Boost your Trapping Success by pre-feeding with enviroMate 100

What is the enviroMate 100™?

The enviroMate 100™ is an automated bait station made by ecoland and invented by Shane Hyde (a Kiwi) from Kaeo . The product has its own website HERE.

You can use it with Lure/Bait or poisons. Due to the risk to non Target pests I use traps on our property.

Disclaimer: I don’t work from Ecoland or sponsored by the them. I bought a unit to see if it can improve my success rate with trapping possums. This test was done on a lifestyle block in the Waitakere Ranges. Which is West of Auckland in a Bush Block.

Here is a Short Introduction video:

The Test – Pre-feeding for Conventional Traps

Shane recommend doing pre-feeding for fourteen days before trapping an area. The unit has seven slots, so I set to change every two days at 6pm (Sunset).

The slots section is are circular and at each interval the unit automatically rotates around.

Here is a photo of a fourteen day cycle (Notice the Possum have eaten all Lure)

The unit was placed on Saturday 26 and that night changed to Slot 2. It was set to change at 6PM every second day, (sunset at the moment).

Here are the expected Slot changes on the unit:

• Saturday 26 to Slot 2
• Monday 28 to Slot 3
• Wednesday 30 to Slot 4
• Friday 2 to Slot 5
• Sunday 4 to Slot 6
• Tuesday 6 to Slot 7
• Thursday 8 to Slot 1

So the weekend of Sat 10th should be the best time to trap the area, as the last feed will be on Thursday Night. I will place traps on Friday 9. The idea being that the feeder will be empty. But the visiting possums will be looking for a free feed.

Day 14 – all slots had been eaten, so I turned off the rotation (Just to save the 9V battery), but I understand it lasts around 12 months anyway.

I placed Five Leg hold traps in sight of the feeder, the bait used was Flour, Icing Sugar with Cinnamon. Sprayed with Aniseed oil (for smell).

The Results

Well 100% Success, all traps were set off and Flour Blaze eaten.

Unfortunately 3 of the traps didn’t hold the possums, I know it was possums as some of them had some fur in them.

This is no reflection on the Enviromate unit, but on my cheaper Leg hold Traps.

I reset the traps and the next day, no possums were detected in Traps.

So the possums that escaped the traps, either were the ones caught or are now trap shy in the area?

I’m going to repeat the exercise but next time, do a seven day cycle. Setting the unit to change each day.

Next Steps

If none of the bait is eaten by possums after a further seven days, we will move the unit to a different area.

Conclusions

• The unit works well in drawing in possums from the surrounding area.
• Invest in decent Leg holds traps. The cheaper import models (Chinese made) don’t hold the possums (Better brands available in New Zealand are Bush Master, Victor or Duke). The better ones are $10 more expensive, but you only need to keep two possums in the traps to make your money back.
• Shane is very helpful and wants you to succeed, he has been very helpful with instructions and help setting up the unit. The unit is easy to program, if you can set the time on your alarm clock you should be fine.
• Shane is also willing to talk or train groups. We hope to get him to Auckland in the future to discuss with our group or the wider Predator free movement in the Waitakere Ranges.

Other uses

You can also use the unit for Rats and Wasp (Not tested by me).

Video – Possum checking out the unit

Here is a short video a possum feeding from the unit.

Gary

Gary is a keen trapper, who has been reducing pests on his lifestyle block in Waitakere for decades.  He loves keeping bees and tries to play guitar.