Rainbow LED Initial Deployment

 

The next variation that we have been trying with the unit is a rainbow LED.   This essentially is the sound lure unit with an additional output - a rainbow LED which works in conjunction (at the same time) as the sound.

This is a replacement for the 'feather' motor that was also operating at the same time, as both aspects of the unit additions run from the same location.  Recent trials with the 'feather' motor have seen interest from feral cats visiting the unit repeatedly and also to the extent that it pulled the feather from the inside of rat box caging - as detailed on this blog.

The first night of the LED saw some interesting interactions.   Firstly the LED was placed inside the rat box this had the affect of creating having the entire box light up when the LED operated with is shower of colour.    Furthermore there was repeated visit from large rats to the site.   In each case the rats can be seen showing interest in the rat box with the LED and ignoring or showing no interest in the DOC 200 which is baited with rabbit (it should be also noted that the rat box with the LED is baited with a T-Rex with peanut butter, this was not activated during the evening.   While this is very much the initial deployment with the set up the potential here seems very encouraging.   

As we have done with our test deployment at this site we will continue to monitor the deployment of the unit and notice the interactions that are occurring.  We are intending to operate the unit with the LED and the light at present it is the LED only that is operating.

Curious Minds: Final Preparation

 We are about to return to school for the start of the final term for 2020.   During the past month we have been awaiting for electronics delivery of the equipment needed to complete our sound lures for the Curios Minds part of our project targetting Possums.

In preparation for this we have been running a final deployment phase with the equipment that we will be using during the project to check its viability etc.   We have maintained two sites at a local farm, one containing a sound lure with Timms Possum trap and rat boxes, and a second site which contains a standard Timms Possums trap (both are ground mounted) and a rat box.

For the past month we have been logging the activity based on the activations at the traps and by using Browning Trail Cameras that are motivation activated to tell us what is happening where the units are deployed.   We have made some adjustments to the deployment at each site - both of which are bordering the river that is featured in deployment site one, on the other side to this location.

At the non sound lure site after a month we have had 76 image activations from 17 pest animals and two domestic cat activations.    We have had two rats removed by a box trap at the location.   We have experimented with using apple, lemon and the Timms trap has not been activated, although bait has been removed from the unit.    There is clear possum activity at this location and the number of image activations has been up to twenty at the site of the tree.

By contrast at the sound lure site we have had sixty activations from 32 pest animals including hedgehogs, possums and rats.   There have been five rats removed at this location, one hedgehog and one mouse.    These animals have caused sixty image activations on the cameras.   

However - there is a significant deployment change that occurred in the week from 4/10/2020 to the 11/10/2020.    Until this point the sound lure that was deployed as part of this set up was placed inside the rat box, with the intention of seeing if it would encourage rats to enter the box.      For the last week it was decided to instead place the lure on top of the rat box as this it was believed would cause the sound to be significantly greater.

This would appear to have had a significant impact on the activations at this location.   

Prior to this the target species of Brush Tailed Possums had appeared five times for single activations.   Rats were dominating the activations at the site.   

The week when the unit was switched to the top of the rat box (as shown) there were eight possum activations and thirty activations from the cameras as the possums were active in the trap location and remained at the location during the activations of the sound lure.   

There were multiplication activations including a pair of Possums and possums showing interest in the different traps/lures on display (although there was not any setting off of the traps).   The rats which had been so prevelant during the first three weeks of deployment were not active.

In contrast at Deployment Site One, on the other side of the river there have been limited interactions all of which have centred around rats.

We will continue to monitor both sites moving forward as this is a pleasing indication that the lure is showing promise if used in the right situations.  We also need to look at modifying the sound which is part of the deployment so it is focussed on Possums or rats rather than the generic sound pattern that we are currently using for the test purposes (which still includes for instance the original stoat profile which we have been using for a year).   

Also of note the unit that is being deployed at site two is the original unit which is approaching nearly a year in deployment.   This unit is featuring an original solar panel, wiring and speaker which has been left in outside conditions for a full calendar year.   The unit is still operating as anticipated without showing any damage from the elements.

Significant Rat Activity: Deployment Site One

We have recently begun the process of refining our deployment in preparation for the Possum part of the Curious Minds project.  As part of this process we have returned to deployment site one, which was previously used and considerable data logged.  At its height at this location at the tail end of summer there were anywhere up to a hundred activations on this site including large rats, mice and possums.

While yesterday was silent last night saw forty activations and included activity not seen before.  A large rat spent considerable time around the trap set up, including climbing over the boxes and inspecting the unit, this occurred over a duration where the lure was operating, and the lure did not scare the rat away.   The rat was subsequently trapped inside the rat box and caught.

At this point a second much larger rat, comparable to the biggest rat that has been seen at this location arrived and inspected the location.   During this time again the sound lure was repeatedly activating and had been placed on the box so it would have been loud.   The larger rat then fed on the smaller rat.  When the trap was cleared physically in the morning there was clear evidence that the first rat had been fed on.

This footage was viewed this morning, logged and then due to an extremely unfortunate technical issue the SD card with the data started displaying and error prior to it being copied across.  We are currently doing everything possible to try and retrieve this footage.

While this is only one nights activity there are some significant deductions that can be made.   

Firstly the first and second rat were not repelled by the fact that the sound lure was operating and was outside the box.   Given the duration and the time frame that both were present the lure would have been operating at full power and was outside of the box making it much louder than usual, and this was over a sustained period of time.   This did not deter either rat from the location.

Secondly it would appear that there is significant spring rat activity on this and the other side of the river which is back to levels that were noted previously at the end of Summer.    There has been a lull at this location where there was little activity previously noted.   We will continue to monitor this closely. 

Sound Lure: Further Deployment Developments

This photograph shows the deployment location of one of the project sound lures which is in the McKenzie Country in the South Island of New Zealand.

This is part of a larger trap line and is operating with the 'Stoat' sound lure profile, it has been placed inside a DOC 250.

Thank you to Peter from the University of Otago for the opportunity to test the unit at this location.

We are looking forward to seeing the results from this unit and others that are currently being set up on the West Coast of the South Island targetting Stoats.

Deploying the sound lure units throughout the country will allow us to produce invaluable data about the use of the units and their effectiveness.

Following an overhaul of our camera recording equipment at the Deployment One Location, close to Kapuni we have noticed a significant increase in activity around the sound lure.   The image on the left from two days ago shows a large rat in the vicinty of the trap, to the left of the tree.   There was not a specific activation of the trap.   Recorded 15/08/2020.

The second image (below) is from the following evening.   Again there is clear evidence of a brush tailed possum, slightly obscured to the right in the tree immediately next to the sound lure.    The unit deployment consists of a chew card on the tree, an additional wire cage where rabbit meat has been placed in the past,

a rat box immediately next to the tree housing a sound lure (with solar panel visible on top of the unit) and finally to the right of the sound lure is a secondary trap with mice traps.    This has been placed to remove mice from the area to allow the rat trap to remain in place.

At this stage we are just using peanut butter on the main trap as a basic bait.  The intention has always been once the basic electrics have been mastered to include a varietty of traps and baits as well as refining the basic sound profile to target specifc pest animals.   

Significant Large Rat Activity

The continued use of the rodent targetted sound profile is showing considerable change in results.  We have started to see a shift from mice towards having possums and larger rodents appear.    There has been two instances of large rats appearing and spending considerable time interacting with the lure within a week.   In post cases the rat is spending time with the lure.   Based on the size of rat, it would appear that it would be larger than the trap and as a result it would be limited in its ability to remove the rat.   A much better option for a rat this size would be a DOC 200 - we currently do not have this option deployed with the sound lure as it is being tested in another location.   We are also going to use telemetry to measure the effectiveness of the battery relative to the sound profile.

In general terms the rat investigates the traps, appears to have shown interest in both traps and may have caused an activation in the t-rex trap, although it did not trap the rat.   It has also climbed over both boxes and spent nearly ten minutes in the vicinity of the trap.   This is the second time in seven calendar days that a large rat has interacted with the trap, this has now been deployed for five weeks and the rat interactions have both occurred in the last week since the change of the sound profile.   With the lure track playing every minute the lure has played repeatedly while the rat is in the vicinity of the trap.

We are continuing to research the target animals (Possums) and looking at while there may be possible variations with the sound lure.   There is some evidence to suggest that cats and cat smells can act as a deterent to Possums - this is a considerable issue at this deployment site.   The domestic cats are familiar with the site and one of the two cats is waiting at the site unitl the lure is deployed each night - and there is also evidence to show the cat is present repeatedly during the night.   This would potentially indicate that this is deterring the visit of target animals to the site.

This photograph is from the developing Instagram account for this project.   This is the cat that is mentioned and featured on this blog, waiting for the lure to go in place close to the tree.

Sound Lure: New Profile Results

While it is only less than a week of results with the new sound profile (which is configured to reflect a target of rodents and mustelids) there already has been developments.   Of note is that within a five day period there has been two clear activations on the trial camera by Brush Tailed Possums, suggesting that the sound variation

The fifth day has also had a protracted interaction between the lure and a extremely large rat.   Of note the rat spends nearly half an hour in the direct vicinity of the trap (it did not active the trap) venturing towards the trap itself in a series of images.

The possum can clearly be seen in this photograph on the left.   The possum was attratcted to the area, but does not spend an extended time in the area.

We will continue with the deployment site and monitor the total results of the lure/camera (which is approaching over 250 animal activations).   The domestic cat is still present and still regularly visiting the site.

Extensive Rodent Activations May 2020

The deployment of the current testing of the lure is now taking place in Autumn in New Zealand.  At activation site one the maize that is on the other side of the location (the river is the other) has been cut down.  A result has seen significant increase in the amount of rodent activity around the lure.   In the past five days there have been 108 activations of animals including mice, rats and cats.   

Of note the animals have been seen interacting with the lure, with the lure currently placed on the box on top of the trap to expose it to the weather elements to test the efficiency of the water proofing of the unit.   We will shortly modify the set up by

placing the sound unit inside the box itself and altering the sound to include rats and mice (it is currently using the original sound profile which is possum, chicks and stoat). 

We are seeing extensive mouse activity which is provign to be problematic as mice have been able to remove the bait without triggering the trap itself.   Also of note as shown in the top photograph there is at least one rat in the vicinity of the trap that is too large to enter the trap.   Finally the other issue that needs to be addressed during the deployment of the site is the presence in the general area of domestic animals.   This includes a large dog and two domestic cats.   Both of

these cats have been seen interacting with the lure and in the lures vicinity. 

In previous deployments in other locations feral cats have been seen interacting with the lure.

On the night of Monday 11th May there was considerable interaction with the lure from the two domestic cats, with 40 out of 54 interactions being indentified as domestic cats (the first time in the five day period that they have been seen at the deployment site).   A question that needs to be answered is how the cat activity is having an affect on the amount of rodent activity - and this will probably only be answered once the unit can be

deployed at external locations.   

The New Zealand Government has recently announced a move from Alert Level Three to Alert Level Two for dealing with Coronavirus/Covid-19.   This will allow the opportunity for work and deployment on the sound lure at a variety of locations that are distinct and allow opportunities for further development of the sound profile and testing.   As has been mentioned several times on this blog there are several significant annoucements and media projects and examples related to this project shortly to be announced.

Reviewing Activations Ten Days In DS1

Last nights activation was caused by a significant large Norway Rat.  This rat was clearly shown on the camera, although it did not appear to enter the tunnel or activate the trap.

On reviewing the deployment two significant changes are being made.  Firstly the peanut butter which was on the trap is being replaced (after ten days).    This was replaced by fresh peanut butter, starting from this evenings deployment.

The second significant change being made is to the lure sound used.  We have had feedback from a number of organisations and individuals suggesting that we modify the sounds currently used on the lure.   We have generic sounds and instead will shift towards 'distressed animal' calls.   These are freely available as common source.

Sound Lure: Deployment Site One (Phase One/Two) - Kaupokonui River

November 2019 - a possum interacting with the lure

Location: Banks of Kaupokonui River, South Taranaki.
General Description of Area: This site is located next to a significant local South Taranaki River.   This is adjacent to an active and major Dairy Factory Land, with a maize in the area. 
Background/Details: The site had a tracking camera placed on it in October 2019 as a test site to monitor the level of pest activity in the area.   The site was originally baited with rabbit meat.  This produced a number of activations of rats, hedgehogs, domestic cats and dogs.   Following the creation of the deployable prototype of the sound lure it was first deployed at this site.   This site was regularly accessed

Following its use there was a considerable increase in the amount of pest activity that was evidenced.   In addition to having rats and cats interacting with the lure for the first time possums began appearing at the tree where the lure was located.   They were seen climbing the tree or interacting directly with the lure.   This location was problematic in some ways - as a shaded location with the phase one set up it required the lipo battery to receive a boost to ensure that it worked consistently.  This required its retrieval each night. 

Left:
Site shown at start of deployment with (left to right) a chew card on tree, chicken wire cage which held the initial rabbit meat, the sound lure was placed at the base of the tree or at the base of the tree and to the right.

There is a domestic cat in this photo inteacting wtih the sound lure.   This cat was a regular visitor to the site. 

The images that are shown left represent some of the interactions that occurred on the tree with the sound lure in November and the start of December 2019.   This large rat appeared on the first night of sound lure deployment.  It repeatedly came back to the tree and interacted with the lure.

This possum was the first to interact with the tree, in the prior month, when the rabbit meat had been the only bait there was no evidence (photographic) of possum activity on this tree. 

Following the sound lure deployment it became a regular incident and the possum was repeatedly interacting with the tree.   This possum spent twenty minutes interacting with this tree.

This possum, which is not the same as the photograph series from above shows a brush tailed possum interacting not with a tree but with the sound lure itself.   This possum attempted to open the box where the sound lure was.  All of the images in this sequence are from November 2019.