Safe Pest Control in kea habitat

Transcription

1 Safe Pest Control in kea habitat Kea Conservation Trust Best Practice Standard -1.0 Contact: Contents 1.0 Purpose 2.0 Background 3.0 Scope 4.0 Kea risk factors 4.1 Life-stage 4.2 Location 4.3 Time of year 5.0 Pest control methods (types and deployment) issues and solutions 5.1 Trap types and baiting methods which are high risk to kea 5.2 Trap/bait types and setting methods which minimise risk to or interference by kea 6.0 Reporting kea injuries/deaths due to interference with pest control devices 7.0 Safety review of pest control and kea proofing methods 8.0 References 9.0 Appendix 9.1 Reporting form dead or injured kea 9.2 Contacts 9.3 Pest control suppliers

2 1.0 Purpose The purpose of this document is to reduce injury or death of kea (Nestor notabilis), by providing best practice information on type and use of pest control devices within kea habitat. This document falls under Aim 2 of the Strategic Plan for Kea Conservation (Orr-Walker et al, 2015), which states a requirement to actively manage the population for conservation and more specifically to identify and quantify threats and their management. One of the eight threats currently identified under this section are poorly-deployed pest control (e.g. poison baits and traps laid for pest control and aerial 1080 operations). 2.0 Background Kea are ground nesters. As such they are vulnerable to predation by introduced predators, particularly stoats and possums, during their breeding period. Results of research on kea productivity shows low numbers (<2%) of fledglings produced from nests during beech mast events in areas where there is minimal or no pest control deployed, versus high productivity (>98%) in areas where extensive pest control is used (insert ref). However, the benefit of using pest control may be offset when poorly-deployed pest control devices are used, or used without taking into account additional risk factors, resulting in the unintentional by-kill or injury of kea. There is a large body of experience and knowledge built up over many years of what pest control devices are risky for kea as well as methods of minimising these risks. However this information is not currently collated or easily accessible for individuals or groups to utilise. This SOP seeks to develop such a resource which can be built on as new information becomes available. 3.0 Scope This document will identify i) trap types and baiting methods which are high risk to kea and, ii) trap/bait types and setting methods which minimise risk to or interference by kea. The document will also identify possible kea risk factors and ways these may be minimised and provide a means to report any kea injuries or deaths associated with use of pest control devices to enable on-going knowledge building. The scope of this document does not include research into kea friendly pest control methods, however this work will be carried out as part of the Strategic Plan for Kea Conservation and results entered into this document as information becomes available. 4.0 Kea risk factors Apart from the type of pest control method used and its perceived level of risk, there may be additional risk factors which increase the likelihood of kea interfering with and falling victim to pest control devices. Until such time as more information is gathered to prove or disprove these theories, they should be considered when setting any pest control devices/networks in kea habitat. Potential risk factors include kea life-stage, location and time of year. 4.1 Life-stage A keas age and social dynamic may increase the likelihood of investigation of trap devices and poison baits. Juvenile flocks may be more susceptible to interacting with traps while adult males resourcing breeding females in winter, may be more driven to pick up poison baits and access baited traps for

3 food. To date, research on kea deaths as a result of predator control have only focused on aerial This has shown all age classes are vulnerable to picking up baits, however there has been no investigation of whether this holds true with other forms of pest control. Until such time as this is investigated, special care should be taken (including potentially deactivating traps and removing/postponing baiting) when juveniles are active or if resident breeding pairs are resourcing a nest in times of food scarcity. 4.2 Location Kea may be more inclined to investigate pest control devices near areas of human habitation than kea in remote areas. This follows the junk food hypothesis (Kemp, ) which theorises that those kea exposed to human food may be more likely to pick up unnatural objects introduced into their environment to investigate palatability. Until such time as this is disproved, additional care should be taken as in section Time of year The time of year that certain pest control devices are deployed may increase risk to kea. Juvenile flocks may be more likely to investigate traps and baits from March September, while food scarcity during the winter months of the breeding season (July October), may increase risk to breeding pairs and their offspring. New fledglings (December February) may also investigate traps and baits set within their home territories. Until such time as this is disproved, additional care should be taken as in section Pest control methods (types and deployment) issues and solutions This section details which pest control devices impact on kea, why kea are vulnerable to them and how to minimise kea interference. 5.1 Trap types and baiting methods which are high risk to kea Pest control Category Target Details type species Leg hold traps Leg-hold trap Possum Injury and deaths recorded. Kea landing on plate which is set to lightly (0.5kg). DOC 150/200 Kill trap Stoat, rat Deaths recorded (at least 11 to date). Kea able to access the traps by removing screws/nails holding down the lid. Also known to interfere with the trap (rolling over, setting off the trap by poking sticks through front opening). Pulling off front mesh. Sentinel Kill trap Possum, Deaths recorded. feral cat Kill trap Possum Deaths recorded. Warrior Victor stoat Kill trap Stoat, rat?? trap Timms traps Kill trap Possum, Deaths recorded. Easily accessible and attractive to kea feral cat Ferotox poison Possum Interference by kea recorded. No confirmed deaths. Easily accessible to kea.

4 Cyanide paste Brodifacoum poison Rodents?? 1080 ground poison sown/aerial poison Possum No reports of kea deaths, however potentially high risk (to investigate). Possum, rat (and indirectly stoat) Deaths recorded for aerially sown 1080 (24 to date). Appears to be more risk in areas near human habitation (kea cued to pick up novel objects). 5.2 Trap/bait types and setting methods which minimise risk to or interference by kea Pest control type Category Known to cause injury/ death Leg hold traps Leg hold Y trap Minimising risk Trigger weight increased to >1.3kg. Deploy only in forest habitats. Utilise wax tag or chew card monitoring in Tier 1 and 2 alpine survey plots. DOC 150/200 Kill trap Y Secure lid with 65mm galvanised/st/steel screws (not nails or short screws). Placing metal brackets around fixings to prevent kea tearing wood away from around it. Placing solid stainless steel grills on the ends of trap boxes and using side entrances. Staking the trap boxes with 10mm re-bar (refer appendix for suppliers and photos). Sentinels Kill trap Y Sentinels have been used around kea nests successfully but are deactivated once fledglings leave the nest and only activated once a female is sitting on eggs. Sentinels should be deactivated when flocks of kea are observed at a site. Warrior Kill trap Y Should be deactivated when fledglings or flocks of kea are observed at a site. Victor stoat trap Kill trap?? Timms traps Kill trap Y Not advised for use in kea habitat. Ferotox poison Y ( probable) Not advised for use if kea observed during set up. Cyanide paste poison?? Use of kea proof bait station (??) Brodifacoum poison?? Use of kea proof bait station (??) 1080 ground sown/aerial poison Y Refer Draft Code of Practice for Aerial 1080 in kea habitat - DOC Also potential to provide supplementary feeding sites away from sowing areas (will also enable monitoring). A12 Kill trap N No kea deaths recorded however currently data deficient. Users asked to send info to KCT regarding numbers of traps used and any kea deaths/no deaths. A24 Kill trap N A weka excluder to be attached to the trap to reduce possibility of kea access.

5 6.0 Reporting kea injury/death due to interference with pest control devices To ensure pest control methods used in kea habitat are of minimal risk to kea, it is important that any injury to, or death of kea, are recorded. This will ensure that information that may save kea lives can be added to this document as it becomes available. It is acknowledged there may be a reluctance by individuals and groups to come forward to report kea injury or deaths as part of their trapping efforts. As such it is vital to encourage and support reporting and to follow up with provision of support and advice to reduce any further risks to kea. A campaign should be developed to support this desired outcome. 7.0 Safety review of pest control and kea proofing methods A review of pest control methods and impact on kea should be undertaken annually. In addition to this, users of traps should be encouraged to log the type and number of traps /baits used in kea habitat and results (numbers of kea injuries/deaths per annum). This should be instigated particularly in the case of new predator control devices on the market. This programme may be facilitated through such groups as Predator Free NZ and predator control suppliers. 8.0 References Orr-Walker, T. et al Strategic Plan for Kea Conservation Kemp, 9.0 Appendix 9.1 Reporting form injured or dead kea Please complete all details (one form for each kea) and to info@keaconservation.co.nz Date of death (where possible) or recovery of body (day/mth/yr) Location description (eg found in carpark, on side of road, in creek, caught in trap etc) Location area (eg Fox Glacier) Region (eg West Coast) Probable cause of death Post mortem report available? (attach if Yes) Description of state of carcass (any obvious breaks, is bird wet, presence of blood, faeces etc)

6 Band details of recovered kea (if any) Transmitter details (if any) Who recovered body? (member of the public, DOC staff member etc (name where possible and contact details for follow up) Where is body stored? Contact details of person entering information into this form (name, , organisation) Unique identifier (post mortem band number) (office use only) 9.2 Contacts Name Contact details Affiliation Location Expertise Tamsin Orr- Walker KCT Queenstown General info on this document and Strategic Plan Josh Kemp DOC Nelson Pest control, kea Peter McMurtry TBA DOC Te Anau Kea proofing DOC 200 s Sanjay Thakur TBA DOC Te Anau Kea proofing DOC 200 s Gerard Hill TBA DOC Te Anau Kea proofing DOC 200 s Andrew Smart TBA DOC Te Anau Kea proofing DOC 200 s 9.3 Pest control suppliers Name Contact details Device Specifics Fielden Metalworks 23 Columbia Ave, PO Box 16450, Hornby, ChCh. Ph DOC 200 (stoat box) Suppliers of stainless steel grills for DOC 200 s

7 Wood Logic Haines Pallets Goodnature Traps Cnr Caswell Road & Snodgrass Drive, Te Anau Ph: Hutt Park Rd, Seaview, Wellington. Ph Horner Street, Newtown, Wellington Ph DOC 200 (stoat box) DOC 200 (stoat box) A12s and A24 s Make traps with the st/st ends and side entrances. Make traps with the st/st ends and side entrances. Supply both resetting traps SOP no. Effective Date Significant Changes Version 1 April 2016 Original document n/a Previous SOP no.