Action at home: Backyard trapping
Want to get involved in backyard trapping but you’re a bit unsure on what it involves and have no idea how to set up a trap? Our Marketing Manager Sam felt exactly the same way until she recently contacted her local Predator Free group and was delivered a rat trap.
Sam shares her experience in joining a community group and setting up a trap for the first time at home.
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I’ve been working at Zealandia for just over 2 years and have always wanted to try trapping at home. The curiosity of my dog made me a little bit apprehensive though, especially the thought of him going for a peanut butter lure!
Recently, our team has created brochures and social media content about taking conservation action at home through planting and trapping. I thought it was a bit rich coming from someone who wasn’t doing this herself, so I reached out to my local community Predator Free group to get started. They were quick to respond with options of trapping at home and getting involved in setting trap lines around my community.
A few days later, someone from the group came round to my place with a Victor rat trap and tunnel and showed me how to set the trap and where in my back yard I should place it. She assured me my dog probably wouldn’t get his paws into the entrance of the tunnel, and that placing the trap right at the back of the tunnel would help prevent any unwanted injuries. We talked about the different lures that could be used (my dog LOVES peanut butter, so that wasn’t an option for me) and how to familiarise him with the tunnel so he would ignore it once it was outside.
The trap itself was a lot simpler to set than I expected, and she showed me how to safely add the mayonnaise lure and to always use a stick to trigger it if you need to reset it. After handing over an information sheet, she was off, and I was ready to set up the trap myself.
Check out the video of me below setting up the trap at home.
I’d highly recommend reaching out to your local Predator Free group if you’re keen to get involved in backyard trapping. They’ll be able to answer all of your questions, safety concerns and talk you through setting the traps safely.
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More information can be found on our website here, or if you’re ready to get started you can buy traps through the Zealandia Store – members get 10% off (use code MEMBERS10 when shopping online).
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