Predator & Weed Control
Pest control
Weed control
Reports
Suppression of Introduced Pests
Aotea has a diverse and unique range of native plants and animals. Historic milling, mining and farming, along with the introduction of introduced predators, has meant species have been lost and populations of native species continue to decline.
Having evolved separately from the rest of the world for millions of years, our native animals did not learn to defend themselves against introduced predators. Across Aotearoa, these predators kill an estimated 25 million native birds each year. Some 4000 native species are threatened or at risk of extinction – one of the highest proportions in the world.
The Windy Hill Sanctuary has seen trapping and predator control programmes run for over 30 years. The reduction of pest numbers has seen the protection and recovery of some of Great Barrier’s most treasured flora and fauna. Current monitoring and control programmes focus on rats as well as pigs, cats, wasps and weeds.
Control of Introduced Plants
Pest plants are becoming increasing abundant across the island and can dominate and overtake native species – growing vigorously and displacing or smothering our own precious native vegetation.
Our field teams learn to recognise these weeds and control and eradicate them wherever possible.
Current weed control activities include:
- Monitoring honeysuckle on Rosalie Bay Farms.
- Removing wilding pines in Rosalie Bay
- Removing Plectranthus, Aristea and Mexican Devilweed.
- Spraying/treating with pellets or removing Pampas
- Removing Mexican Daisy when flowering.
- Removing Agapanthus and Watsonia
Related Reports
Total Catch Data | 1999 -2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rats/Mice | Cats | Pigs* | Goats | Magpies* | Wasps | |
| 1999 | 649 | 5 | 8 | 69 | ||
| 2000 | 735 | 16 | 113 | 14 | ||
| 2001 | 1665 | 19 | 3 | 61 | 7 | |
| 2002 | 3581 | 30 | 4 | 58 | ||
| 2003 | 3222 | 32 | 1 | |||
| 2004 | 3947 | 32 | Eradicated | |||
| 2005 | 3105 | 27 | 5 | |||
| 2006 | 6950 | 22 | ||||
| 2007 | 3359 | 8 | 3 | |||
| 2008 | 2777 | 11 | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2009 | 197 | 9 | 13 | |||
| 2010 | 524 | 10 | 8 | |||
| 2011 | 3144 | 10 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 2012 | 2859 | 33 | 8 | 4 | ||
| 2013 | 2649 | 21 | 7 | 13 | ||
| 2014 | 2525 | 18 | 7 | 37 | ||
| 2015 | 3127 | 12 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 2016 | 3795 | 20 | 6 | 15 | ||
| 2017 | 2543 | 12 | 14 | 2 | ||
| 2018 | 3012 | 18 | 12 | 12 | ||
| 2019 | 2476 | 12 | 22 | 41 | ||
| 2020 | 2239 | 13 | 19 | 10 | ||
| 2021 | 3095 | 19 | 36 | 21 | ||
| 2022 | 2208 | 25 | 55 | 6 | ||
| 64383 | 434 | 269 | 301 | 26 | 169 |
* where records kept
 | This map indicates the locations of rat tracking tunnels, used to indicate whether and in what numbers, rats are present in a particular area. |
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