Auckland rat problem: Ponsonby residents report surge in rats, TV star says cats are the answer
A former Real Housewives of Auckland star claims cats are the solution to a rise in rodent sightings after several upmarket suburbs reported a surge in rats.
Residents in Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Westmere have reported a sharp increase in rat numbers in recent weeks, sharing their concerns about the roaming rodents on social media.
High-profile Aucklander and founder of the New Zealand Cat Foundation, Anne Batley Burton, told the Herald cats should be allowed to do their “best work”.
“Let nature control the balance,” Batley Burton said.
“I am acutely aware of the important role that cats, in particular outdoor/free-roaming/stray cats, play in keeping the vermin population under control.”
She said big international cities needed stray cats to reduce rat populations and “take care of the issue”.
Instead of treating stray cats as “pests”, Batley Burton suggested humanely reducing our stray populations, “whilst at the same time leaving our top predators, namely cats, to do their best work, which is to kill the rats and other vermin”.
‘Rat city’
Herald readers have shared stories of rat sightings, with some saying the vermin have become highly visible in their homes and on the streets.
One person said Cornwall Park was “like rat city” after they spotted “heaps” of the critters on Wednesday.
“This year there are a lot of rats about. We have 10 bait stations here at our home on the eastern flank of Mt Eden, and they disappear within 10 days.”
“At our place on Waiheke, the rat issue is worse,” another said.
A Henderson resident said he hadn’t seen a rat for the past five years, until last week, when he spotted a 30cm rat from nose to tail at his property.
Pest controllers said they were receiving three times as many calls for this time of year, with one claiming up to 70 calls per week.
Despite claims of a sudden increase, Auckland Council said it had not recorded any surge in rodents.
Area manager for Waitematā and Ōrākei, Martin Wong, said it has pest bait stations at various sites on council land across central Auckland, including Ponsonby, which are monitored regularly.
This year, Wong said the council has not been informed of any increase in rodents, including rats, at these locations.
“Food waste and litter can attract rodents and undermine the effectiveness of bait stations. We encourage retailers and food outlets to proactively manage their premises by ensuring all food scraps are disposed of in secure, appropriate bins to help reduce these risks,” he said.
Why is there a rise in rats?
An Auckland-based pest control business owner, James Best, told the Herald the business had been “inundated” with calls.
Best, who owns Pest Control Auckland Central, said he was receiving about 60-70 inquiries per week in Ponsonby, about triple the normal number.
Another business based in Ponsonby said there was a reason behind the “increased rat activity”.
Pestie director Carloss Visser believed it was because Auckland has had a mild summer and autumn.
“While it hasn’t been exceptionally hot, the conditions have been ideal for rats to breed and build up in larger numbers than usual,” he said.
Visser said that as the weather becomes colder and wetter, those populations start looking for food, water and shelter, which is why there is often an increase in rats entering homes and businesses around this time of year.
“I’d say that it will continue throughout the rest of the season. It’s only going to get colder ... people are just going to notice it more and more.”
Predator-free push
This rise in rodents comes as the Government announces it is pumping $10 million into Auckland’s predator-free push.
The funding is earmarked for island eradication projects and the region’s first urban mainland predator elimination programme.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka announced the investment on Friday, which will be funded over five years through the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).
The funding forms part of the Government’s Predator Free 2050 programme and will support predator-free sanctuaries in Auckland, including Tiritiri Matangi and Shakespear Regional Park.
Potaka said the package would help “accelerate” predator eradication efforts while developing tools and expertise that could be applied elsewhere in New Zealand.