ANIMAL PEST CONTROL
Wild animal pest control is a crucial part of New Zealand's conservation efforts. Through a combination of trapping, toxins, ground control, and surveillance/monitoring, Longridge aims to reduce the numbers of these invasive species, protect native wildlife, and restore ecosystems to their natural state. This multi-faceted approach is essential to preserving New Zealand’s biodiversity and ensuring that future generations can enjoy the unique flora and fauna that our country is known for.
DEER Deer can cause significant damage to a native or production forest. - Eat seedlings and saplings - Graze the understory - Rub bark off the trees with antlers
POSSUMS Possums are very damaging to young stands of trees, especially in the winter and spring when other sources of nutrition become hard to find. Possum damage can be economically significant if their population is allowed to build up over time, as the resulting stunted growth will see a significant decrease in production. From an ecological viewpoint, the destruction wrought by possums isn't limited to vegetation. They are voracious predators, and will eat both the eggs and chicks of native birds, as well as a multitude of important insect species. Possums are more commonly found in areas where pines have been planted near natives or scrub. - Bend and break branches in the upper crown (this is often the first sign of possum activity) - Graze the terminal shoots of pine seedlings, stripping the bark of young stems - Remove needles and cones, bend and break terminal shoots and lateral branches in the upper part of the tree
PIGS Pigs cause damage to the ground surface by pig rooting the soil (digging up soil with their noses), mainly in damper areas. - Rub on trees, thereby removing the bark and killing them - Coat the trees with mud and hair and mark the tree with tusk marks
HARES & RABBITS Hares and rabbits cause damage to freshly planted seedlings and are more abundant in areas close to farmland. Rabbits will dig around plants and eat leaves and stems. Hares will slice off the seedlings cleanly, damaging or killing them.
GOATS Goats usually leave clean-cut shoots and leaves as a feeding sign and can damage the stems, leaving ragged wood edges. - Graze the understory - Graze and consume substantial numbers of new seedlings - Consume bark and ringbark poles - Feed standing on their hind legs, with a reach of up to 2m - Climb trees
WALLABIES Wallabies will graze the understory and young seedlings, biting off some or all of the leaf. - Damage native species - Damage crops and young trees - Compete with other livestock - Capable of destroying a young forest
Control Methods
Trapping
Longridge can offer multiple different trapping systems specific to the job at hand.
Dog & Gun
Ground hunting uses trained dogs to target specific species. All dogs are bird safe.
Toxins
Our highly qualified Longridge team are all certified in the use of controlled substances in the field, and are adept at selecting the correct type of poison and application method for the targeted species. Various methods are available e.g. hand-laying poison, bait stations and traps.
Ground Hunting
Our highly experienced team can offer ground hunting in all types of terrain.
Shooting
Day/ night shooting and aerial shooting. All staff are industry trained and we use the latest in specialised thermal imaging gear. We also also offer spotlight shooting and aerial shooting.
Animal surveillance
Trail cameras are available.