Bay of Plenty winner when it comes to pest control, new data shows

The Bay is topping the charts when it comes to pest control, new data says. Photo / Supplied

The Bay of Plenty accounts for more than 10 per cent of digitally trapped pests despite only having a fraction of the traps registered nationwide, a new study shows.

Bluetooth-enabled Chirp digital pest traps have recorded more than 2800 pests trapped since the launch regionwide in late 2018.

The pests were trapped over a range of community projects, council land, and private properties.

The data coming from the Bay of Plenty is showing an exceptional result from the traps, Goodnature co-founder Robbie van Dam said, with the numbers accounting for more than 10 per cent of the 25,000-plus recorded pests trapped nationally. Yet only three per cent of the registered traps are here.

The traps record the time, date, location, and temperature when it is triggered and sends this data to the trapper's smartphone via an app. This data is then added to a national map to show where traps would be best deployed next.

"The Bay of Plenty is home to so many native taonga that need to be protected," he said.

"Trapping plays a significant role in this important work in the region."

He said the Chirp data also provided a great opportunity to review data to inform conservation efforts on a broader scale.

"There comes an opportunity to utilise this valuable data, helping form a more comprehensive understanding of pest control efforts in New Zealand," he said.

"These initial successes [of the traps] are the first of many more to come," van Dam said.

"We hope that new technological advances will drive our predator-free success going forward and make trapping accessible for everyone."

Rotorua Canopy Tours general manager Paul Button said that there was a huge need for trapping locally in the Bay of Plenty.

Button said the region is known for its lakes, forests and beaches "where native species can thrive."

"We must actively provide our native species a helping hand and trapping is one such way to actually get out and do that."