New Waihora Trap Line

After receiving some funds from the Alan Rossiman Trust (thank you to them!), we were able to buy 30 new AT220 traps and establish a new line (Waihora line) on the section of the Great Lake Trail that runs from just above the Lake at Kotukutuku back along the trail to the mid-point just below the Waihaha Road access. This has been incredibly successful in that the self-re-setting traps only require checking every two to three months and reset every time they are triggered by a possum or rat. They run on rechargeable batteries and use a mayonnaise lure. They store the catch data which can then be downloaded during maintenance checks. A diagram of the line placement is below plus a picture of the installation crew during the establishment of the line.

Map showing placement of new AT220 traps on Waihora Line

The first maintenance and data upload has just been collected and there were 108 possums and 346 rats caught during the first 10 week period since installation. This will be a very positive outcome for birdlife in this area. This is an average of just over 3 possums and 10 rats caught per trap for the whole of the 34 trap line.

Members of the team installing the new Waihora trap line with AT220 traps.

Thanks to Graeme Lindup, Mike Langford, Andrew Hilton, Pete Manning, Graeme Usher and Paul Carpenter.

The next step now is to apply for more funding for more of these great traps so we can extend the line from the midpoint all the way back to the Waihaha Bridge on the Western Bays Road. When this links up with the DOC traps already in place on the new track up to the Waihaha Hut on the western side of the road we will effectively have covered our pest control from the Lake into the Hauhangora Ranges to the Waihaha Hut.