What Berwick's own records show
Wilson Botanic Park's list
Casey lists brushtail and ringtail possums, antechinus and echidnas among the park's mammals, and the black rat, house mouse, European rabbit, red fox and cat as introduced species. The lowland copperhead is the snake on its reptile list, so leave any snake alone and call a licensed snake catcher.
Rodents are on the owner
Casey says owners and occupiers are responsible for stopping rats and mice living or breeding on their property, and that baiting and poisons belong with a professional. Rats or mice on council land get reported to Casey.
Swarms usually move on
A bee swarm will usually leave within a couple of days, Casey says, and swarms aren't usually aggressive unless provoked. If it stays put, a beekeeper is the usual call.
Rat or mouse?
| Black rat | House mouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Body | 165 to 205 mm | 60 to 100 mm |
| Tail | Scaly, much longer than the head and body | Scaly, about the same length as the body |
| Ears | Large and thin, reaching the middle of the eye when bent forward | Large and hairy |
| Droppings | Spindle shaped | Small, spindle or irregular |
| Where it lives | Roofs, wall cavities, trees and burrows | Close to people, mainly in urban areas |
The signs Casey tells people to look for
Droppings, gnawing, squeaking or movement in walls, ceilings or cupboards, pet food going missing, burrow holes, and worn runs along the fence. Any one of those is worth a closer look.
One caution from the Australian Museum: the house mouse is sometimes confused with small native marsupials like the antechinus, and Casey lists antechinus at Wilson Botanic Park. It's illegal to harm native animals without a permit, so a good photo helps the technician tell which you've got.
What we'd do in Berwick
Tidy up the food and shelter first: bins, fallen fruit, pet food, woodpiles. If the noises carry on, get a pest business to find the way in and ask how they'll keep any bait away from pets and wildlife. Then tell us what you've heard and your postcode.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
