Commercial rodent control

Which rodents affect commercial buildings in Auckland?

Three introduced rodents cause almost all commercial problems: the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), the ship rat (Rattus rattus) and the house mouse (Mus musculus). They behave differently, so the layout that controls one may miss another, which is why the species is identified at the site audit before stations go in.

Rodent behaviour that shapes the layout

Species	Where it is found	What that means for control
Norway rat	Ground level, drains, burrows under slabs and beside waste areas	Perimeter stations at ground level, drain and slab penetrations sealed
Ship rat	Climbs: ceiling voids, roof spaces, cable trays, vegetation against walls	Stations and traps at height in voids, trees and creepers cut back from the roofline
House mouse	Inside, close to food, in wall cavities and equipment plinths	Internal traps at close spacing, gaps sealed at mouse size

How commercial rodent control works

1. Find the entry pointsDoors, dock levellers, service penetrations, drains, roof junctions and gaps behind cladding are inspected and recorded.
2. Hold the perimeterLockable, tamper-resistant bait stations are fixed along external walls and around waste areas, each numbered on the site plan.
3. Trap inside, not poisonInside food and storage areas, activity is detected and removed with traps and non-toxic monitors, so no bait can be carried onto a food surface.
4. Proof the buildingEach report lists the gaps to be closed and who closes them. Proofing is what lets a site reduce its visit frequency.
5. Record and reviewEvery point is recorded at every visit. Repeated activity at the same point triggers a change in the layout or the proofing plan.

Signs of rodents in a commercial site

Staff are often the first to see the evidence, and the food rules expect them to look for it daily. The signs worth training for are:

• Droppings along walls, behind equipment and in dry stores.
• Gnawed packaging, pallet wrap or cable insulation.
• Smear marks where rats run along walls and beams.
• Noise in ceiling voids, particularly at night.
• Disturbed bait in a station, recorded at a service visit.

When a sign is found, record it, protect or dispose of any affected food, and call for an additional visit. The monitoring and reporting page explains how that finding is recorded.

Bait, wildlife and the people on your site

Rodenticide is kept to locked stations fixed in place, away from food and out of reach of children and animals. On sites next to parks, waterways or community trap lines the programme favours traps and first generation products, because rodents that eat second generation anticoagulants can poison the birds and animals that eat them. The choice for your site is explained in the written scope.

Questions facility managers ask

Why not put bait stations inside the kitchen?

Because a rodent that takes bait inside can carry it, or die, somewhere near food. Inside food areas, traps and non-toxic monitors detect and remove activity without that risk, while toxic bait stays in locked stations outside.

How quickly does a rodent programme show results?

Activity at perimeter stations usually falls over the first few visits once bait is in place and the obvious entry points are closed. Activity that continues inside after that points to an unproofed entry or a food source, and the report will say which.

Does the programme cover a whole apartment building?

It covers the common property, the plant rooms, the bin rooms and the car park, which is where most building-wide rodent problems start. Individual units can be added when the committee or the owners agree.

Related pages

• Warehouses and logistics
• Body corporates and apartments
• Restaurants, cafes and takeaways

Sources

1. Food Regulations 2015, reg 18 (pest control) and reg 16 (maintenance compounds)
2. MPI, Template Food Control Plan: "Checking for pests" (August 2026)