More rats, less possums

This autumn, Forest & Bird’s Pest Free Hibiscus Coast team has been carrying out its seasonal monitoring of pest animals. 

Around 500 monitoring devices (tracking tunnels and wax bite tags), are deployed by volunteers across local parks and large private blocks to give a snapshot of rat, possum, hedgehog and mouse activity, twice each year. 

While recent rat monitoring results remain relatively low for an urban area, the team has reported a marked increase in activity compared to this time last year in certain areas. A long, dry summer has resulted in a lot of plants seeding and fruiting abundantly, which provides food for birds, but also for the rats. Rats breed so quickly that their numbers can expand rapidly by spring. 

However, the number of possums detected remains very low (indications of only one live animal) and trap catches were very spread out. 

Pest Free Hibiscus Coast wants to capitalise on that, and encourages anyone who has a bush block on the peninsula to borrow one of their possum traps.

Project manager Jenny Hanwell says that pest monitoring information is essential to help the team plan and refine pest control across the area, and continue to expand control of those species that damage threatened native species. 

“It is also useful for letting volunteers know, if there is a lot of activity on their trapline, that it’s a good idea to try changing the lure type, or we sometimes move or add traps,” she says. “We also need to remind everyone who has a backyard rat trap to make sure it is cleaned and set, as this time of year rats are moving closer to our homes in search of food and shelter.”

Rat traps available: www.forestandbird.org.nz/how-can-you-help-pfhc