Mice and rats inundating Queensland homes

The number of rats, mice and cockroaches found in Queensland homes is exploding, with experts warning as winter approaches it is only going to get worse.

Rats, mice and cockroaches are inundating Queensland homes, with experts warning it is only going to get worse.

Pest control experts have reported seeing more rodents in homes across several parts of Queensland including Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, with an overabundance of food, climate and movement of a southern plague to blame.

A rodent creeping in a pipe at a Brisbane house. Picture: Slugabug Pest Solutions

Slugabug Pest Solutions owner Jason Carledge said he was getting jobs every day to get rid of the rat and mice.

Mr Carledge who gets his jobs through an online service called Oneflare, a platform that connects consumers with businesses, has collectively quoted more than 3000 pest control jobs this year

New data from the service shows there’s been a 21 per cent increase in pest control services from January to March.

“It’s the worst rat and mice problem I’ve seen in years,” Mr Carledge said.

“Once the rats get inside the walls they can cause havoc ... creating a bigger nightmare.”

Brisbane’s Blue Chip Termite and Pest Control have also reported a rise in rodent callouts.

A whole roof void with a bad infestation. Rodent droppings can be seen when lifting up the insulation. Picture: Blue Chip Pest Control

“There’s a big influx of plague coming through New South Wales at the moment and that’s probably part of the reason, that with previous flooding and the influx from Covid,” Mr Carledge said.

And it’s expected to get worse ahead of winter

“The colder area pushes them into warmer areas and warmer areas are insulated buildings. Rats and mice really like the shredded installation,” Blue Chip Termite and Pest Control owner Jeremy Bryce said

“With the colder weather coming on strong, the rats and the mice tend to move towards warmer environments.”

“It’s essentially your house roofs, they like the shredded installations and they tend to burrow down into it and they hit the top of the ceiling and Im seeing them chewing the top of the plaster.

An air conditioner pipe that rodents have chewed through. The insulation started weeping and they drank off it. Picture: Blue Chip Pest Control

Mr Bryce said his repeat customers who do a routine rodent schedule were being forced to increase their schedule.

At the moment 90 per cent of the rats he finds in Brisbane are roof rats.

University of Queensland ecologist Dr Christopher O’Bryan said there could be several reasons for the rise in rodents.

“This could be from an overabundance of food, it could also be general climatic conditions require a change in behaviour, if it’s exceptionally cold certain animals that rely on humans might be able to rely on more,” he said.

A mouse caught in a Brisbane property. Picture: Slugabug Pest Solutions

Dr O’Bryan said lack of predation was another issue.

“Predation is a key factor to a population booming or busting and this predation could be from native predators, snakes, qualls, there was alot of native predators,” he said.

“But not so much any more, and I think thats one of the key things I think about when we are talking about rodent populations in Australia.

“Australia has lost a lot of its native predator population due to a number of reason, human development, incrochement of habitat, loss of critical resources for native predators that might result in populations of rodents increasing unsustainably.”

Originally published as Mice and rats inundating Queensland homes