Trapping Results
The Trust is well served by dedicated contractors who service the traps, rebaiting and recording catches. Scott Candy has looked after all the stoat trap lines since installation except for line 10, which is now serviced by a roster of volunteers. Rat traps are serviced under three contracts, handled by Mike Nixon, Nick Venema and David Wilson.
The number of pests trapped each year increased from 2003 to 2007 as more traps were installed, as shown in the following tables. The numbers of pests caught is expected to decrease as residents are removed and only individuals encroaching from outside the control area are trapped. This trend is perhaps starting to show in the summary results for stoats, cats and weasels. Detailed records show that most stoats, cats and rats are now caught at the control area boundaries.
Summary of Trapping Results 2003 to 2009:
| Year | Stoat | Cat | Weasel | Ferret | Rat | Hedgehog | Possum | Mice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 47 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 44 | 5 | 8 | 0 |
| 2004 | 54 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 399 | 28 | 58 | 2 |
| 2005 | 78 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 538 | 29 | 41 | 0 |
| 2006 | 148 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 2189 | 121 | 368 | 120 |
| 2007 | 177 | 23 | 10 | 0 | 1369 | 77 | 83 | 0 |
| 2008 | 112 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 2909 | 82 | 410 | 79 |
| 2009 | 163 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 3497 | 60 | 459 | 73 |
| Total | 779 | 117 | 43 | 2 | 10945 | 402 | 1427 | 274 |
Monthly Trapping Results 2010:
| Month | Stoat | Cat | Weasel | Ferret | Rat | Hedgehog | Possum | Mice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 393 | 11 | 69 | 3 |
| February | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 324 | 5 | 28 | 4 |
| March | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 315 | 9 | 49 | 5 |
| April | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 347 | 7 | 29 | 17 |
| May | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 260 | 6 | 50 | 23 |
| June | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 16 | 8 |
| July | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 315 | 2 | 32 | 9 |