Protect The Bluff - Backyard Trapping Program

29/04/2026

Further to my post yesterday, there has been more activity in Lagan Street, site of yesterday's post. Two houses up from yesterday's house, the meanest tom cat in town, but who is a big softie at heart, brought a huge live rat into the house and left the lady home owner to chase. catch and throw it outside. Next morning another rat was left dead beside the bed. To my trappers in Lagan Street, especially the hill side, please bait your traps, the rats are on the move.

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27/04/2026

Following on from my post on Friday concerning rats finding wood piles a great home, I had a report of two rats caught in a trap situated beside a wood pile over the weekend.

I often hear from people "I don't have rats in my garden, there is no sign of them". If you have a garden, you will have rats. If you have a cat or dog they may keep them at bay, however a cat unless he is the meanest tom in town, will not take on a big rat.

Our traps are designed to be pet friendly when used properly. Pop
down to the Service Centre and see Debbie about trapping in your garden.

24/04/2026

The weather is getting colder and the days shorter and with that comes the prospects of our garden rats eyeing up your lovely warm whare and trying to move in. To minimise the chances, take a look around the outside of your home, any cracks or holes the size of a 50c piece, a rat can squeeze through. Cut back any trees that are less than a metre away from your spouting as they can jump up to a metre. Keep your yard tidy and do not leave rubbish around. Fire wood heaps are a wonderful home for rats so target them for traps. These are a few of the precautions you can take, but one of the best is to keep your traps baited.
If your trap is broken - pop into the Service Centre and pick up a replacement at no charge.

22/01/2026

Hello out there in Bluff, it has been a long time between posts and that was because not a lot had been reported. We now have a hotspot in Parret/Tone Street, a trapper there has caught 5 rats in a week. If you live around that area, please bait and check your traps.

09/08/2025

The annual garden bird count has finished and I am happy to say that our tauhou/silvereye/wax-eye has claimed top spot again. Last year they were sitting at 18% of birds behind the sparrow but now have come out in the lead with 44% of birds visiting gardens with the sparrow second at 26%. A bit of concern is the tui that has dropped from 3rd a couple of years ago to 7th, but the bird count is not a science, just a glimpse.
The tauhou is an interesting little bird, the maori name is stranger as it seems that they self introduced themselves about 1830ish in what could have been a storm from Australia. Since they were self introduced they are classed as native. Since they arrived after the arrival of the rats they have adapted better than our other natives birds and are not considered threatened.
Thank you to everyone who participated this year and hoped you enjoyed sitting in your gardens just watching the birds and their antics.

04/08/2025

5 years' ago we launched the backyard trapping project with Terry getting one of the first traps given out. I would like to say that Nicola and Terry have not aged a day from when this photo was taken. What an interesting five years and what great results we have had. We have recorded 888 rat kills and have 400 traps out in the community. We are still catching regularly with 126 rats caught in the last year. We can not get complacent, you may not have signs of rats but if you have a garden you will have rats. Gardens are shelter and humans a source of food. If you have not got a trap pop into the Service Centre and grab one and if you have a trap, please keep it baited.