Pest Eradication Begins

Pest eradication has started on the Pauanui to Tairua Trail.

This part of a plan to bring back native birds to the area.

Trail committee member Claire de Thierry, who is in charge of conservation on  the  trail,  says that nine stoat traps have been placed on the eastern end of the trail. There are also seven bait stations in place along with strikers.  These are pre-feed  devices that  will be replaced with toxic material in two weeks. In coming weeks poison pellets will be placed in each bait station.

"We have already caught two  rats," Ms de Thierry said.

Poison notices are  in place and these will be marked once poison bait is in use.

Ms de Thierry stresses that there will be no poison  laid over the long Queen's Birthday Weekend.

However, she advises people using the  Trail to have dogs on  a leash or not to be there at all.

Top picture, Claire de Thierry nails  a bait station to a tree. Lower picture, a stoat trap waits for action. These traps were made by the Pauanui Menz Shed.