Boffa Miskell Ltd | Pest Animal Management Plan | Wharekirauponga Compensation Package | 30 May 2022 23 7.0 Control methods – Trapping protocols 7.1 Overview The tools recommended for use in this plan are based on those currently available (and approved for use on the DOC Estate) at the writing of this plan, but they should be supplemented or replaced with improved tools with proven efficacy as those come to market. It must be noted that pest control tools and technologies are evolving at a rapid rate, with many new tools coming into the market. These new tools will greatly enhance the efficiency of predator control regimes. A review of emerging animal pest management tools and technology should be included as part of an annual review of the WAPMP, and new tools should be incorporated into the following years’ animal pest management practice if suitable. 7.2 Trap types – kill traps A kill-trap, by definition, must kill the target animal and do so quickly and consistently. Traps that have passed testing under the guidelines laid out by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) are considered to be humane for that species. An up-to-date list of traps that have been tested under NAWAC guidelines and either passed or failed can be obtained from https://www.bionet.nz/rules/performance-traps. Rats, mustelids, hedgehogs, possums, and feral cats can all be effectively controlled by trapping if appropriate trap type, spacing and lures are used. A mixture of trap types for each species is generally the best approach as individual animals will respond differently to different trap types and there will always be some animals that will avoid one trap type but may go into another. Multiple new traps have been developed recently, or are currently under development, including AI self-resetting kill traps. Resetting kill traps offer multiple benefits, including offering constant control between services and reducing the amount of servicing required (decreasing costs and reducing any target species avoidance of traps due to human scent left during frequent servicing). AI-triggered traps also allow for a more open trap housing to overcome neophobia of target species and thus potentially increasing trap rates while near eliminating risk to non-target species. 7.2.1 Rats, mustelids & hedgehogs A combination of DOC200, DOC250 and run-through double-set DOC200 traps are recommended to form a large part of the permanent trap network. DOC200 traps have passed NAWAC testing protocols for humanely killing rats, hedgehogs, and stoats. The larger DOC250 has also passed NAWAC testing protocols for humanely killing ferrets as well as the same species as the DOC200. Run-through double-set DOC200 traps are ideal for targeting stoats (potentially due to their behavioural affinity for tunnels). DOC series traps are robust, widely used across New Zealand, and have specific design features, including the double baffle and specified entrance size, to reduce the risk to non-target species. Most DOC series traps should always be placed inside standard DOC wooden housing to exclude non-targets. Their only disadvantage is that they are only capable of catching one pest before requiring servicing and resetting.
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