Unprecedented 0% Pest Survival Rate in DOC Rat Control Trial

News release For immediate release

TECHNOLOGY BOOST IN BATTLE FOR OUR BIRDS NZ INNOVATION ACHIEVES UNPRECEDENTED 0% PEST SURVIVAL RATE IN DOC RAT CONTROL TRIALS

27 February 2014

In wonderful news for birdlife, NZ developed automatic rat traps have totally eliminated predator rat populations during large-scale Department of Conservation (DOC) trials in native New Zealand bush.

Results just in from large-scale DOC trial sites confirm that the patented automatic trap technology developed by local company Goodnature has successfully reduced rat populations to undetectable levels.

Recent monitoring at the two large scale trial sites by DOC field personnel confirmed zero percent (0%) rat monitoring rates indicating rat populations in these areas had been completely eliminated.

The unprecedented 0% rat detection results contrasted with monitoring results on the adjacent comparison sites which showed that rat populations outside the automatic trap trial area continued to thrive.

This is excellent news at a time when the predicted rat population explosion threatens native birdlife in New Zealand forests. Kiwi innovation has produced another potent weapon in the war on pests and, importantly, a further option in the armoury which is toxin free and cost effective to deploy.

The DOC trial results are consistent with what our customers in other parts of the world are achieving with our traps says Stu Barr, director of Goodnature who make and supply the A24 automatic resetting traps. The traps are reducing rat populations well below the level where our vulnerable and endangered species can rebound. Weve taken the pressure off the birds and put it back on the rats.

While being used effectively in New Zealand for rat, stoat and possum control, farther afield, Goodnature is applying its technology to pests in more than 15 countries. As well as widespread success in rat control around the world, automatic resetting traps to control introduced mongoose in Hawaii and mink in Scandinavia are in development.

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Unprecedented 0% Pest Survival Rate in DOC Rat Control Trial