Dunedin in the midst of a rat 'epidemic' after strong breeding season

A rodent “epidemic” is being experienced in Dunedin after a great breeding season, with the influx of rats and mice affecting native wildlife.

Like much of the country, the long, hot summer provided perfect conditions for breeding and with the onset of winter, rats and mice are starting to head indoors, the Otago Daily Times reported.

Experts say said residents can take measures to keep rats from getting into their homes including cutting trees or bush overhanging houses and not leaving pet food or scraps outside.

"It’s been such a good breeding season and with the onset of the cold weather they’ve started moving into houses,” Pest control specialist DM Holdings director Dave McPhee told the newspaper.

"They’ve come out of the bush and it seems to be an epidemic."

The increased population of rodents is also affecting wildlife, particularly on Otago Peninsula, with 70 rats being caught in traps near the Royal Albatross Centre, an increase on numbers from last year.