Trapping pest animals at home is taking off on the Hibiscus Coast, with entire neighbourhoods getting involved.
Backyard trapping is encouraged by the local branch of Forest & Bird, which is working on making the Coast free of pest animals.
Pest Free Hibiscus Coast project manager, Jenny Hanwell, says more than 350 people have begun trapping in their backyards this year, with five neighbourhood groups becoming established.
“This all contributes to the project’s vision of creating a safe habitat for native wildlife, enjoyed and cared for by the community,” Jenny says.
She says now is a good time to trap rats in backyards as they are coming closer to houses in cooler weather, and also knocking them down now benefits birds when they come to nest in spring.
“Since February a local couple have caught 70 rats, two possums and a weasel in their bush block at Wade Heads,” she says.
Another new trapper, Ben Collins, recently started a group in Hatfields Beach. He was initially looking for a way to control rats on his property, but decided to get involved with the Pest Free initiative in order to get neighbours involved.
“ I wanted to see what sort of impact we could have as a community,” he says. “One neighbour caught a rat on their first night.”
Jenny says you don’t need to have seen a rat at your place to start trapping.
“Even if they are not living in your backyard, they may be passing through looking for food. The common ship rats can climb well and have a home range of around 1ha, so they won’t be far away.
Don’t rely on your cat to control the rats either, as research shows they avoid the larger ones.
Pet-safe traps are available on long term loan from the Pest Free Project. Info: www.forestandbird.org.nz/projects/pest-free-hibiscus-coast
