Forest Trial's Underway

We are pleased to announce that our first 'real world' forestry trial is under-way, closely followed by our second!

We have deployed iPEST units into a commercial forest to trial the use of the iPEST System in the aid of grey squirrel trapping. Grey squirrels can (if left uncontrolled) cause significant amounts of damage to woodlands (link) and of course pose a threat to our native red squirrels.

Distribution of Red's in 1998

With questions still surrounding the continued availability of Warfarin (link) and the fact that Warfarin use is only permitted between 15th March & 15th August, targeted trapping provides a good alternative which can be used all year round and (if live trapping) in environments known to contain reds.

The problem with trapping is that it is a requirement to check the trap every day. That's fine if only using 1 or 2, but prohibitive when looking at anywhere over 20 traps across many hectors of forest.

So the iPEST solution may provide an ideal solution to this problem. We have now two trials running.

1) In a commercial forest setting in which no mobile phone signal exists (call, text or data). However that doesn't appear to stop our iPEST units from functioning!

2) And we are working alongside the Glens Red Squirrel group in Northern Ireland, who are interested in using the units to assist in their work protecting the Red Squirrel populations in the Glens of Antrim.

iPEST Unit in Situ

We are a couple of weeks into each trial and things appear to be going well, and although there is so much food around at the moment the Squirrels don't appear interested in the traps - at least with the iPEST unit in place, valuable time hasn't been spent checking them.

     

Low signal environments...

We know pest control doesn't always occur in nice offices - more usually it is in the dark, dank corners of the world!

A huge challenge for the iPEST team has been ensuring that our units work when there is only the smallest hint of network signal available...while at the same time running off standard AAA batteries (for easy replacement in the field).

So how do we test such capability in the middle of Bristol - simple, we use what is effectively a bomb shelter!

An old railway arch which used to support Brunel's Engine Shed 

(Notice the door on the left)

Through the door we go... 

Notice the thickness of the walls... 

To the very back of the room... 

And we find our functioning iPEST unit!

Network signal strength is measured on a scale of 0 - 31 (with 31 being best). In this location we have recorded signal strengths as low as 1 (with an average of 6), transmitted to our servers by the iPEST unit.

So it has been a good few months since I last blogged! But we've been head down creating our iPEST unit and web solution and today we can show you some of the results.

We've attached the unit to both an SX Trap-E unit and a live catch rabbit trap to demonstrate the unit, but it can be attached to any trap or device with a mechanical action!