Pest and wasp control operations

Wasp Control Nelson Lakes Area Jan/Feb 2021

The Department of Conservation is intending to carry out wasp control for biodiversity restoration and staff/visitor safety purposes in late January and February 2021.

Read the full factsheet with maps here. (pdf 3.5 MB)  

As in the many previous wasp control operations in the Nelson Lakes area, the toxic bait Vespex (active ingredient Fipronil 0.1%) will be used.  Fipronil is a highly effective insecticide that is not toxic to birds or mammals, and the bait has a protein base so it is not attractive to bees. Poison bait is also dyed green to discourage bait take by non-target species.

Around 20gms of bait will be placed in bait stations within the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project (RNRP) Mainland Island and St Arnaud township, as well as at key recreation sites to protect the public and DOC staff from wasp stings and the resulting risk of allergic reactions.

These sites are: Travers Sabine track, Lakehead hut, Coldwater hut, Sabine hut, D’Urville hut, Kawatiri Junction, Rotoroa campsite, Hope Saddle viewpoint, Maruia Falls viewpoint and the Skyline track (~1km) west of Murchison.

All remaining bait the wasps haven’t taken will be removed from these stations after three to seven days and disposed off through the appropriate facility. 

Pest Control Tennyson Inlet Winter 2021

Tiakina Ngā Manu is a national programme by the Department of Conservation (DOC) to protect taonga native species and forests through predator control.  

The Tiakina Ngā Manu programme contributes to the Predator Free 2050 vision through the sustained control of predators over large areas of conservation land until they can be removed permanently.  DOC plans to undertake a pest control operation within Tennyson Inlet (see the link to the fact sheet below) during the winter of 2021 to protect the at-risk populations of taonga native species that are found there.  

This includes pikirangi / red mistletoe (Peraxilla tetrapetala), threat status - declining; a hebe (Veronica rigidula), threat status nationally critical; giant land snails (Powelliphanta sp.), threat status – gradual decline; and formerly common bird species such astītitipounamu / rifleman and toutouwai / bush robin.  The Tennyson Inlet operation also aims to protect the health of tawa, podocarp and coastal broadleaf forests within the project area from the impact of possums.  

Vector Free Marlborough Limited (VFML) has been engaged to deliver the 2021 Tennyson Inlet operation on DOC’s behalf.

Read the Fact Sheet about the planned operation here.  (pdf 776 KB)

Pest control in the Lake Rotoiti area September 2019

The Department of Conservation is intending to carry out rat control over approximately 1128 ha in Nelson Lakes National Park from 1 September to 13 December 2019.

The rat poison, Pindone, a pellet bait incorporating a first-generation anticoagulant (active ingredient Pindone 0.5g/kg) will be used. Bait will be presented within bait stations.

The area that will be treated is bounded by the head of Lake Rotoiti, a few properties on the east of St Arnaud, farmland to the north and National Park to the east and south as per the attached map.

Any remaining bait will be removed from these stations by 13 December and arrangements made to dispose of it through the appropriate facility.

Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project Rodent Control 2019 (pdf, 201 KB)

Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project Rat Control Factsheet 2019 - DOC (pdf, 837 KB)

 

Pest control Kahurangi National Park - update December 2020

You can read the summary results of this pest control project here.  (pdf 221 KB)

Operations began 18 September

Serial application of non-toxic prefeed bait to the Heaphy - Gunner portion of the Kahurangi project area will begin  from daylight on 18 September.

The application of non-toxic prefeed bait is expected to take two days to complete subject to weather. All walking tracks including the Heaphy Track Great Walk are open for public use, but the public are advised to exercise care when aircraft pass overhead as non-toxic prefeed bait may be aerially sown without warning.  Do not look up when aircraft are passing overhead.
 
People intending to visit facilities in the Oparara Basin via the McCallums Mill Road access are advised that temporary traffic management will be in place from the junction with Karamea – Kohaihai Road and short delays can be expected.
 
The Kahurangi operation is being carried out on behalf of the Department of Conservation as part of its Tiakina Ngā Manu programme to control a range of introduced predators threatening vulnerable native species

The Kahurangi operation, due to its large size, was originally divided into four operational blocks. One of these blocks, the Cobb block, was completed on 25- 26 June (see attached map).
 
Post-operational monitoring showed more rats had survived than expected. The high abundance of available alternative food due to the most significant masting event in over 40 years is likely to have led to much smaller home ranges for rodents. As a result, DOC has revised the bait application specifications to achieve a more complete bait coverage to reach all rodents given their elevated numbers and smaller home ranges.
 
The operational blocks for Kahurangi have also been redesigned to prioritise areas for predator control given constraints such as aircraft capacity and suitable periods of weather to carry out bait application.
 
The next priority areas for predator control using aerially applied 1080 are western parts of Kahurangi around Oparara and the Heaphy River lowland, and in the Wangapeka / Mt Owen area. This is aimed at protecting at-risk populations of native species such as tuke / rock wren, long-tailed bats and Powelliphanta snails and to protect the Oparara and Wangapeka-Fyfe Whio Security Sites that have been operating since the early 2000s.
 
DOC will evaluate the results from all operations and adjust bait application as necessary. Predator control in other areas of Kahurangi, as originally planned and shown in the map as “Kahurangi Treatment Area”, may still be carried out later. Updates will be provided to interested parties if any significant changes occur.

More information

Visit the Vector Free Marlborough Limited website: http://www.vectorfree.co.nz(external link)