Tricks and Tips

We’ve put together some tricks and tips to help you get started. If you can’t find what you are looking for please ask us a question on our Facebook page and our trapping community will more than likely have an answer!

Monitor

The Pest Free Muriwai community uses the Trap.nz online tool to monitor our results and by creating your own account you can also join. There are a few steps to get going:

1. Create an account following the steps described here.

2. Join the Predator Free Muriwai project. You can either search for the project or use this link.

3. Enter your traps or bait stations using the website or mobile app.

4. Start to record your activities and results.

If you need any help please contact us and we will be more than happy to help out.

Possums

• Always consult the manufacturers instructions before setting.

• Make sure you always wear gloves when handling your trap or catches.

• Remember clean traps catch best. If your trap gets dirty, we recommend a scrubbing brush to scrub down the trap and surrounding area.

• When fastening to a tree, ensure you loosen the screws approximately once a year to allow for tree growth and avoid the base distorting.

• As a visual lure, you can also smear icing sugar or lure paste beneath the trap to entice possums to your trapping area. Try this sweet flour paste recipe to attract possums to your trap.

• We recommend checking and re-baiting once a week.

Rats

Victor Tunnel Trap

• Serve up some peanut butter and refresh often.

• If peanut butter stops working, mix it up with the likes of mayonnaise or egg based lure.

• Place them on a flat surface near walls/compost or under cover. If you're not getting results, try a different spot.

• Check daily until you're getting results and the catch rate goes down, then check every 2-3 weeks.

• Learn how to set your trap safely here.

Good Nature A24

• The ALP includes 55 grams of Chocolate Lure for Rats.

• This kit comes with a Rodent Detector kit — it will help you pinpoint the best place to put your A24 trap.

• Set your A24 at the exact same sites where rodent interaction has been positively detected from the Rodent Detector Kit.

• If you're not getting results, try a different spot.

• The ALP, once activated, will release the lure itself slowly and consistently over the 6 month period. Technically the trap doesn't need to be checked at all until the 6 month replenishments need to be installed.

• Learn how to set your trap safely here.

Stoats, Weasels + Ferrets

DOC-200/250

• Fresh rabbit, hare, possum, Eraze, salted rabbit, freeze-dried rabbit and/or fresh hen eggs.

• Lures should be changed regularly (exactly when and how often will depend on where the traps are) and disposed of away from the trap.

• If you are using this in your backyard, place it somewhere easy to access.

• If you are in the bush or on farmland, place the trap along ridges, tracks, roads, and creeks/rivers – basically, anywhere that’s easy to reach. Set them on lines about 1km apart with a trap every 100m (1km x 100m). Put a number on each trap and keep track of how many you’ve set, when and where.

• Ideally you should check and rebait them as often as you can, but every couple of weeks is ideal.

• If you are in the bush or on farmland, then check them about once a month.

• Set and rebait traps during each check and make sure the traps are still working. Maintenance of traps is critical.

• DOC200s have a very powerful trap mechanism. Make sure you have attended a training course and/or thoroughly viewed and followed the online instructional videos.