The fourth bait check was completed on Monday 28th November. The fifth bait check was also completed over three days this week and the sixth check started. The maps of bait take for the fourth and fifth checks are given below.
During the fifth check bait was wired into some stations on the Eastern plateau and terraces due to cattle interference and the number of bait blocks in the in-bye fields reduced to five to reduce Hooded Crow interference.
Black lockable bait stations have now been put into Tarbert Park C, where the two cows had been kicking up the tube bait stations. The cows sniffed the new stations, which were hidden under rocks, and so far have not kicked them up.
A new "flying" bait station was invented this week to get bait onto inaccessible ledges. These are half the length of a normal bait station, with no hatch or lid, weighted with a small rolled up piece of sheet lead and attached to a very long length of string. Five bait blocks are wired in and then with exceptional skill and accuracy they can be dropped into dense vegetation on the inaccessible ledges and the string tied off to a stake. The stations can then be hauled back up to check for rat bait take. These inaccessible ledges will probably not have rats on them, but it is necessary to check. So far these bait stations have just been put out in Tialasgor, the area east of the Natural Arch, but we will hopefully get more out this week in other areas.
The two trap sets put in the main shed amongst the pallets of stock feed have so far caught 0 rats. The loose feed on the floor was cleaned up and bags with holes have been taped up. There has been no sign that rats are still in this area all week. The last old chicken shed, on Sanday, was dismantled and burned.
The candles and soap for the monitoring stations arrived this week. They will be cut and drilled over the next couple of weeks. The weather has been good this week with no work days lost.
Bob Swann (NTS) arrived on Tuesday 29th November and departed on Saturday 3rd December. Joanne Stonor (WMIL) and Suzi Hogg (NTS volunteer) departed on Thursday 1st December.
Dave Boyle and Paul Garner-Richards WMIL. Sunday 4th December 2005
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