Mustelids and possums
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@Snowy when we moved into our current place, planted swan plants for monarchs, first 2 years, plants couldn't keep up with caterpillars, now we have bigger single plants and hardly any caterpillars.
I thought the monarch caterpillar was poisonous....but wasps are cnuts so maybe they are suicide wasps. I have had a couple of battles with decent sized wasp nests at my old place
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@gollum Yeah we grew them at school as well to learn the life cycle. More interesting than watching a bloody mosquito's metamorphosis.
@taniwharugby They are poisonous as they absorb some of the toxin from the swan plant but (as in Gollum's article above) only to some species. Unfortunately the paper wasp must be immune (and yes wasps are cnuts).
Have learnt quite a lot about monarchs lately as I'm not allowed to pull swan plant out of the garden at certain times if it will hurt the butterflies / caterpillars.
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@Snowy I won my battles with the wasp nests, but they got in a few good shots, and by fuck it felt felt like I'd been hit round the ankle by the cane when 3 stung me at the same time.
1 nest was in the ground, about 40cm deep, 30 wide and 20 high...stuffed a coke bottle half full of petrol in and left it...more effective than burning it but much less fun.
I dunno how we had never been stung or noticed it as it was a part we walked past pretty much daily.
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Looks like grass carp, which may have benn the source of my confusion re koi, are a bit of a success as they don't breed particularly well in NZ and can be contained with the right fish passage measures: http://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/apply-for-permits/interacting-with-freshwater-species/options-for-weed-control/grass-carp/
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@taniwharugby The stings certainly bloody hurt. I copped one a few days ago and wife had to get an ambulance a year or so ago with anaphylatic shock after a few stings.
A neighbour used your nest eradication method but did set it on fire - along with about half an acre of hillside. Quite spectacular, but he doesn't have anymore wasps.
@booboo So it seems there has been one bio control introduction due to them being very fussy about reproduction. QI about what they will eat depending on temperature as well.
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@nzzp Thanks.Hopefully they are all that they are made out to be and your Dad just lives in a pristine environment.
When I set one up around here I expect to have a huge pile of rat and stoat corpses under it within a few minutes. I will probably have to sit next to it so that I can take them all away in wheel barrow.
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@taniwharugby said in Mustelids and possums:
I hate wasps. More wasps would be horrible.
Wouldn't it be better for the govt. to set aside funds, to be paid back to people who bring in this weed? By weight. Extra pocket money for kids. They have to cut it off at the bottom and spray a weedkiller on that, take a photo of each one.
Something like that? -
@Snowy How did you get on with your trapping programme?
I've got at least a couple of bait shy rats living in the ceiling and need to find a new way of taking them out. Saw those Good Nature traps in Farmlands a couple of days ago and was reminded of this thread.
Do they work?
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@Chris-B he ain't trapping animals these days 😁
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@Chris-B Funny that you should bump this. I have only just installed the possum trap on a different property a week ago and I know the bugger is down there but I haven't got it yet.
I have a Good Nature rat / stout one as well but they recommend that you put out these little tester things for them to nibble on for a few days to find the best spot. Not sure that I need to (given that something is getting into the hens eggs and both the rat and I know where the eggs are). However I'll do as I'm told for once and try to get it right.
Will give you an update in a few days. I do have an alternative for the possum - very well balanced weapon it is too.
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@Paekakboyz said in Mustelids and possums:
@Chris-B he ain't trapping animals these days 😁
Yeah I am, just different types - remember they all deserve it.
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@Snowy I love that you wear the skin of your online persona so graciously. Ah, has anyone seen @MN5 or @Rancid-Schnitzel lately?
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@Chris-B said in Mustelids and possums:
@Snowy How did you get on with your trapping programme?
I've got at least a couple of bait shy rats living in the ceiling and need to find a new way of taking them out. Saw those Good Nature traps in Farmlands a couple of days ago and was reminded of this thread.
Do they work?Just remembered that I was going to get back about this. I have both the possum and rat killers set up and haven't got anything. Whether I have them in the optimal place I don't know. With the rat one they give you cardboard baits that the rats chew so that you can find the best location, but it hasn't been effective. The cat on the other hand is doing a great job - gets a couple of rats a week.
As for the possums, neighbour has an air rifle and I'm going to try more traditional traps and just shoot them if I get any. Will try some spotlighting as well. I know where they are as they are territorial and they leave trails in the long grass. Quite handy as if you do kill one another will take over the territory and you can just keep getting them in the same spot.
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@Snowy A neighbour tells me a wild cat has raised a nest of kittens in her hedge and the rats in the ceiling have disappeared. Might just be they've moved to their summer quarters, but something good might have come from the wild cat.
My cat is too old and useless to catch rats - she mainly operates a catch and release programme with mice - once she's brought them inside.
Disappointing to hear those traps/baits aren't particularly effective.
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@Snowy I have a couple of good size pythons living around my place I can send you if you want
Also a big goanna getting fat off the eggs from the neighbors chickens.
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@mariner4life said in Mustelids and possums:
@Snowy I have a couple of good size pythons living around my place I can send you if you want
Also a big goanna getting fat off the eggs from the neighbors chickens.
Straya!
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@mariner4life said in Mustelids and possums:
@Snowy I have a couple of good size pythons living around my place I can send you if you want
Thanks, but I'm good for now (all snakes are on my animal shit list). My sister had a huge python at her place in Sydney, called Monty (of course). I hated the thing and wanted to make shoes out of it.
Thisss one of yours being "shipped"?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/118431038/snakes-on-a-plane-python-found-on-queenstowns-runwy-after-stowing-away-on-jetAlso the reason for getting rid of the rats is that they are getting the chicken eggs - so a goanna probably won't help by the sounds of it.
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@Chris-B I'm going to check the operation of my A12 possum trap because they must be better than my one seems to be.
I bought a standard cage trap yesterday, set it last night, possum in it this morning. Now I look like Davey Crocket (actually I hated shooting the thing and didn't make a hat, so have been reading up on how evil they are for NZ).The A24 rat trap hasn't been any better really so will set a cage out tonight. Did you buy a trap?
