Kennedy Reserve Trap Line - Ratbusters
Group: Ratbusters – Kennedy Reserve
Location: Kennedy Reserve, Surfdale, valley between upper Wellington Road and Kennedy Road, area about 1.5Ha
Trappers: Paul McSherry and Andrew Malloy
Method: Box Trapline utilising Victor professional traps
Lure: Smooth Peanut Butter, low cost – "Pams" works well
Line check frequency: 5 to 14 days average
Why trapping?
Trapping is a more labour-intensive activity, but we made the decision to trap rather than to bait in order to achieve a more humane "instant kill" and to be able to better monitor results.
The line through Kennedy Reserve was set up under the supervision of Ratbusters co-ordinator Sally Horwood in April 2019. It consists of ten boxed Victor traps plus associated tracking tunnels for population monitoring. In the early days we checked and rebaited traps approx every five to seven days. Catches declined rapidly from the outset, on 15 April 2019 we caught seven rats, on 17 April 2019 we caught six rats, then on a downward trajectory until the end of May 2019 with an average catch of around two rats per check by that time.
There were significant Covid-19 disruptions from early 2020, but the catch and rat population has remained low following the initial 'Blitz' in 2019. Currently, most trips around the traps result in a zero catch. When we do catch rats we notice the current catch pattern is at both the northern and southern ends of the trap line in areas abutting houses. Rats could be completely removed from Kennedy Reserve with the assistance of abutting neighbours attending to perhaps one box trap on their properties.
We have noticed an increase in birdlife in the reserve with noisy Kākā and aggressive Tūī now common, the dead rats also have a purpose being an excellent slow-release fertilizer for our fruit trees. Andrew and I monitor and rebait the traps about every two weeks and the rat population seems to be well under control.
If you want to try your hand at trapping, trap box kit-sets are available from Waiheke Art and Craft Supplies for $20, $10 of which is donated to Native Bird Rescue.
Note: Ratbusters are an independent group to Te Korowai o Waiheke. An island-wide rat eradication will not be possible without all these groups.
Paul McSherry and Andrew Malloy