Thread: Bird Predator Control

I finally got around to setting some trap boxes yesterday around the crn in the park. We live in Titirangi close to the city fringe and the Waitakere Ranges. There are lots of small creeks, bushy reserves, parks and a duck pond in the neighbourhood. I set out six trap boxes to see what the pest numbers were like. All in native plantings beside a creek. There are lots of native birds around but more is always better so I will see what difference I can make.

I checked them this morning and got 3 rats so I suppose that’s good and bad as it shows there are probably a few of the little buggers around. On the following days the kill numbers dropped off. One trap got a rat most days but some didn’t get anything. I then put out 2 more boxes to extend the line and moved a box 10m that hadn’t caught anything. The next day all those boxes had dead rats in them, non in the others. It seems that you quickly catch the easy rats in the area then nothing.

I put my mobile # on the boxes and was contacted by a local Eco group who are also running A24 traps in the local parks. So I will probably work with them though I’m a fan of traps and frequent trap checks so will keep also doing my thing.

I will post some dead rat photos when that option is back online. Who doesn't like looking at dead pests.

‘Something’ has been eating the peanut butter off my grey plastic mouse trap, the piece of bread I sat beside it was unmolested.

This is not the first time this has happened, I doubt the trip plate is sticking but think more it might be an insect doing this as the bait is completely gone but the trap not sprung.

Any ideas anybody?

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

‘Something’ has been eating the peanut butter off my grey plastic mouse trap, the piece of bread I sat beside it was unmolested.

This is not the first time this has happened, I doubt the trip plate is sticking but think more it might be an insect doing this as the bait is completely gone but the trap not sprung.

Any ideas anybody?

what brand of trap ?

Originally Posted by sore head stoat

what brand of trap ?

‘The Better Mousetrap’ by The INTRUDER inc.

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

Any ideas anybody?

Ants ?

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by kukuwai

Ants ?

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Don’t have them down here but I did think it could be beetles of some sort.

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

‘Something’ has been eating the peanut butter off my grey plastic mouse trap, the piece of bread I sat beside it was unmolested.

This is not the first time this has happened, I doubt the trip plate is sticking but think more it might be an insect doing this as the bait is completely gone but the trap not sprung.

Any ideas anybody?

How are you getting on ?

Originally Posted by sore head stoat

How are you getting on ?

Well neither of the traps have been sprung and the wheat I hot-glued to the plates is still there so I can only guess there to mice around?

(I figured the extra weight of wheat grains plus glue would make the trap even more sensitive?)

Originally Posted by sore head stoat

How are you getting on ?

We eventually something tried my trap with the hot glued wheat - and I caught the little bugger!
First mouse for ages (first rodent of any sort!).

And there’s still some hot glued wheat left for the next one...

I have been using A24s for about eight years – with varying degrees of success – we have eleven in the Quarry just over three years old – I am just in the process of installing new gas bottles – put a test shot through a couple a week or so back to check the counter – one split in half and one cracked. Not great for a high quality device – but GN have been great and replaced the two broken ones. They broke while I was holding them loosely so I could look down the barrel and tweak the trigger with a twig. The third one did not split but I decided to hold the barrel tightly in my left hand to absorb some shock – dumb arse trick – hurt like hell as the shock waves went through all the joints in my hand. I think I know what Mr Rat feels like as it massages his head.
Rats have become hard to find lately - but hogs still keep finding their way into my doc traps - 250s don't always kill the big ones.

The ferrets seem to move on from my original cage site on the estuary – seven was good – then just the odd rat and a few hogs. So I brought the cage home. I got a call yesterday morning from a resident down the bottom of the street – they had seen a ferret running across their lawn. I took the cage down last evening and set it up with a nice fresh leg of rabbit – a lovely spot at the top of a walking track up from the water and outside the owner’s bedroom window. Nice big section of about two acres on the edge of the estuary – plenty of young rabbits running around – perfect place for ferrets.
Phone rang this morning to say we had caught a ferret – took the .22 down and dispatched the cute little buggar – large nuts but no smell. Left a leg attached to the rabbit leg – so hope for another one tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

‘Something’ has been eating the peanut butter off my grey plastic mouse trap, the piece of bread I sat beside it was unmolested.

This is not the first time this has happened, I doubt the trip plate is sticking but think more it might be an insect doing this as the bait is completely gone but the trap not sprung.

Any ideas anybody?

possibly leopard slugs if you have any in your area, plentiful up north, have an appetite and not usually heavy enough to trip trap but occassionally one does get chopped.

tie piece of cotton around and around through peanut butter and under plate...drip of bacon grease of two on bait wont hurt either... I reckon the rodents teeth catch the cotton and trigger trap....

Sorry Finnwolf, i cant help. The only suggestion i could make is put the peanut butter closer to the lip of the treadle plate to increase the sensitivity ? I have a couple of those in my garage along with a knees and the victors and they all catch just fine.

Try MDs idea, failing that go and buy a Victor and Knees and do a comparison ?