I have often used the Connovation blue stuff in the summer – both rats and possums love it – but it goes mouldy in wet weather and I dislike the tube it comes in – its hard to get the last bit out – when half empty, I cut off the bottom off and shove a pill container in – a bit like a caulking gun to get the remainder out – then refill from the bottom again. The screw cap on the top is a nice fit for Kness rat traps. But the other members of the team cant be bothered with the tubes when they can use a GN tube of possum paste or now meat lovers!
I generally screw our Timms traps down – cut a slot in the bottom to get the bait rod out – its a long time since I mounted a Timms on the ground – usually on a leaning tree, a stump or a thick branch ramp - I like a possum to be able to walk up and put his head in the hole.
I noticed one site last week had a few wasps around the Timms – but not often a problem round here. On Timms and Sentinel traps, I can fold up the carpet like a sandwich – there will always be some sweet stuff inside – not so easy on a Possum Master just using a stainless paper clip.
I know the Possum Master manufacturer – they are a local business. I took some traps back last year to get new bait holders fitted – they growled at me for putting apple straight on the bait holder. They recommend putting lure inside a sealed plastic bag and tying it on the bait holder – on any trap – possum or rats. Animals have an incredible sense of smell – so whatever you are using, the lure smell will come through plastic very easy. It seems to work on a Victor rat trap with peanut butter – but I cant be bothered with it. It would certainly keep the ants and wasps away from your lure.
The Timms picture is when I was desperate and had a couple of buckets of PICs peanut butter – it didn’t work - but jam did a week or so later
I hope the jam on carpet treat works for you.
Another possible problem would be native bush cockroaches, of which there are plenty here. I just envisage a vast crawling mass making a beeline for the trap with sugary stuff in it and then fading back into the bush again with no trace of the bait left.
Having said that, putting standard possum-lure paste onto the carpet sounds like a good idea, it won’t dry out and drop off, and they’ll have to give it a good tug to get at it.
I have both native and Gisborne cockroaches to deal with here, but it’s only been the much larger Gisborne cockroach that’s even been a problem. Even then, they are a minor issue. They definitely like peanut butter.
It’s ants that can be a problem, now and then. They are very quick to find sugary foods inside our house, so we have to be careful to keep things clean (don’t leave a jam jar on the counter!). They’ve even raided our pantry, making their way inside a container of white sugar that didn’t have a secure enough lid.
I still have a supply of Goodnature Possum lure, so I’ll use that on the carpet to start with. It’s great, becaue it doesn’t go moldy, it’s long lasting, and insects and slugs and snails leave it alone. In snap traps, I’ve trapped some rats with it, too, using some if things get slow. It’s what I refer to as a “curiosity lure”, due to its smell, but the rats do gobble up the stuff.
Cheers.
Putting the pill container inside the bottles is a great idea!
If you used a funnel, could you get the blue lure inside empty Goodnature sachets?
Something that might work is a bottle with the teat that farmers use to feed lambs. I’ve never used the blue lure, so the texture might be a problem.
I keep meaning to find a few planks to screw my Timms onto to lean against trees, but I think I’ll have to buy some that are wide enough. I try to keep all of my traps mounted.
I’ve never had any problems with wasps, fortunately. We have Arataki Honey hives on our property, so if we report seeing wasps, they send a worker out here to kill them. They’re thorough, following the stream of wasps to their nests, at a considerable distance and often through fields of blackberries. They do a bloody good job.
Did they complain to you because the apples cause the skewers to rust?
Could a tea strainer be used? I’m going to fit some of my DoC tunnels with them soon.
I also won’t bother using plastic, because it’s a hassle and I use enough plastic as it is. If a trapper had a big problem with insects and slugs and snails, using plastic bags would make sense, but what a pain in the ass!
Wow, that’s one hell of a PB pre-feed!
I’m not going to use the jam here, because there are too many species at risk of by-kill. Honey and bumblebees are plentiful here, and there are some wasps, so I’d have to visit my traps at dusk to avoid being stung.
Cheers.
For planks, get retaining-wall timber, that’s usually H4 treated so will last awhile and is pretty cheap. It’s sold by the metre so you may be able to get a few offcuts from the scraps bin at Bunnings/M10. I managed to score a bunch of half-rounds free from a demolished retaining wall that will probably outlast the Timms mounted on them.
You also don’t need to buy full-width timber, just screw a cross-piece on at the appropriate height and then attach the Timms to that, that’s what I did with the half-rounds which weren’t otherwise wide enough.
Holy cow, how big are your bees if they’ll get caught in a Timms trap?
Thank you very much for the plank advice. Why didn’t I think about making a T-shaped stand? Geez…
Another option is to buy the Smooth paste in bulk 10L bucket then scoop out what you need instead of using the annoying tubes. I find the 1L Killinchy Gold ice cream containers ideal, that’s enough to bait about 30 Sentinels or Trapinators including a generous smear up the tree below each trap.
Victor Professional
I have just starting using these traps after becoming disillusioned with the E Snap and T rex.
Can anyone give me some tips? Do you normally screw them down ?
Steve
I mount down all of my snap traps, now. The reduction in dirty kills and injuries has been huge, and my traps take way longer to break, because they aren’t getting knocked around.
I don’t use Victors, but I use a metallic trap that has the same design, called a made2catch. It’s way easier and safer to arm when it’s mounted - no blue thumbs!
Good luck!
No need to screw them down, but they work best in a wooden tunnel IMO.
Just a few comments on the A24. After not doing much following shoulder surgery I picked up a ‘run’ of a few trap lines on which I had a few A24’s. They need regular attendance. The bait dries up or gets mouldy (auto-pouch for stoat/rat) and is not attractive anymore. The attached photo has 5 rats in it (1 hidden behind the green Nikau leaf). The trap just had the Goodnature cinnamon-based pre-feed lure in it. A trail below the trap and into the bottom of it with the pre-feed. It was serviced 2 weeks earlier. It probably wiped out a whole rat family as most were quite young. The same day I had another 4 rats on an A24 on another trap line. They do work, but may need moving around to find higher-density infestations.
Nice totals!
My problem with A24’s has been mice eating the lures without being trapped, because they can sneak in without hitting the trigger. I’ve never found a moldy lure, for this reason.
I’ve read several studies about A24’s, and they both concluded that they’re an excellent way to quickly knock down large populations of rats in areas that haven’t had any pest control, but once predator populations reach low levels, they are less effective than traditional control using snap traps and/or DOC tunnels.
One reason for this, is that some predators refuse to put their head inside an A24. They’re far more likely to enter a snap trap or DOC tunnel, due to the larger size of the entrances and their ability to see more.
I’d be inclined to leave the A24 in the photo where it is for a bit longer. Clearly, it’s in a spot that has received a good amount of traffic. Once your shoulder is 100%, I’d put a snap trap and/or DOC tunnel nearby to find out if you’ve found an above-average site. Putting any dead rat killed in the A24 into the DOC tunnel nearby, should be an excellent way to trap the individuals, including mustelids, that won’t interact with the A24. Small rodents are also excellent lures, especially for female weasels and juvenile mustelids.
Cheers.
Six months ago, I decided to clean up a trap line that I had developed and looked after for about ten years – the Kness snap-e traps were under open core flute covers – often on sites just off the main tracks. Who would ever find them when I am gone? So, I decided we should purchase new tunnels that are safer for children and reposition all trap sites adjacent to the main tracks. Plastic tunnels seemed like a practical solution, and I had used them at Puketoki Reserve some years ago, So our support partner purchased 20 Connovation run through tunnels and a heap of snap traps that are a copy of the Kness Snap-e traps. On arrival, I was disappointed to find that the trap boxes had a central position for the trap to clip into that only allowing a side entry to the trap kill bar.
Since these boxes were installed, we have only had a couple of kills – a small rat and a mouse – but I few days back I have seen three traps tripped - but no victims and the traps dislodged from the plastic clip and pulled out sideways – probably a shoulder hit that allowed the rat to pull out backwards and leave the scene – a good learning experience! We are currently trying Connovation solid state aniseed lure sitting on the remains of meat lovers.
I was concerned about side entrance to the traps but couldn’t find a supplier of the old Protecta plastic box that positions the trap back from the run through area and ensures the rat has to turn and enter the trap head on – they are very effective. So our support partner purchased 30 Connovation standard wood tunnels with a single entry hole in the mesh. Heavy to move and install in the bush but likely to be effective and last a long time.
Has anyone had success and consistent kills with side entry snap traps or have we installed a problem? We have very few rats around - 150 trap sites are producing around 2 to 3 rats each week.
Loving your descriptions.
I have no faith in the Goodnature traps. Both kill a few reckless target pests in the first week or so and then almost nothing ever after. They are not good for sustained control and both are bad for by-kill. Potential for smashing kiwi and weka beaks for a start. The A12 is off the market (I think due to kea and kaka risk).
I have also had little success with Trapinators for possums which I think is due to the same reason. Cautious animals won’t put their heads into something that enclosed. Best results for possums by far has been with Sentinels (and they are well priced) although I think the new mounting brackets should be chucked away and stick to the old plastic pipe.
Just replying because this post is awesome and cant be lost to the mists of time - so much knowledge on the posts above. This is a keepalive…
Possums are getting harder to come by thanks to camthelegend and others around the area. For the first time im considering using blaze rather than just set/reset which was the norm.
When do we start planning for when possums are down to very low numbers - but not ZERO.
Yep, found the timms catches possums best. I mounted mine on a heavy board, so i can put on the roof. Trapinator catches zero. And is a pain ro set.
I would give my vote to AT220s where budgets allow. In my experience the AT220s are as effective as Victor tunnel traps and Timms, but allow for multiple kills over long periods. I agree with your comments on the GN traps.
I think that the timms traps are excellent if you can service them regularly. Some years ago I was on a camping where there were a lot of possums around. I set several timms traps and the first night I just got back to my tent and I heard a timms going off. Reset it and I was just sitting down to pluck the first one, the trap went off again. Just in that one trap I caught 5 that night. In just one week, 38 possums. My advise, if you go camping take a timms, some apples and some cinnamon prefeed or jam and catch a few.
Some years ago, I modified a DOC200 box to prevent birds getting caught in it. It has been quite successful for catching rats. Never caught a bird in it. No stoats or weasels either, but this was probably due to other (more attractive) traps nearby.
4 different entrances (2 in front, 1 on top, 1 on side). Bait visible in slightly expanded mesh at the rear. Birds might have a go at it, but they wouldn’t reach for the strike plate (which is covered by artificial grass, which doesn’t have a visual barrier for target species. Especially ship rats try the various entrances. Norway usually march in through the main entrance.
The main entrance still requires them to climb over a ‘hill’ of expanded foam, which also holds the drain pipes in place. This would also work in Weka and Kiwi country, I think. Takes a bit of time to put together, but it gives peace of mind. Best for use on private land (or elsewhere with permission). Councils may have a problem with modifications like this as they often want to standardize or argue that it voids the approval from DOC for the DOC200, not realizing that the approval only relates to the trap itself, not to the box or any other way of shielding non-targeted species from being trapped.