People wanting to keep rats away need to keep an eye on their foliage and garden waste, a pest control expert says.
Direct Pest Control director Doug Morris told The AM Show people can't control neighbouring properties, but some simple measures can make it less inviting for rodents.
- Hordes of rats the size of cats infest Auckland suburb of Titirangi
- Prepare for rat plague as numbers explode across New Zealand
- Rat 'plague' taking over Nelson
Firstly you need to look at your gardens.
"Cut back the foliage because rats need a habitat, so if you've got overgrown gardens cut them back," Morris said.
"If the trees are coming up close to the roof [rats] will drop off a tree, onto the roof, into the gutter and into the roof cavity so keep the foliage back from your roofs."
People also need to keep an eye on what kind of rubbish is lying around their homes. Morris said any building materials would look like a nice place to live to a rat.
Wheelie bins need to be monitored too as a big rodent wouldn't find it hard to get into one.
"If you've got a wheelie bin maybe put a few bricks on top of it so they can't get under the lid," Morris said.
New Zealand is currently in the midst of an explosion in the rat population brought on by a "mega-mast" year, where plants produce more fruit and seeds.
Rats taking advantage of the extra food have multiplied in huge numbers and overrun normally relatively pest-free urban areas.
The Auckland suburb of Titirangi has suffered from the influx, with a resident telling The AM Show the rats are huge, move in groups and don't fear humans.
"I have a small cat, and I would say the ones I have seen have been at least that size," Victoria Jack said.
Newshub.
