetite, muscle aches, headache, nausea and vomiting.

Mycoplasma – a type of bacteria known to cause respiratory problems and pneumonia.

Rats Often Cause Expensive Property Damage:

Rats can be destructive to property as they gnaw on plastic and wood, leaving holes in walls, floorboards, electric cables, and are known to sometimes cause house fires, and flooding from gnawing on plumbing water pipes. Vertical teeth marks are often seen in objects that rats have chewed on. Rats often nest beneath building foundations, in woodpiles, in dense vegetation, and inside walls, ceilings, and cabinets. They can enter homes through a 20mm sized hole or crack in the foundation or walls. Winter is when rats are most likely to try and come inside when natural food supplies are at their lowest and the weather is cold and often wet.

Mice Control & Facts:

Terminator Pest Control has over 20 years of specialist experience in rat & mouse Control, so we can solve your problems quickly and efficiently.

Female mice reach sexual maturity at about 6 weeks, and male mice at about 8 weeks. The female has between 5 to 8 litters each year. With a gestation period of about 19 to 21 days. The female gives birth to a litter of between  3 to 14 mouse pups, but averages out about 8 per litter. So from just one breeding pair, it is possible for the female to give birth to 8 litters of 14 mouse pups, a total of 112 mice, in just one year.

Mice, much like other rodents, have a set of incisor teeth that never stop growing. Their teeth grow at a rate of 0.3mm a day. Because of this, mice have to constantly gnaw on items which range anywhere from cardboard boxes to wires and furniture in order to grind their teeth down to a reasonable length. Mice hear, and communicate with ultrasound, so not only do they have superhuman hearing, but they can also jump to incredible heights. Mice are known to be able to jump vertically up to 25.5cm, which when considering their average size to be 3 to 10cm, thats impressive.

Eyesight of mice is very poor, but smell and hearing are very good.

Diseases Rodents Carry. ( mostly from urine)

Hantavirus, Bartonellosis, Salmonellosis, Leptospirosis, Weils Disease, Rat bite fever, (Streptobacillus & Spirillum), Tularemia, Rickettsial, Murine Typhus, Toxoplasmosis, Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis, Bubonic Plague, Septicemic Plague, Pneumonic Plague.

Allergens & Asthma

Aside from the diseases listed above, an infestation of mice or rats also means the introduction of allergens. A protein found within their urine may trigger asthma and closely related allergic conditions in susceptible people. The residue from rodent urine can easily spread all over a home, with the highest concentrations usually in kitchens & pantries, which can lead to asthma attacks. Mice typically urinate in micro-droplets wherever they are nesting. And since they eat and travel throughout the day, mouse urine can literally be found on thousands of surfaces throughout a home.