That’s the message the Northland Regional Council is trying to drive home as it encourages Northlanders to control stoats and other mustelids like ferrets and weasels.
Northland Regional Council Dargaville-based Pest Management Officer Paul Ralph says stoats prey on the eggs and young of a number of native birds.
Mr Ralph says stoats are typically 30 to 40cm long with a brown back and white underbelly. They also have a characteristic black tip on their tails.
“There is strong evidence that stoats are a critical factor in the decline of birds like kiwi, kaka and the yellow-eyed penguin. Stoats are among the worst of the introduced predators that threaten native wildlife in New Zealand and are believed to be responsible for an estimated 60 percent of North Island kiwi chick deaths.”
Mr Ralph says stoats also impact on kukupa (wood pigeon) populations, especially at this time of year when the kukupa is in the middle of its traditional July to February breeding season.
However, Mr Ralph says stoats are difficult to control for a number of reasons, including the fact the meat bait in traps designed for them needs to be replaced frequently. If too old or rotten, the meat can actually deter stoats.
He says depending on the prey available, stoat populations can fluctuate wildly but even in relatively low numbers they can still have a major impact on vulnerable prey species such as kiwi chicks.
Mr Ralph says trapping is the best way to kills stoats, which were originally introduced into New Zealand in the late 19th Century in a failed attempt to control rabbits.
“The most successful trap set-up for killing stoats, ferrets and weasels involves two ‘number six’ Fenn traps set in a tunnel about 700mm long, with wire netting or bars at each end to allow mustelids through, but which excludes kiwi chicks and other non-target species.”
The traps can be baited with fresh, salted or freeze-dried rabbit between the traps. Dead rodents can also be used as bait.
Mr Ralph says interestingly, stoats are more likely to be caught in a trap where another stoat has recently died.
“I’m not totally sure why this is, however, a kiwi care group in the Coromandel found stoats were up to 10 times more likely to be caught in a trap where a stoat had been recently killed. It may have something to do with the scents involved.”
Mr Ralph says tunnel traps can be made of timber or purpose-built from plastic – the latter considerably lighter and able to be stacked together which enables them to be carried more easily in the bush.
Traps should be spaced at intervals of 200 metres or less and siting them near a bank, forest margin, track, stream or at the intersection of natural pathways would improve capture rates.
People wanting more advice on trapping stoats and other pests can contact Regional Council Pest Management Officers at any of the Council’s offices in Northland by calling freephone (0800) 002 004.