Scratching in the ceiling at night is a sound many Auckland households know well once the weather turns. As it gets colder and wetter outside, rats and mice start looking for somewhere warmer, and a roof space or wall cavity is exactly what they want.

Once they are inside, they settle in quickly. A quiet corner with food nearby is all a rodent needs to start a nest. In this post, you’ll learn why rodents head indoors as the weather cools, how they get in, the damage and health risks they bring, and what you can do to keep them out.

Why Rodents Move Indoors When It Gets Cold

Rats and mice spend the warmer months outside, in gardens, bush edges, compost heaps and under decks. When temperatures drop and the rain sets in, food outdoors gets harder to find and outdoor nests get cold and wet. A house offers everything they are missing: warm air rising into the ceiling, dry insulation to nest in, and food in the pantry, the bin or the pet bowl.

Auckland’s mild, damp climate plays a part too. Many homes back onto reserves, gardens or bush, which keeps a steady rodent population close by. Older homes and villas often have more gaps under the floor and around the roofline, but newer homes are not immune. A single loose vent cover or a gap around a pipe is enough to let them in.

How Rats and Mice Get Inside

Rodents are very good at squeezing through small openings. Mice need only a tiny gap, and rats can make a hole bigger by gnawing at its edges. Both climb well, so the roof is just as likely an entry point as the ground floor. Common ways in include:

• Gaps where pipes and cables enter the walls
• Damaged or missing vent covers
• Gaps under garage doors and around door frames
• Roof edges and eaves reached from overhanging branches or fences
• Subfloor spaces with open or broken access panels

Once inside, rodents follow the same paths each night, often along walls and through the ceiling. That is why you tend to hear them in the same spot, usually after dark.

The Damage and Health Risks

Rodents gnaw constantly to keep their teeth in check. Inside a home, that means electrical wiring, insulation, pipes, timber and stored boxes. Chewed wiring is a real fire risk, and damage inside walls and ceilings often goes unseen until it is expensive to fix.

There is a health side as well. Rats and mice leave droppings and urine on benches, in pantries and in the roof space, and they can carry bacteria onto surfaces where food is prepared. For families with young children, tenants in rental properties, or any business that handles food, this is a health and safety issue, not just a nuisance. If you are not sure whether you have a problem yet, our guide to the signs of rats and rodents in your home covers what to look for, from droppings to gnaw marks.

How to Keep Rodents Out This Winter

Prevention comes down to making your home harder to get into and less rewarding once they are there. Start before the weather turns if you can.

• Seal gaps around pipes, vents and door frames with steel wool or a hard filler that rodents cannot easily chew through
• Store food, including pet food and bird seed, in sealed containers
• Clear clutter from the garage, shed and roof space where rodents like to nest
• Keep bins closed, and move compost and firewood away from the house
• Trim branches and climbing plants that touch the roof or gutters

These steps lower the chance of rodents moving in, but they will not clear an infestation that has already started. Traps may catch a few, but they rarely find the nest or block every way in.

When to Call for Rodent Control in Auckland

If you have seen droppings, heard scratching at night or found chewed food packaging, rodents are already inside. Because they breed quickly, a couple of mice can become a much bigger problem within a few months, so it pays to act early.

Ajet Services’ rat and mice control service starts with a thorough inspection, then uses targeted baiting, trapping and exclusion work to deal with the rodents and block the ways they are getting in. Rodent control is part of our wider Auckland pest control service, so one call can cover more than one pest. Ajet Services has been keeping Auckland homes and businesses pest free for 35 years, with a fast response across South Auckland, East Auckland, Auckland Central, the North Shore and West Auckland.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I have rats or mice?

Look for droppings, gnaw marks, greasy smudges along walls and scratching sounds at night, especially in the roof or walls. Rat droppings are noticeably bigger than mouse droppings. Our guide to the different types of rodents in New Zealand can help you work out which one you are dealing with.

Why do I have rodents if my house is clean?

Rodents come inside for warmth and shelter, not just food. Even a tidy home is attractive in winter if there are gaps they can use.

Are traps enough?

Traps catch some rodents, but they rarely clear an infestation or seal the entry points, so professional rodent control is more reliable.

Key Takeaways

• Rats and mice move indoors in the cooler months for warmth, shelter and food.
• They get in through small gaps around pipes, vents, doors and the roofline, so sealing these early is the best prevention.
• Chewed wiring is a fire risk, and droppings on food surfaces are a health risk.
• Droppings, gnaw marks or scratching at night mean rodents are already inside.
• Professional rodent control finds the entry points and the nest, which traps alone rarely do.

Hearing scratching in the ceiling? Call Ajet Services on 0800 862 538, or request a free rodent control quote online.

Below is a list of tips to ensure your pets are happy and safe during and after your next pest control treatment. 

Tell your provider 

If you have a pet, tell your provider when you book your pest control service, as they may need to tailor the treatment. Before the treatment begins, always discuss any concerns you may have with the office or with a pest control specialist. 

Before the treatment starts, make sure you remove any water/food bowls, toys or bedding if they are in the treatment area.

Secure your pets 

Pets are often curious and may try to investigate new sounds and smells in their home. Our technicians love meeting your pets; however, sometimes, that curiosity can bring them too close to our treatment and increase the chance of something going wrong.

You will need to keep your pests safely secured while our pest technician is carrying out work. We often recommend leaving your pets with a friend or at a kennel for the day of the treatment. If this isn’t an option for you, close them in a room that isn’t being treated and make sure you use a towel to block any gaps in doorways. For example, if you have a pest problem in your kitchen, you may want to put your them into your garage or bedroom. Make sure cats or dogs can’t sneak back inside if you placed them outside for the treatment. 

Feathery And Fishy Friends

We need to know if you have birds, fish or reptiles kept in tanks or cages inside. Please don’t be upset if we can’t treat a room where you have birds, fish, reptiles or other such pets that can’t be relocated. Our job is to make sure we keep you and your pets safe during pest treatments. 

Ideally, you will relocate them somewhere safe during the treatment. However, this is not always practicable so at the very minimum you need to cover tanks including filters with a nonpermeable fabric. Make sure there are no gaps where air can enter. Be careful when doing this, as if the power is on the heat from the covered motor may create a fire hazard. Make sure any food or equipment you use is put away or covered. 

If you are worried, we recommend calling your veterinarian to ask if the pesticide will react with your pet. Some birds have susceptible respiratory systems and may be prone to problems. 

Important note about rodent treatments

When carrying out rodent control, it’s important that you tell us if you have a dog or if dogs frequent your property. Rodenticide is toxic and harmful to humans and pets. It can be lethal to dogs. THE ANTIDOTE IS VITAMIN K1. If you have a dog, we recommend you check that your local vet has stock. We use lockable tamper-proof stations to hold bait (rodenticide), which are designed to help protect people and pets from accidental exposure to the bait inside. While we take the utmost care to ensure stations are secure and out of reach from pets, we can’t guarantee that your pet won’t access the bait inside. 

Are you still worried? Please speak with Ajet Services Pest Control today. They are knowledgeable and always happy to answer any concerns you may have. 

Hire A Professional 

Most importantly, if you have pets avoid doing the treatment yourself. If you don’t know how to apply the pesticide correctly or if you use the wrong amount, you run the risk of unintentionally poisoning your pet. In saying that, no two pest control companies are created equal. If you’re looking for the safest and most effective service, ensure you hire a certified PMANZ (Pest Management Association NZ) technician. If you still have concerns about your pet’s safety, contact Ajet Services Pest Control for free advice or a quote. Our founder was the past president of PMANZ, so we know what we’re talking about! 

While many people bury their heads in the sand after seeing a solo mouse in or near their home, left unresolved, a rat or mouse problem can soon escalate, causing unseen damage to the electrical systems and structure of your home. As rodent control experts, we’re sharing a few of the most common signs to look out for, so you can act quickly before the problem gets out of control.

When an intruder comes to your house, there are telltale signs that will let you know something is amiss. Here are the most common:

Signs Your Building May Have A Rodent Problem

If you suspect your home may have a rat or mouse problem, there are a few common hallmarks to look out for. If you identify any of these in or around your home, call our rodent control team for further investigation.

• Rodent Droppings

One of the most obvious signs that you have a rodent problem is the presence of droppings in your home. Rat droppings are shiny, black, and 12-18mm long, while mouse droppings are smaller with slightly tapered ends. Droppings will likely be found in areas of high rodent traffic, such as cupboards under the sink and around food. 

• Gnaw & Scratch Marks

Known for their gnawing habits, rodents will chew through almost anything. Gnawed food packaging is a sure sign that rodents have been in your home, but you may also find bite and scratch marks on walls, floors and pipes. 

• Nocturnal Noises

Rats and mice are nocturnal, meaning that they’re most active after dusk. So, while you may not have seen any rodents scurrying around your home, you’re likely to hear them as you try to drift off to sleep. From the rustling of nesting to the screeching of fights, rodent noises are unmistakable.

Why Rodent Removal Is Necessary

Although the phrase may be “breeding like rabbits”, “breeding like rodents” may be a more accurate way to describe the prolific nature of mice and rats. Both have a gestation period of less than a month, meaning that in as little as a year, two rats can become 1,250. 

While it’s unlikely you’d let the problem get this out of control, every month that you ignore the problem, it becomes exponentially bigger. Each of those rodents has the potential to destroy the cables, wires, piping and wood that lies within your walls and ceiling. Not to mention spreading a range of diseases. 

Rat Exterminator Auckland

With over 35 years in the rodent control industry, Ajet Services Pest Control is your trusted rat and mouse exterminator. Our team has the equipment and experience to stop rodents in their tracks with minimal disruption to you. If you have a rodent infestation, addressing it quickly is the best course of action. Speak to a member of the team for an obligation-free quote.

We’re here to help! In New Zealand, we have four types of invasive rodents, which are the house mouse, the ship rat, the Norwegian rat, and the kiore. Below, we’ll go through the characteristics of each type so you have a better idea of what you’re dealing with. First, though, we’ll take an overview of rodents as a whole.

What Are Rodents?

Rodents are a type of small mammal, classed as part of the order Rodentia, and include squirrels, hamsters, mice, rats, and guinea pigs. What do all of these have in common? The answer is their teeth.

All rodents have teeth that are specialised for gnawing: these come in the form of sharp upper and lower incisors which are constantly being ground down and so constantly growing so that they stay a consistent length. They’re natural hunters, with keen senses of smell, hearing, and vision.

House Mouse

The house mouse (Mus musculus) is the common mouse, best known for making peoples’ homes their primary food source – being omnivores, they’ll eat just about anything they can get their paws on – but also for their role as prominent laboratory organisms.

You’ll recognize them from their white undersides. Typically, the upper (dorsal) side of a house mouse’s body is dark to light brown and the lower (vental) side is pale brown.

You can tell the difference between a mouse and a rat based on their tail – mice have shorter, hairy tails, whereas rats have long, completely hairless and “scaly” tails.

Ship Rat

The ship rat (Rattus rattus) is the most common pest in New Zealand, being found in just about every part of the country. It’s also known as the black rat – a bit of a misnomer as its fur can range in color from grey to black – and the roof rat because it likes to build its nests in high-up roof spaces. This species is a very good climber!

The most distinguishing feature of the ship rat is its very long tail, which stretches out longer than its body. Its ears are also noticeably longer than those of its European cousin, the Norwegian rat.

Norway Rat

The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) is more commonly known as the brown rat – you’ll be able to tell it apart from the ship rat by its lightly-colored fur. You might also know it as the water rat due to its proclivity for wet environments.

As opposed to the very long, skinny tail of the ship rat, the Norway rat has a thick tail that is slightly shorter than its (on average) 20 cm long body. Additionally, their ears are short and stubby, unable to cover their eyes if pressed down.

Kiore

Kiore is the Māori name for the Pacific or Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans). Kiore are often confused with ship rats, as their coloring is very similar. One way to tell the difference is by the length of its tail, which is either slightly shorter or slightly longer than its body.

The other most common way to tell a Kiore from a ship rat is by its size: Kiore look like a smaller version of the ship rat. A third way to distinguish Kiore is through its distinctly pale foot.

If you’ve seen any of these critters in your home, it’s important to get the situation under control before it has the chance to get out of control. Rodents breed rapidly and cause all sorts of issues – from diseases through to electrical fires or floods. For peace of mind, feel free to give us a call today!