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Rat Bait and Bait Stations - Summer 2011    

2/12/2011

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Is your property lakeside?
Or does your property back onto a bush reserve?

If you have answered YES to either of these questions, then you should seriously consider purchasing a bait station, and becoming part of the “Rat Bait Brigade” here at Lake Okareka. Landcare Okareka is managing the rat bait for the village residents and property owners.

This is run to support the Forest & Bird volunteer managed pest control programme that is happening through the spring in the Lake Tikitapu Scenic Reserve.

Now is the time to target animal pests like rats and possums, before the birds begin nesting.

Ditrac rat bait provided by Bay of Plenty Regional Council is once again available to support enhancing the biodiversity at Lake Okareka.

Ditrac is a poison, but it does not cause secondary poisoning on cats, dogs or birds such as moreporks if they eat poisoned rats or mice.

How to Use Ditrac Bait:

It is recommended that bait be fed in a type of bait station, fitted with a locating rod, that does not allow the rats to carry baits away to be stored. The baits have holes in them and they thread onto the rod. Rats and mice eat the bait in the bait station. The bait station protects the bait from the weather.

It means also that bait cannot be eaten by non-target species such as birds, dogs, cats and children.

Bait stations are available by contacting Mike and Sandra Goodwin 362 8865 or email [email protected] – made by Bob Scopes from Tarawera and cost is $30.

Marcel van Leeuwen, a Lake Okareka local resident is also making bait stations, cost is $20, contact Marcel on 362 8468 or email [email protected] to order them.

Do you have a bait station already? That's great if you do. When you collect your bait you will need to confirm your name and address and the address of the bait station. We need to update our data base about bait stations and where they are located throughout Okareka – and many thanks to everyone who has done this so far.

How do I get bait now? Bait is available in labelled, zip lock bags, containing 12 rat baits. This is enough bait to fill one bait station 2 times during a month.

Bait stations should not be filled more than twice during a month, otherwise you are wasting bait and feeding potentially dead rats and mice.

If you require the bait or a Bob Scope bait station for $30, please contact Mike & Sandra Goodwin phone 362 8865, 2 Pryce Road or  Rod Stace phone 362 8523, 30 Summit Road.

Please phone first to arrange a time to collect bait or a bait station.

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Tikitapu Scenic Reserve Pest Control December 2011

2/12/2011

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The Tikitapu Pest Control Project has had another busy and successful year, and  I  would like  to  thank  those  of  you  who have been involved with maintaining bait lines, putting out baits, packing baits, rat tracking, bird counts and maintaining the Mistletoe and Nature Walks, during 2011.

This year we have used wax tags to do the possum monitoring, which has been a  much  less  expensive  way  of  getting an idea of possum numbers in the reserve,  when  compared  with  employing  a  contractor to do trap catch monitoring.  The rat tracking continued using the pre inked trakka cards in tunnels.

Our results were:

Pre-baiting: 
Rat tracking = 46% 

Mice =2%
Insects = 40%
Possum = 18% (wax tag)

Post baiting:

Rat tracking = 2%
Mice =2%
Insects = 50%
Possum = 11% (wax tag)

Although post baiting possum results were higher than in the past, they are still reasonable, as the tags are only 10 m apart and it is quite possible that a possum will bite several tags.

This year the baits were out in the stations for a shorter time to give a more concentrated attack and to have the stations clear over the school holidays and Labour weekend.


They were all topped up after 2 weeks (including with Feratox®) and emptied 2 weeks later.

The bird counts were done in November. 

First Word in Fauna has been contracted by Bay of Plenty Regional Council to run the bird counts and is now processing the data. Our thanks to Rod Stace and his team of volunteers who took part in this, specially to Rod who has put a lot of time and effort into this project and marked out all the listening posts and directions to them.

The Mistletoe and Nature walks were maintained by a group of volunteers on a monthly roster. If anyone else would like to join this roster next year please let me know.

We appreciate the support and guidance given to this project from the Department of Conservation and the Regional Council. The Regional Council also kindly supplied a BBQ for the volunteers clearing the bait stations.

Thanking you again and best wishes for a very happy Christmas and New Year.

Frances Blakely
Ph 3628 480
Email   [email protected]

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