Sound Lures: First External Deployment

We are preparing for the first external deployments of the sound lure unit which has been developed since last September in this current form (having being revised several times in terms of coding, unit set up, solar powered plannning etc). 

It has always been the intention since the projects inception to make the units, which are extremely cost effective, available for wider trials and experimentation to try and improve their use.   As has been noted many times on this blog the units in deployment currently are deployed for the purposes of testing to deal with issues of the units reliability, the battery levels and water proofing.   Once we can establish testing zones or areas outside of the current location we can start looking at sounds, frequency of activations of sounds etc and determine the contribution of the sound lures to effective trapping. 

Evidence strongly suggests that it works with a range of creatures, but this is documented on a small scale at present and there are also other factors directly affecting the deployment (such as the domestic cat which is clearly is visiting the site each night) and the presence of other animals (the large dog) and cats.   There is also the location of the sound lure relative to the river as this is placed in such a location that it near an active part of the river which generates other noise.
Very shortly there is going to be significant developments with the project and also start to expand the deployment.   These are taking place at a number of locations throughout the region, with a focus specifically on possums for a major regional project. 

There will be a secondary project focussed on other pest animals which will take place at select locations, some of these locations will be external to the Taranaki region where we are based. 

Right from the onset of the project we have been interesting in partnering with groups and indidivduals who are actively involved in pest reduction in both our region (Taranaki) and the wider region of New Zealand.  While the target was originally going to be stoats there are a wide range of potential for the technology and the set up.   If you have not made contact with us yet and would liket to do so at some point for using the technology or working with us can you please email us at myles.webb@gmail.com

The sound lure can be left at a location, in sunlight, and charge and operate independently.   It appears at the time of writing (six months) that it was not adversely be affected by weather.   It can be programmed in a huge number of ways to reflect a variety of variables based around operating.

We have changed the base profile at the main testing location.   The new sound profile has retained the 'chick' sound, which is the day profile.   This also features at night four additional sound profiles, rat, field mouse, and two variations of distressed rabbit.   These profiles are playing at one minute random intervals from within the inside of the box.   The box is currently a standard rat box, with a t-rex plastic trap inside.   

Due to testing conditions and activations we have placed a second box next ot the sound lure box.  This has two deployed mouse traps, as mice have been responsible for clearing out the traps without setting off the larger trap.

On the third night of this deployment with the new sound profile the brush tailed possum shown in the photographs appears at the trap and tries to interact with it.

'Distressed Rabbit' and a DOC 200: April 2020

We have placed a DOC 200, baited with egg and a small amount of peanut butter in this location, with the sound lure placed on top of the box.   The solar panel is exposed, the 4w speaker has a basic 3D Printed box and the main unit is inside the IP rated box.

This unit, in this location, with this set up will be left outside until from now on.    The location is a general sun location (in Autumn) with currently (April 2020) sun directly charging the unit until 2pm.   With the exception of the tree and the cover created by a boxthorn hedge close to unit it is exposed to the elements and will remain so.    On the other side of the unit is a large paddock which previously held maize and is reverting to grass for winter.    A unit has previously deployed at this location as was detailed in this blog here, as it is Deployment Site Two.

For the first three days at this site the unit was playing a basic 'Distressed Rabbit' profile.   This was powered by the solar unit throughout the day and would last until the evening (typically 8pm with a sunset of 6pm).   As this site has a DOC 200 deployed the sound pattern is specifically aimed at stoats.

Above: Hedgehog April 22nd 2020

Left: April 22nd 2020
Activation from the first night showing a hedgehog (large) in the vicinty of the unit.   The DOC 200 is in the top of the picture, with the bar visible, the camera was placed in an incorrect position.   The animal would have been too large to enter the unit.

By the time that this activation occurred the unit would have been still operating with audio.

Above: Brush Trailed Possum April 22nd 2020

Left April 23rd 2020
Activation from the first night showing a brush tailed possum approaching the unit.   The animal approached but did not interact with the unit, with the increased demand on the unit power with the profile it would have been idle by this point.  Typically we have seen possum interact directly with the sound unit directly including trying to open the box.   This animal would not have been able to enter the trap unit due to size.

The current distressed rabbit profile is worth noting in terms of duration.   This was sourced from a publicly available sound file on Youtube.   The day profile sound has a 26 second sound duration, and the additional tracks of sound are all of similar length, for a total sound play of all five tracks of two and a half minutes.   The general profile which is the standard audio track used up to this point for the trial lure is a chick sound during the day is 8 seconds long and the total of the five general tracks is one minute thirty.   

Based on the unit playing once a minute on random obviously the amount of power draw from 'distressed rabbit' playing once a minute would be in the region of 17 minutes each hour, the chick would be in the region of 7 minutes of audio each hour.    We are conducting considerable testing and evaluation of the power draw relative to the size of the units and the auido that is associated with it.    We will be monitoring the DOC 200 at this site to see the activations that occur at night and the presence of Stoats or rats as these are the two key animals that will be able to enter the trap.   We continue to see evidence of domestic cats consistently being attracted directly to the trap (in this instance this cat is domestic and cannot enter the DOC 200 trap due to the size of the trap relative to the size of the animal).

Waterproofing: Unit Demonstration

This video is a basic demonstration of the water proofed unit with the IP Box bolted into place, the rubber sealed ring in place, and the bolts connecting for the sound and solar power working.  This is the first finished prototype which is playing the 'distressed rabbit' sound profile.   This sound profile is following the 1:5 profile created with the initial code, that is a single profile sound playing with a one minute delay and then at nightime selects one of five random tracks and plays that at one minute interval.    The Picaxe computer has the ability to play any number of tracks in sequence depending only on the size of the mini-SD card that is contained within the MP3 Player.  We have now deployed this version of the sound lure, in conditions including rain, to ensure that the unit is as robust as possible.