Practical Tips & Guides

Looking for practical ways to improve your trapping results? This page brings together some of our most useful articles and seasonal tips.

We'll continue adding to these guides over time, so check back occasionally for new ideas and resources.

For broader lifestyle block advice, see Predator Free NZ’s lifestyle block predator control guide.

Still unsure? Start with Getting Started, visit Already Trapping if you're looking to improve an existing setup, or Contact  Us for practical local advice.

Predator Control Tips

  • three rat trap tunnel boxes on the ground

    Winter Rat Control

    Seeing more rats and mice this winter? Winter is one of the best times to get on top of rodent numbers before spring nesting season begins.

    Read: Winter Rat Control

  • Three Yellow Flipping Timmy Possum Traps on a storage shelf

    Trap & Bait Information

    Looking for information on traps, bait stations, or getting started with predator control?

    Visit our Trap & Bait Information page for practical advice and local resources.

  • Nighttime outdoor scene from a monitoring trail camera with dense trees and bush, a possum trap mounted on a tree, and a digital clock overlay showing temperature of 9°C (48°F) and the date and time as July 1, 2024, 8:28 PM.

    Trap-Shy Possums

    Possums walking straight past your traps? You're not alone. Some possums become surprisingly trap shy, but a few small changes to trap placement & bait can make all the difference.

    Read: When Possums Won’t Take the Bait

  • Ferret lying on ground beside a boot

    Ferrets in Tamahere

    Ferrets are serious predators and occasional local captures show why early reporting matters. Knowing where they’re seen helps us target trapping quickly.

    Read: Ferrets in Tamahere

  • A live AT220 trap attached to a tree trunk, intended for capturing small pest animals, with a metal wire cage and a wooden mounting board.

    Getting the Most Out of Your AT220 Trap

    Tips on getting the best performance from your self-resetting trap.

    Read: Getting the Most Out of Your AT220 Trap

  • A white plastic bait box mounted on a tree trunk outdoors, with moss and fallen leaves on the ground.

    Rat Control: The Art of Bait Pulsing

    A simple technique that can improve rat control and reduce waste. Learn when and how to pulse bait for the best results.

    Read: The Art of Pulse Baiting

Monitoring & Outcomes

  • Icon of two stylized birds in black, white, and red background

    Track Your Traps with Trap.NZ

    Trap.NZ is a free online tool for recording traps, catches and biodiversity outcomes. It helps you keep track of your efforts and helps us understand predator control across Tamahere.

    Join our Trap.nz project

  • Close-up of a fly on a textured surface with informational text overlay about a predator-free tamahere community talk.

    Monitoring & Outcomes

    Trap catches, pest sightings, bird activity, bat monitoring and tools like eDNA all help us understand what’s changing in Tamahere’s gullies and streams. Our May 2024 eDNA talk explored how water samples can reveal which species are present.

    Read: eDNA Insights

Already doing predator control?


Whether you use Trap.NZ, keep records on paper, use bait stations, or simply check a few traps around the garden, tell us what’s happening at your place.

Tell us what you’re doing