Possum Sound Lure: Final Prototype

 

Today we've finally completed the coding and design of the Possum version of our sound lure.   This is going to target brush tailed possums locally in Taranaki.   

We are very fortunate to have the support of Venture Taranaki and the Curious Minds Project as part of this process who have been invaluable in assisting with funding to ensure this project goes ahead.

While the desgin of the unit is familiar to regular visitors to this blog there are some key differences between this unit and early versions, or the version that we are currently using to target Stoats and other pests.

Firstly we have significantly altered the code with regards to this version - this version of the unit remains silent during daylight hours (while it is charging) and will only start to activate at night, once the solar panel detects that the light level is 'night'.   This is of course because Possums are a nocturnal animal.   

Secondly the sound profile that is being played is exclusively possum related, rather than the generic version that we have been using to this point which has had a range of noises.   While it has shown clearly that possums appear to be attracted towards a range of noise we want to specifically see if there are sounds which are going to encourage possums more than others.   Our first batch of sounds are a range of possum noises that have been either supplied to us or available online that we've been able to adapt.   

Finally we have made our first technical change in nearly a year of our initial set ups.  We have significantly upgraded the solar panel that we are using with the unit.   Our first deploymenets involved using several different units, the main unit that we used was a Solar Panel that was 5v and 1.2w.   We were also running other versions of the lure with slightly larger units to see if we could get the balance right between charging the unit successfully and producing a cost effective way to do so.    While we felt the units were charging successfully we also were monitoring the unit in semi-shade conditions and the solar panles ability to be robust when faced with windy conditions.    We have made attempts to design ways to ensure the panel is attatched to the unit or produce seperate housing for it.   It should also be noted that the original panels that are still in use have been deployed outside for a full calendar year and are still working as expected with minimum protection for them.

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.

Kea Kids News: Stoat Project Focus

The students from Auroa Primary School have been interviewed several times about the project that they have been working on targetting Stoats.

This project has been ongoing since 2019 and is working in conjunction with our 2020 Curious Minds Possum Sound Lure Project.

The students have already had a video made about the project that was featured in media that was created by Project Mounga.    Following this we had a film crew from the Stuff.co.nz and Kea Kids News visit our school and film an article about the students.    The article can be linked here.

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. 

Curious Minds Possum Project: Week Two Preparation

 

This week we completed a second trial week based around the upcoming Curious Minds Possum Project.   This involved determining the best settings for the trail cameras, to ensure the balance between recording data at a manageable level and recording what is happening.  We have been experimenting with a ten second delay and thirty second delay.   While we are not tracking Stoats for this particular project it should be noted that we would be looking at a one second delay which would be required based on the speed of the animal.    This would also mean as a consequence we would have a significant number of images each day as the wind or branches/trees moving would activate the camera.

In the first two weeks at the location where there is not a sound lure there has been significant possum activity including a possum that has twice removed the bait (a lemon and pear) from inside the trap without activating the trap.     This appears to be at a significant possum traffic site.

At the site where the sound lure is located there has been significant rat activity including three rats that have been trapped at the location in a rat box (that housed the sound lure).   This has been in contrast to the other side of the river (deployment site one) where there has been rat activity but not trapping for a considerable time.

While there are less images from this location at present we have been experimenting with the activation time and also the bait situation.   We will eventually ensure that both set ups are identical including every aspect of the deployment to ensure that we are conducting fair testing to measure the sound lures effectiveness.

Curious Minds Possum Project: Final Test Deployment

Over the past week we have had test units, with cameras and Timms possum traps placed on a local rural location.   We have been monitoring the images taken from the camera and are processing the images as part of our project.   There are two distinct sites: one with a sound lure and a Timms possum trap working in conjunction with each other and site two, which is over 100m away in another location with a Timms possums trap.   During the first week we have noticed the following:

This daytime photograph shows the site for deployment clearly shown with the trap next to the tree.   The Timms possum trap has been baited with pear.   A chew card was placed (nailed) onto the tree by this location, however it was removed as during strong winds this was creating acivations as a result of movement.

There were a number of possums that expressed interest in the trap during the week, including several who interacted with the trap, however none attempted to take the bait within the trap.

The camera has a delay of thirty seconds meaning an activation occurs if there is movement and the movement is consistent for thirty seconds.

Clearly there are a number of brush tailed possums operating in the area.  These were clearly shown numerous times on the camera, some spending time in the vicinty of the trap.

We are logging all the data (images) from the week to create a detailed level of data from the project.  A domestic cat was also seen on the images passing through the area. 

At the second location on this deployment site as shown the two traps are placed adjacent to each other.   We have the sound lure inside the rat tunnel box, this has reduced the level of sound emitting from the device significantly, however the purpose of this deployment is to test the camera and recording aspects of the project.    We also have the original sound profile that was developed which includes stoat, chick noises and two possum noises.

There were repeated interactions with rats during the week including one that was trapped in the trap.   There were interactions with rodents climbing over the trap and being seen in the area.    The rat tunnel trap was baited with peanut butter as an afterthought, it was again, an opportunity to check camera deployment and ensure that issues would not be present such a 'false' images created by high winds.

There was one significant interaction with a brush tailed possum, shown on the image on the left.   The possum did not stay in the area of the trap.   

In summary the week long deployment has provided significant images of high quality to ensure that we can monitor effectively what is happening at local sites where the lures are deployed.   Having a thirty second camera delay ensures that high winds do not produce a significant amount of false activations, where no animals are present.    We will now deploy at this site for a significant length of time monitoring what is occurring at the sites where the sound lures and non sound lure sites.    This will allow us to see and show clear evidence of what is happening and show proof of the effectiveness of the lures.   These will be set up to specificallly target possums, at present we are using a generic sound profile with a mix of animals.     Shortly we will move to a possum specific lure that will remain silent during the day and play possum specific calls and noises at night.   We will also look at placing the lure outside of the rat box as this will significantly increase the volume that will be produced (and thereby increase the sound profile of the lure).    

Kea Kids - Stuff News Article: Bailey

This video features one of the students involved in the project who was working on it in 2019.  As part of the process of the Sound Lure Project being filmed for a news show they also filmed a secondary article featuring Bailey involved in Stoat trapping.   The article is linked here.