In New Zealand, human pest control products maker Goodnature is working to develop biodegradable rat traps that can be dropped by drone or helicopter.
Slightly bigger than a Keurig coffee capsule, the traps will break down in the environment within a few months, whether it caught a rat or not. The current iteration of the trap uses a biodegradable band to snap the neck of a rat that pokes its nose in to get bait. Materials being tested for the trap itself include lignin and bird feathers.
Goodnature co-founder Robbie van Dam told Stuff.nz the idea for an air-delivered pest control product came to him while working pest eradication in Hawaii, in an area where unexploded mines prevented humans from accessing the area.
The New Zealand government has promised Goodnature $1.3 million over the next five years to help fund development. “The aerial micro-trap is a new concept that is non-toxic and humane, and potentially cost-effective for suppressing rats over large areas and in remote and difficult to access locations,” says Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan. The use of existing trap designs is limited in in backcountry or large areas because of cost and servicing needs, he adds.