Bait stations and traps

We use a variety of bait stations and traps

For rats and possums

• We use a modified Mini philproof bait stations with cynide and ratabait for the main project. They are set on lines 100m apart and 100m apart on each line. They are quick to fill (about 10 per hour) and do two jobs at once.
• Tims traps are set around the lodge for students to use and to avoid poison near the lodge. for more information about school trap lines visit Trap lines for schools.
• Snap traps for rats around the lodge

Mustelids

• Double DOC 200 traps are used in boxs. The lines are about 1km apart and the station 200m apart on the lines. We have 3 lines and will eventually have four.

Trap and bait station lines Lines were put in 100m apart

Fourteen Lines were put in 100m apart and roughly 3km long. They were drawn up by Nigel Millar of DOC. They were modified to allow for school rapping projects and contour.

The same lines were used for mustelid traps except on farmland and out side the 450ha main area. There are the Purple lines

The bait stations covered 1ha each and the mustelid traps 10ha.

Making a bait station suitable for poisoning both possums and rats

The aim is to make a bait station suitable for poisoning both possums and rats with a minimum of labour input.

The bait station is a modified Mini philproof bait station with an additional for a piece of pipe to place the cynide in for possums and a mesh across the front to allow only rats to get at ratabate.

One station is adequate for one hectare. They can be quickly filled. The cost per station is under $20 and they are expected to last at least 20 years. They can be easily transferred.

Bait Station requirements

1. Mini philproof bait station
2. 80mm plastic down pipe 185 mm per station – each purchased length is 3m equaling 16 sections
3. PVC glue – one tube does about 40 stations.
4. 1/8^th inch (3.2mm) x 8.3mm aluminium blind rivets – 4 of. 2000 cost $75
5. Roll of soft wire – about 400mm per station
6. pliers and wire cutters.
7. Barrier mesh one 30m roll will do about 600 stations
8. a jig to be made up
9. 2mm sheet of PVC plastic sheet from Metro plastics 1220×2440 is enough to make 120 plates. Dimensions per plates are 200x102x130.
10. 3.2mm drill bits and electric drills
11. hand rivet gun
12. good clippers, secateurs or powerful scissors.

Construction of bait stations

Construction of bait stations

1. Metro glass supplied the PVC sheet precut – ask them to remove the plastic covering first.
2. Order bait stations from philproof and these will require modification.
3. The PVC pipe can be cut with a drop saw. The best option is to cut it into lengths of 185mm set at 90 degrees. Reset the saw at 12 degrees then cut them in half with 100mm the longest length. I used a block of wood clamped to the dropsaw to set the distance and knocked out 400 pieces in about 3 hours.
4. The Philproof base plate has a lip on the bottom at the front and this will need to be removed. A bench planing saw or a hand grinder is a good option.
5. Cut the plastic barrier mesh to suit.
6. EDL supplied the rivets
7. Clips, design these as you go depending on hole placement and mesh shape

You now have all the components ready to go.

1. Set up a jig to slide the PVC base plate into it so you can easily put the pipe in the correct place (photo to come). For placement see pic 4 the 100mm length should be facing the narrow end. Glue the pipe to the base plate put aside and leave for 30 minutes.
2. Fit the PVC and pipe base plate to the bottom of the philproof base plate and drill four holes and rivet. Rivet 1 corner before drilling the remaining holes. You should end up with picture 3
3. See picture no 1 and 2. Place the cut barrier mesh onto one station and make clips to make it fit. Once you have done this you will know where to drill the holes in the stations. We drilled them, others suggest a hole punch, I used 3.2mmm drills for all the holes. You will need two at the front and one at the back as there is already a hole on one side.
4. Two types of clips – 2 of each the back Make the clips easy to fit on with a hook at one end. Slip the hook through the hole and then bend the other end back through the mesh to pull it tight. the front. A clip in a u shape to fit through the hole and the mesh and twist up.

Notes on station attachment and filling

• Use the plastic “bush” supplied so station remains flush against the tree.
• Ensure its attached to as vertical a surface as possible with no sloping surfaces below the tube which may allow rats access to the tube.
• Ideally the PVC pipe would be at 300-400mm above the ground, but can be higher and still work well. If feral pigs are a problem you may need to go to 1.2m
• Use enough ferafeed to get about 10-15mm depth once pressed firmly into the back of the tube and cover all feratox pellets with prefeed.
• Divide Ratapaste into bags of about 400gms each – paper or plastic and squeeze or deposit into the bait stations for the rats

Use ferafeed paste with pellets added from Connovation

DOC 200 traps

Making up a double DOC 200 trap station

A recommendation is that the mesh baffels holes are made bigger to allow ferrets in. We have caught ferrets on DOC200 traps quite successfully. If they are cut 4×4 kiwi are still unable to enter and we have no weka in the Tangihua ranges.

References
DOC
but not the recommendation on baffle size.