Sydney rats escape sewers and hit homes after rain and flooding

Drenched Sydneysiders could be in for another problem, with exterminators reporting an uptick in a particularly unwanted pest.

The influx of cold weather and torrential rain could pose another grim problem for drenched Sydney residents.

In a move the Daily Telegraph has dubbed a “mass rat migration,” exterminators have reported increased invasion rates in the southwest suburbs of Camden, Oran Park and Narellan.

Multiple exterminators told the publication that Norwegian sewer rats were leaving their tunnel homes for the warmer and drier roofs of homes.

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The nocturnal Norwegian sewer rat is leading Sydney’s “mass rat migration,” exterminators claim. Picture: iStock.

The dark grey and brown species is one of the most common rat species which live in Sydney. According to Redline Pest Control, they often burrow deep into the ground and near a “structured wall or object” which provides a ‘roof’ for its burrow.

The breed has a life span of nine to 18 months and can have up to six litters in a year, with eight to 10 rats birthed per gestation period.

The owner of Sydney’s Inner West Pest Control, Paul Errington told the Daily Telegraph

his calls for rat exterminations and ballooned since Sydney was hit with continuous rain.

“There are certain areas in the inner west where I heavily bait numerous houses in the same street,” he said.

Another Sydney-based pest control business, Matt’s Pest Control issued a similar warning.

“With the cold winter weather we are now experiencing, our little rodent friends will be looking indoors to keep warm,” they shared via a Facebook post.

The rodents are yet another problem bought on by Sydney’s rainy winter. Picture: Matts Pest Control.

“If you are getting kept up by their noises at night, it could be time for a rodent check.”

Some warning signs of a potential infestation include: gnawed objects, brown or black rub markings which might look like smudges, droppings and urine marks and path and runway sightings which rats will use to travel between their burrow and food and water sources.

It appears Sydney rats are moving from the sewer to the roofs in residential homes. Picture: iStock.

According to the City of Sydney, the local council uses pest control measures like poison bait stations and SMART rodent control boxes which trap rodents, while monitoring rodent populations.

However, veteran rat expert from Clean and Green Pest Control, David Wright claims rats can identify poisonous baits, and learn to avoid them.

“They can actually even identify certain rodent baits just by looking at them — someone in their rat family will have eaten that particular bait,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

The bleak warning comes just two months after a monster rat was spotted at the popular Westfield shopping centre in Parramatta.

The huge rodent scurried beneath the tables. Picture: Reddit

Viewers couldn’t believe how big it was. Picture: Reddit

In a three-second trip shared on Reddit, the monster rodent appeared to run through the centre’s empty food court.

“Not gonna lie. I thought that was a mongoose at first with a deformed tail,” one person wrote in response.