Ditch with some of banned traps in his collection.

Even when it has stayed fine enough to get out there many of the properties are simply too wet to work on without making a heck of a mess.

About the only calls we have been receiving lately are about rats in buildings, and they just keep coming with many folk using five or six times the amount of poison normally required over a winter.

The only advice I can give at this point is keep on filling them up until the bait stops getting taken. With any luck we will make such a dent in them this winter that we will get off lightly next year.

Rabbits appear to be way down in numbers and this is a positive effect of all the wet weather. 

Rabbit burrows often get flooded out and rabbits generally become more susceptible to disease when living in wet conditions so here’s hoping for a reduced population this coming spring. 

Many of us in the pest control field spend our spare time during winter gathering possum fur and this has been an ever increasing activity for many over the last few years. 

Possum fur prices are currently at an all time high of $135 per kilo and, ironically, this is not a particularly good sign as the price is driven by demand. In this instance, it shows just how badly the buyers need to get some fur in.

Until the weather improves none of us are going to be producing

anywhere near viable quantities and I can’t help but wonder how delicate the fur economy is? The effects of losing the fur trade yet again would simply be disastrous in an already tough economic situation. 

For more information on harvesting or selling fur, contact www.basicallybush.co.nz.

For several years now a lot of people have been enquiring as to the legality of using gin traps for pest control. 

These traps were a mainstay of all trapping in this part of the world for around 150 years so there are simply thousands of them out there.

Gins were banned under many city bylaws over the last few decades but a complete and formal ban was introduced by MAF in 2008, making it illegal to sell or use quite a range of leg hold traps.

For more specific information visit www.biosecurity.govt.nz.

There are still a range of traps that can be used legally and most of us favour what is known as the Victor # 1 leghold trap. 

For more information on traps available and prices contact Maurie at M.S. Woodcraft Ltd mswoodcraft@xtra.co.nz.

All of the now “prohibited” traps are an important part of our pest control history.

I have put together a collection of traps used over the years and welcome any new additions.

If you have something that needs a new home be sure to give me a call.

Please help us to provide the advice you require by sending all pest animal questions to: info@coastalpestsolutions.co.nz.