Below is a mixture of tips and tricks both from Auckland Council recommendations and suggestions
that have come from members of the Friends of Te Wairoa pest control project.
There is no one correct way to control pests. They are intelligent and learn to be wary of certain things, and can also pass on these behaviours to others. This means it is important that we constantly change our mode of attack, so that they are caught unawares, literally!
Contact: pestcontrol@tewairoa.org.nz for further help or to find out more go to Friends of Te Wairoa website.
Rats & Mice
Placement:
- Bait lines 100m apart
- Bait stations or traps every 50m along a trap line
- 25m spacings between traps or stations on boundaries (not needed where neighbours are
also trapping) - Place traps near a waterway, or along a fence line/retaining wall. They like to be able to run
between areas using what ‘shelter’ they can, rather than being in the open.
Lure: - Peanut butter or Nutella – smear on bait bags to increase attraction too
- Kibbled wheat/oats/other grain mixed with peanut butter or Nutella
- Using a lighter, melt a small piece of cheese to the trigger mechanism
Tips: - Small piece of dog-treat jerky is a great lure.
- Attach T-rex traps to a board to place further into holes e.g. under a house/in a ceiling. This
also helps to prevent an animal running away with the trap - Build a tunnel around rat traps to make them more attractive. This can be as simple as a
board base with corflute or other rigid plastic stapled tunnel-fashion on top. Old nail
containers work well. - Pop wax bait blocks on a nail on fenceposts, with a half milk bottle on top to protect it from
the weather. Alternatively place on nails on a length of wood, inside a juice bottle with the
ends cut off. - If you don’t have enough bait stations, an ice-cream container does the job just as well. Cut
a C-shaped hole in the edge of the tub for an entry hole, and attach the lid with the bagged
bait stuck between the lid and the tub. Think about water if it is out in the open – you may
need to fashion a kind of awning to prevent rain getting in. - If snails and slugs are getting to the bait, sprinkle some slug bait in the bait station too.
Mustelids
Placement:
- Approximately one trap per 15ha
- On flat ground so that the trap is stable and doesn’t rock
- Near a waterway, or along a fence line/retaining wall. They like to be able to run between
areas using what ‘shelter’ they can, rather than being in the open.
Lure: - A whole, raw egg – also functions as a visual lure. When changing this, throw it into the
bushes nearby to attract mustelids to the area of the trap - Fish/salmon (raw or cooked)
- Meat scraps from dinner (raw or cooked)
- Possum or rabbit meat from recent catch.
- Mayonnaise mixed with salmon oil – longer lasting lure in the trap
Tips: - Rub a freshly caught possum or mustelid on the trap. The scent will attract mustelids.
- Disturb the ground near the entrance by pulling out grass or roughing up leaves.
- Traps need to be serviced and tested often to ensure they will be activated by the weight of
a mustelid. DoC200s: - Angle the tunnel so that liquid from the bait exits the trap rather than pooling around and
corroding the trap mechanism. - Check traps are in working order by using a weighted 80g bunch of rags. This will increase
the life of a trap, as opposed to dry firing. Oil the treadle occasionally. - One trap per 20ha is recommended, as a minimum to control population growth.
- Keep traps clean of spider webs and other obstructions to create the illusion that the tunnel
is frequented by other animals. - Clear a 50cm path to the tunnel entrance with the heel of a boot to look like an animal’s
path. - Rub caught mustelids over the trap to spread their scent and attract others.
- Spray the trap with salmon spray to mask the human smell. It also functions as a lure.
- A DoC250 is 30% bigger than a DoC200 and specifically designed for ferrets, and correspondingly harder to set. Ferrets have strong muscles and can escape DoC200.
Rabbits
Tips:
- The best mode of attack is to shoot these pests.
- A live trap with a trigger plate, using vegetables as the lure with a vegetable trail leading into
the trap. Sometimes the smell of a rabbit who has urinated or left droppings is enough to
entice another rabbit into the trap.
Possums
Placement:
- At the base of an attractive tree or in a grove of trees e.g. in an orchard, the base of a large
palm or large natives - Near waterways that they would use to drink from
- Near a pathway that they might use e.g. a fence line, farm track
Lure: - A cut apple with cinnamon rubbed on the cut side
- Carrot (with cinnamon)
- Feijoas, citrus or other fruit they are enjoying
- Mix flour and water with curry powder, cinnamon or aniseed and smear the paste leading
into the trap
Tips: - You can attach a Timm’s or trapinator to a board, so that it is elevated from pets and easier
to move around rather than attaching directly to a tree. - Mounting a flipping Timmy to a board makes it much easier to move around the property.
- Buy cinnamon in bulk e.g. Bin Inn – $2 per 45g in supermarkets vs. $7 for 500g !
- Approximately one trap per hectare
- Cut a cube of polystyrene and spread it with vegemite, peanut butter or jam. This will last
longer than an apple - Possums are curious, so if you haven’t caught anything in a while move it a few meters away
of change the shape of the trap by putting a branch or rock on top. Bright ribbon will also
entice their curiosity. - Mix icing sugar and white flour, 1:4, with a bit of cinnamon or curry powder. To lure
possums to the trap sprinkle a handful outside the trap. - Other lures to try include lemon peel
- Mustelids will be attracted to dead animals in a possum trap, so it can be worth setting a
mustelid trap near a possum trap. - Leave recently caught possums near the trap to attract others.
- Possums prefer travel over logs rather than on the ground – use this to your advantage when placing traps.
