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Safe and effective predator control
Rodents including the Norway rat, the roof rat and house mice are common pests that infest properties and threaten public health.
They can damage and destroy critical habitats, native plants, animals, crops, property and food supplies. It is also estimated 25 million native birds are lost to predators every year, so it is critical we take on the challenge to save our birds and native fauna so that future generations will hear the song of our native birds. Estimates of total rat populations vary depending on climatic and seasonal conditions, but because rats reach sexual maturity after 9 weeks a population can swell from two rats to around 1,250 in just a year. While many see rodents as one of the main predators, possums are also capable of inflicting severe damage to bird life. Possums are considered to be mainly herbivores, however fixed camera footage has shown possums preying on both eggs and fledglings. Possums are a serious pest animal in New Zealand with their numbers estimated to be around 30 million. Rodents and possums are not restricted to rural areas and many of our towns and cities have high populations of both. Community groups are starting to have good success in controlling predator numbers and their success stories are found in the numbers of native bird species that are thriving in rodentcontrolled areas. Public pressure for more humane pest control tools is increasing and means Government agencies, resellers and manufacturers wish to be seen to be promoting more humane traps. Two traps that meet National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) standards are the Trapper T Rex and Victor Professional with shroud (which is also good for stoats). These are best placed in a tunnel to protect the trap from non-target species and to direct the rodent headfirst into the trap. Traps are easy to use and can be used in both rural and urban environments. Being relatively inexpensive, a number can be placed as a protective barrier to protect buildings, fruit trees, native bush or areas susceptible to rodent or possum activity. Trapping in an urban setting can be effective with just one trap per property, if enough of the community is involved. In a larger rural setting, it is important to have traps in lines with 50m spacings between traps to ensure adequate trap numbers to gain effective control. In difficult terrain, it is best to set lines down ridges and spurs and along contours to achieve the necessary spacing and provide adequate access for daily checking of traps. Baits like Pindone Possum and Rat are also a very effective method of predator control but like traps, they must always be placed in a bait station like the Pied Piper bait station or Philproof possum station to protect the public and non-target species and ensure only rodents or possums consume the bait. Baits provide the ability to cover a large land area at small cost and require significantly less manpower to monitor than traps, it is always important to follow the label for best results. Occasionally bait and trap-resistant rats can become an issue, a good solution here can be a NoPests live rat cage which provides a level of security to trap shy rodents.
