Tracking Tunnel Monitoring of rat free areas’ on Whareroa Farm … · 2019-12-18 · Tracking Tunnel Monitoring of ‘rat free areas’ on Whareroa Farm Reserve and the Paekakariki-Pukerua

Tracking Tunnel Monitoring of ‘rat free areas’ on Whareroa Farm Reserve and

the Paekakariki-Pukerua Bay Escarpment

June, 2016

In mid 2015, at the beginning of the expanded pest control effort in Queen Elizabeth Park, Whareroa Farm Reserve and the Paekakariki-Pukerua Bay escarpment, it was decided that enhanced animal pest monitoring was needed. Pest monitoring was already being carried out on Queen Elizabeth Park by the Greater Wellington Regional Council so the Ministry of the Environment funded monitoring focussed on Whareroa and the escarpment. Monitoring of animal pests is carried out in various ways, including the use of motion cameras and the recording of trap kills. This report focuses only on tracking tunnels. It was decided early in the project that there were insufficient resources to formally monitor mustelid or possum populations. In addition, it was decided to focus just on the areas where intensive rodent control was being carried out. Advice was sought from experts within GWRC. Dr Sara Moyhan designed a set of tracking tunnels that would be suitable for small areas. For robust statistical analysis, large networks of tunnels are needed. In small areas, only broad estimates are possible. Dr Moylan designed two sites for the escarpment and four sites on Whareroa Farm (Appendices 1 and 2). After discussion with Whareroa trappers, it was decided that there were insufficient resources to monitor four sites. Just one site, site 4, was chosen for monitoring. It was decided to monitor the sites twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn. In the future, when the lizard protection strategy is determined, more tracking tunnels may be added. This report outlines the two phases of monitoring that were carried out in the three rat control areas in November 2015 and May 2016 as part of the Kapiti Biodiversity Project. During November, tracking tunnels were placed in key 3 areas:

Whareroa (Wh 1)

Paekakariki Sth (Puk 1)

Paekakariki Nth (Puk 2)

12 tunnels were placed at Wh 1 and Puk 1 and 20 tunnels were placed at Puk 2. The tunnels

were placed for 2 nights at Puk 1 and Puk 2 and for 1 night at Wh1. At this time Puk 1 and

Puk 2 had minimal bait station coverage and Wh1 had only Doc 150 rat and mustelid traps.

Peanut butter was used as a lure and placed in the middle and at both ends of each of the

tracking cards. Monitoring levels at all three sites were as follows:

Puk 1 Rat numbers were tracked at 33%


WH Rat numbers were tracked at 0%

During May 2016, tracking tunnels were again placed at all three sites, Puk 1 and Puk 2 for 1

night and Wh 1 for 2 nights. One night is the standard time used by DOC and GWRC but the

pest team at Whareroa wanted to use 2 nights due to the lack of results taken in November

last year when tunnels were used for one night only. Since the last monitoring phase, pest

control has been greatly enhanced at the two Puk sites with bait station grids being laid out

at 100m x 50m spacings. As a result, monitoring levels at all three sites were as follows:



Wh 1 Rat numbers were tracked at 50%

Summary

In summary, the tracking tunnel monitoring shows that after the installation of bait station

grid lines the rat numbers were greatly reduced on the Paekakariki escarpment. Further

monitoring will hopefully prove this correct. In future, on the escarpment the aim on the

escarpment will be to reduce the amount of poison being used and switch to less toxic

poison while still maintaining low rat numbers.

On Whareroa farm further investigation is needed to determine why rodent numbers vary

so significantly.

Pete McLaughlin

6/07/2016

Appendix: Pictures

Whareroa: Wh 1

Paekakariki Sth (Puk 1)

Paekakariki Nth (Puk 2)

GPS co-ordinates of tracking tunnels

Name Station ID X Y

Whareroa Farm 1.1 1767278 5462258

Whareroa Farm 1.2 1767279 5462195

Whareroa Farm 1.3 1767279 5462132

Whareroa Farm 1.4 1767247 5462101

Whareroa Farm 1.5 1767216 5462258

Whareroa Farm 1.6 1767216 5462195

Whareroa Farm 1.7 1767216 5462132

Whareroa Farm 1.8 1767153 5462258

Whareroa Farm 1.9 1767153 5462195

Whareroa Farm 1.10 1767058 5462290

Whareroa Farm 2.1 1766682 5461913

Whareroa Farm 2.2 1766620 5461788

Whareroa Farm 2.3 1766683 5461788

Whareroa Farm 2.4 1766620 5461725

Whareroa Farm 2.5 1766683 5461725

Whareroa Farm 2.6 1766745 5461724

Whareroa Farm 2.7 1766620 5461662

Whareroa Farm 2.8 1766683 5461662

Whareroa Farm 2.9 1766683 5461599

Whareroa Farm 2.10 1766683 5461536

Whareroa Farm 3.1 1768097 5462486

Whareroa Farm 3.2 1768152 5462486

Whareroa Farm 3.3 1768097 5462431

Whareroa Farm 3.4 1768152 5462431

Whareroa Farm 3.5 1768097 5462376

Whareroa Farm 3.6 1768152 5462376

Whareroa Farm 3.7 1768042 5462320

Whareroa Farm 3.8 1768097 5462321

Whareroa Farm 3.9 1768152 5462321

Whareroa Farm 3.10 1768042 5462266

Whareroa Farm 4.1 1767424 5461802

Whareroa Farm 4.2 1767424 5461752

Whareroa Farm 4.3 1767274 5461802

Whareroa Farm 4.4 1767324 5461752

Whareroa Farm 4.5 1767324 5461702

Whareroa Farm 4.6 1767374 5461702

Whareroa Farm 4.7 1767274 5461652

Whareroa Farm 4.8 1767324 5461652

Whareroa Farm 4.9 1767525 5461454

Whareroa Farm 4.10 1767525 5461404

Whareroa Farm 4.11 1767575 5461404

Whareroa Farm 4.12 1767575 5461354

Paekakariki- Pukerua Bay Puk1.1 1761211 5457558
































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Tracking Tunnel Monitoring of rat free areas’ on Whareroa Farm … · 2019-12-18 · Tracking Tunnel Monitoring of ‘rat free areas’ on Whareroa Farm Reserve and the Paekakariki-Pukerua