Rat numbers in New Plymouth are the lowest they have been since Towards Predator-Free Taranaki began monitoring in the city.
Towards Predator-Free Taranaki, a community project led by Taranaki Regional Council, began in 2018 with the goal of removing rats, possums and mustelids (stoats, weasels and ferrets) from across the region.
Each year the team carries out rat monitoring in the same 10 locations across New Plymouth. At each site, 10 tracking cards covered in ink are placed in baited tunnels and left out for one night.
This year 11% of the cards had rat tracks on them, compared with 16% last year and 36% in 2018.
But that wasn’t the only good news. Insect footprints were present on 44% of the cards, up from 28% in 2018.
Towards Predator-Free Taranaki programme lead Nick Heslop says while this tracking represents a single snapshot in time, the seven-year trend shows the community’s efforts are making a difference.
“We’re delighted with this year’s result and want to say a massive well done and thanks to everyone who traps at home or volunteers in our public parks and walkways.
“More than one in five New Plymouth households have a trap in their backyard, in addition to hundreds on public land. There were almost 4,000 rats caught in New Plymouth in 2024 according to the trap.nz app, with the actual number likely to be much higher.
“Setting a rat trap in their backyard is a simple way anyone can do their bit for our environment and protect our precious native species. The feedback we get is that it is incredibly rewarding, especially when the birds return to their gardens.”
New Plymouth District Council is responsible for trapping in public spaces across the district and coordinates a keen group of volunteers.
“The NPDC staff and volunteers deserve a massive shout out for all their mahi as this would not be possible without their commitment and passion,” Mr Heslop says.
The hard work is paying off. Whio/blue duck, miromiro/tomtit, kākā, kārearea/New Zealand falcon and toutouwai/North Island robin have all been seen in or close to New Plymouth. Kiwi are thriving on the Kaitake Range, while oi/grey-faced petrels and other seabirds are established on our coastline.
The prevalence of insects this year was also great news as invertebrates are essential to the functioning of ecosystems, Mr Heslop says.
Rodents eat wētā, stick insects, spiders, cicadas and beetles. This also means less food for native birds.
Rat trapping tips (find more here)
- Make trapping part of your routine so you don’t forget to do it. Check and rebait your traps when you take the rubbish bins out or make it a Saturday morning job – whatever works for you.
- Switch it up. If you haven’t caught anything in a while, change the location of the trap or try new bait.
- The rule of thirds. Put bait in the trap, at the entrance to the trap tunnel and outside the tunnel to lure them in.
- Highways, not byways. Place traps where rats are likely to travel – fence lines, tracks, tree rows etc. They also love compost bins!
- Record your catches on trap.nz so we can see what’s happening and where there are gaps.