What’s the difference between community trapping groups and Predator Free Wellington?
Community trapping groups provide traps for people to use in their backyards. There is one for every suburb (or a group of neighbouring suburbs) across Wellington. They are independent and run by volunteers. Predator Free Wellington works alongside these groups carrying out the formal elimination. This involves overlaying an intensive network of traps, bait stations and monitoring devices across the project area. Devices installed as part of the formal elimination are free and fully serviced by our team. Becoming predator free is a team effort. Community trapping is vital for lowering rat populations. Once the formal elimination begins in an area, every trap counts and could catch the last rat. Ki te kāpuia e kore e whati – we succeed together!
We already have a trap, why do we need a bait station or trap from Predator Free Wellington?
If you already have a trap, please keep using this in addition to our traps and bait stations, as it only strengthens the network – every trap counts!
To get rat numbers to zero, our team needs to place and service bait stations on a 50m x 50m grid and traps on 100m x 100m grid across the project area. This density ensures that a rat comes across one of these devices within its home range. Before installing this network of devices, our team will ask for permission to place a device on your property and check it regularly. This free service is conducted with the utmost respect for your privacy and safety.
I have rats in my backyard, what can I do?
If you are noticing rats in your backyard or local area and you don’t already have your own backyard trap, you can get one for free (or koha) from your local community trapping group. Find your local group here. If you live in our Phase 2 eradication zone please sign up for one of our devices. This area includes Kilbirnie around to Ōwhiro Bay and up through to the CBD. We need more than 7,500 households to sign up for the project.
There are no rats here, why do I need one of these traps or bait stations?
The community trapping groups across Wellington are already doing a fantastic job of getting the rat numbers down. In fact, the eight trapping groups in Phase 2 have already caught 20,000 rats which is why you may not be seeing so many around. However, the goal to get every last rat, possum, stoat and weasel in Wellington is ambitious and relies not only on being able to install the formal network of devices but on every backyard trap across Wellington.
Click here to view, download and share a PDF version!