Photo credit: Top left and bottom, Ngā Manu
Photo credit: Top left and bottom, Ngā Manu

Ngā kīrehe orotā me ōna tikanga whakahaere

Pest animals and management

Managing pest animals is essential if we are to preserve the native fauna and flora of Aotearoa / New Zealand.

Photo credit: Top left and bottom, Ngā Manu

The introduction of predating and browsing animals has led to many extinctions and continues to threaten our remaining fauna and flora. Introduced animals also compete with native species for territory, reducing their available habitat.

We need to control introduced animals to preserve our native birds, bats, lizards, frogs, insects, freshwater fish and plants.

New to conservation? See our Guide to controlling pest animals.

Start with these resources

Animal Pests A-Z

A quick guide to some of the animal pests present in New Zealand and why they are such a threat to New Zealand's biodiversity.

Pest animals in New Zealand

Find out about pest animals in New Zealand on iNaturalist.

Backyard trapping

How to trap and monitor predators in your own backyard.

Pest Animal control guidelines for the Auckland region

Best practice animal control techniques for the Auckland region

PDF download 8 MB

Find out more

National Pest Control Agencies publications

A range of publications with up-to-date, practical information on the control of vertebrate pests.

A practical guide to trapping

A practical guide to trapping, suitable for beginners to experienced trappers.

Find-A-Pest app

An app that helps you identify and report potential pests.

Freshwater pest species of New Zealand

Information on pest freshwater fish, invertebrates and plants in Aotearoa / New Zealand.

Predator free NZ resources

Guides on how to safety trap predators, including information on where to buy equipment.

Pest control hub

Search the pest database to find pest control methods.

Predator control report

An independent and thorough investigation into the use of 1080.

Pest Animal Standard Operating Procedure template

Internal document about departmental best practice.

PDF download 1.42 MB

Wasp control using Vespex

Learn how to become an approved user in running a wasp control programme with Vespex.

Review of exclusion fencing

A DOC report on cost effectiveness of the predator/browser fencing for pest animal management.

PDF download 121 KB

Low height predator fencing (Zero Invasive Predators)

Technical report on effectiveness of a more affordable low height predator fence.

Sitting on the fence: Are predator-proof fences a solution to New Zealand's biodiversity challenges

An article by Lincoln Ecology that weighs up the pros and cons of the predator-proof fence.

trap.nz

Record trap, bait, monitoring and biodiversity outcome data. This free app allows you to capture, record and understand your pest control progress and monitoring data.

CatchIT

Store and organise your data from trap-lines, bait-lines and tracking tunnels. Suitable for community groups and pest control projects.

Pest Detective

An online tool to help you identify the presence of pest animals.

Ecotrack

Ecological collaboration and tracking. Engage and record community information and interactions. This software when configured allows you to organise your operation into neighbourhoods and collect a range conservation management data.

NZ Tracker

Identify footprints left by shorebirds and their common predators using an online reference guide.

Animal pest inventory and monitoring

A module describing methods for inventory and monitoring animal pests.

Recording and monitoring options

A collection of simple forms and an online data recording tool.

Apps and web software for online data collection

What tools are available, feature comparisons and what groups are using.

How to control pest animals

Information on control methods for pest animals.

Auckland community ecological monitoring guide

Select the best methods for managing, restoring or studying the diverse ecosystems found in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland.

Predator control data standards

This predator control data standard offers a common data format to facilitate data management, data sharing, and data aggregation.

PDF download 5.4 MB

Place and prepare your traps

Tips and tricks for placing and preparing traps to improve outcomes

Using baits and lures

Some tried and tested baits and lures for predator control from Predator Free NZ

Looking after your traps

It’s really important to maintain your traps so they keep getting results. See these quick tips for community groups and ‘expert’ trappers.

Traps, baits and lures advanced tips and tricks

Discover new ways to take your trapping skills to the next level. Get hands-on advice about trapping in the bush, your backyard and beyond.

Predator control on lifestyle blocks

Introduced predators (rats, mice, possums, feral cats, hedgehogs, stoats, ferrets and weasels) create havoc on lifestyle blocks. The good news is that effective predator control is really achievable on smaller land holdings.

May 2023

Pest Animals of Auckland

Auckland parks poster of some of the pest animals found in Tāmaki Makaurau.

PDF download 2.2 MB

Fight for the wild

Documentary film & podcast series exploring the notion of a Predator Free 2050 in Aotearoa. Made possible by the RNZ and the NZOA Innovation Fund.

Watch online here