Pigs vs Rat boxes - anchor with wire or rebar?

Predator Control strategy
#1

Hi All, I am about to start building & laying out a bunch of timber rat trap boxes. We have the odd wild pig around on the block & I was wondering if the #8 wire pegs suggested in the latest DOC trapping guide might not be sturdy enough if porky takes an interest. Has anyone had issues with pigs uprooting their traps? If it’s likely to be an issue I’ll use rebar stakes instead.

Cheers
Clint

#2

We had this problem and fixed it using a driven rebar each side and fixed with metal pipe clamps. This was with DOC 200s. The pigs gave up and stopped disturbing then

1 Like
#3

You can also fix your rat traps in trees. Will also help with less bending over. Won’t be effective for Norway obviously

#4

Try rat box teck screwed into tree for ship rats, quicker to install and check. Rely on rebar or no. 8 wire for DOC200s for Norways and of course stoats.

#5

Thanks guys, putting them in, or fixing to trees where possible is a good idea, It will be mostly ship rats I’d guess, will take some steel strapping & tek screws when we get to deployment.

With a rat box up in a tree, will a ramp up to the entrance improve catch rates or are they pretty keen to ninja their way in regardless?

Cheers
Clint

#6

Put the box on a branch so the rat can run along the branch into the trap. Ship rats are really good at climbing, so don’t worry about having to help them into the tree

#7

Cut down waratahs and some tex screws are an option for doc200 if pigs are a problem. You might get away with one per box.

#8

Re bars have been used in the Remutaka Forest Park with a positive effect

#9

Thanks all, we put out 60 rat traps back in September with rebar stakes & they’ve all been fine & there are definitely pigs around. Big thanks to those who suggested putting the traps in trees as we did this wherever we could & those traps have had a lot of kills.

#10

Hi what we do is use 1" angle iron ( cheap when you buy 6 metres fro suppliers ) cut lengths point on one end and drill a couple of holes for Tek screws 10g x20mm hammer the angle Iron down each side and Tek screw in place, now have about 200 200 boxes done like that