The Pest-free Hibiscus Coast Project offers several levels of participation, from trapping rats and possums, to volunteering or business sponsorship. Please select the option below that most suits you:
Possum trapping on your property
Buy professional rat bait / bait station
Already trapping and want to join our project?
Got your traps? Click here for instructions on how to register on Trap.nz
Get a rat trap for your backyard
- Free, donations welcome
- Pet-safe, easy, humane
- You must register and record your catches on Trap.nz
Select which option applies to you:
- Individual backyard rat traps
- Neighbourhood groups - trapping is more effective if you do it with your neighbours! Get a set of traps for anywhere on the Hibiscus Coast.
- Pest Free Boaties - traps for boat owners available from Gulf Harbour Marina.
- Away a lot? Prefer to use bait? Click here to order
Individual Backyard Rat Traps - Where do you live?
Anyone living in the project area highlighted in either red or yellow on the map below can order a rat trap from us at anytime, just click on the link above. The only “catch” is that you need to register on Trap.NZ before your trap will be delivered, and then report your catches over time.
To make the most of our resources and focus our impact, in 2021/2 we are boosting backyard trapping in the following Hub areas. In these areas we are looking for lots of community volunteers, and you can receive additional support from one of our Community Hub Activators.
- Army Bay-Gulf Harbour North
- Whangaparaoa Central – Arkles Bay
- Manly-East-Tindalls-Matakatia
Contacts:
Community Hub Activators: for advice on trapping and using Trap.NZ:
Whangaparaoa Central – Arkles Bay – Andrea Dick
Army Bay / Gulf Harbour, Red Beach East-Weiti, Manly East-Tindalls-Matakatia – Deborah Colson
Project Manager – Jenny Hanwell
When you order your trap, you will need to create an account on our recording system Trap.NZ so that you will be able to add your catches in future. Check out our Trap.NZ How to videos.
As Pest Free Hibiscus Coast is dependent on grant funding, if you are able, a koha / donation is welcome towards our work. These can be made via online banking to Hibiscus Coast Branch Forest & Bird 38-9020-0362827-03 using PFHC as a reference.
Neighbourhood groups
Wherever you live on the Hibiscus Coast, we’d love you help you start trapping together with your neighbours. Neighbourhood / street groups are popping up all over the Hibiscus Coast as people recognise how much more effective and satisfying it is to trap together.
Just team up with at least 5 of your neighbours and we’ll provide a set of traps for you to hand out. We can also come and talk to you at a morning tea or other get together and provide letters and flyers to help.
Contact Project Manager Jenny Hanwell to sign up your street group.
Pest Free Boaties!
Wherever you live on the Hibiscus Coast , if you own a boat, you should also have a rat trap, and we can supply one for you.
Here on the Hibiscus Coast we love our boats, sailing in the Hauraki Gulf and visiting pest free islands, but we need to make sure we aren’t carrying rats in our gear or on our boat when we go. As well as checking your gear for pests before heading out, you can collect your own backyard rat trap from our friends at the Gulf Harbour Marina office, just drop in and ask for Maria.
Possum Trap Library
Volunteer Derek setting up a humane tested Flipping Timmy possum trap.
Possums can cause huge damage to native forests, preventing tree growth , flowering and fruiting, as well as consuming native birds eggs and chicks. Contact us to borrow a humane, easy to use trap for 6 weeks or purchase one here.
Buy rat bait and a secure bait station
Support the Hibiscus Coast Branch of Forest and Bird by purchasing a professional quality poison rat bait and / a bait station from us, the same as we use on parks. Order here.
Already got a trap or bait station?
Join our project! Register with us and let us know where you are and when you catch something or get bait taken. Contact us or create an account on www.trap.nz, then find the Pest Free Hibiscus Coast Project Hub for your area and request to join.
Restore Hibiscus & Bays Network & Pest Plants:
Do you want to get involved in trapping but live elsewhere in the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board area? Visit the Restore Hibiscus & Bays website for more information about action for conservation where you live.
Restore Hibiscus & Bays also has lots of information about controlling pest plants available on their website. Forest & Bird Hibiscus Coast branch is working with them to target pest plants on reserves and private land across the community.
Project contact
Jenny Hanwell - j.hanwell@forestandbird.org.nz