Is a white-tail bite dangerous?

Health NZ says the symptoms go away with no long-lasting effects, and white-tails don't cause skin ulcers. If a bite becomes very red, painful or blistered, or looks infected, see a healthcare provider.

Which rat have I got?

Probably a ship rat if it's in the ceiling, or a Norway rat if it's under the house. Kiore are the third Southland species, but DOC says ship rats are the ones most commonly found.

Pest control Invercargill: rats, mice and winter pests

If anyone gets into rat bait

If a child has swallowed rat bait, ring the National Poisons Centre on 0800 764 766 straight away. If a pet has, take it to the vet now. Any bait in the house should sit in locked bait stations, out of reach.

What's different in Invercargill

Colder than most of the country

NIWA says Southland's temperatures are on average lower than the rest of New Zealand, with frosts and snowfalls relatively frequent each year.

Less sunshine

Southland also gets less sunshine on average than the rest of the country, NIWA says.

Three kinds of rat

Environment Southland lists the Norway rat, the ship rat and the kiore, with the Norway rat the largest of the three. The EPA places kiore in the south of the South Island.

Where possums took hold

Possums were first brought to New Zealand in 1837, DOC says, but it was a second release in Southland in 1858 that established them.

Who to ask

Environment Southland is the regional council, and Invercargill City Council the local one.

Rats and mice in a Southland winter

When it's cold out, a warm ceiling space and a pantry look good to a rodent. Tenancy Services says winter is a more common time for rats and mice to get in. Environment Southland's Pest Hub puts a house mouse at about 30 g and around 115 mm long without the tail, small enough to get through gaps you wouldn't think twice about.

DOC calls the ship rat the most common rat in the country, and it's a climber, so it's the usual one in the ceiling. Norway rats stay lower, under the house and around drains.

Borer

Borer goes for soft timber in floors, piles and weatherboards. Consumer NZ said in 2015 that it prefers moist timber and is often found on the south side of a building, which matters in a cold, less sunny climate. Look for round holes with fine dust beneath, and see borer treatment for what a job involves.

White-tails

Te Papa says Lampona cylindrata, one of the two white-tailed spiders, has been widespread across the South Island since about 1980, and that white-tails are strongly linked to urban homes. Health NZ says a bite brings pain, swelling and itching that go away with no lasting effects, and it doesn't cause ulcers. One spider on the wall isn't a job worth paying for.

Wasps

We haven't found a Southland figure for when wasps peak, so don't rely on a late season. A nest near the house is still a job for a pest business, and an older nest has more defensive workers.

If we were in Invercargill

We'd get ahead of winter. In autumn we'd check where pipes and cables enter the house, store food in sealed containers and clear out cardboard and timber piles. If we were already hearing scratching, we'd tap Rats or mice and say whether it's overhead or underfoot.

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.

What have you seen?