What are Chew Cards?
I bought some chew cards from Connovation. Chew cards are small pieces of cor-flute filled with an attractant. We purchased ones filled with peanut butter.
Animals are attracted to the cards. When they try and get the attractant they leave tell tale marks behind.
This helps determine two things:-
- What predators you have
- And where they are
This answers two questions what type of traps do I need and where do I put them. The attractant in the Chew Cards may be more attractive to certain predators. So choose the attractant that will appeal to predators you will likely have.
I placed five chew card and here is the results.
Card One
Light possum bytes, on track near waterway.
Card Two
Near creek – Heavy rat chewing. Placed Rat Tunnel (Which has caught its first Rat)
Cards Three to five
Nothing
Here are the pictures
Possum Damage to Chew Card 
Rat Damage to Chew Card
How to read the chew cards
Here are some great documents that you can use to determine what chewing your cards.
- CHEWCARDS: A guide to the interpretation of animal tooth impressions
- More information: Chewcards for detecting animal pests
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.
