The Greenalyte Water Vole trap comprises of a trap with a separate nesting area to provide ample room for bedding and food. Baiting the trap and removing the catch is made easy by hinging the nest box at the bottom, allowing it to swing clear of the trap.
The trap part is a lightweight zinc-coated mesh with a simple to set treadle mechanism and drop down door. The nesting box is manufactured from 12mm FSC Certified external hardwood ply. There is a half door-front which provides further protection from the elements.
This unique product was developed in response to concerns about using the Sherman Trap for water vole capture. Whilst the Sherman will successfully trap water voles, it has very little scope for bedding or protection from the elements and deaths can occur.
Total length (box incl.) : 650mm
Total width (box incl.) : 185mm
Weight : 2.5kg
Information About Water Voles in the UK
The Water Vole can be found in many slow moving waterways throughout the UK and are the largest species of British vole. They live in networks of tunnels along the rivers bank with the entrance often below the water level, as this helps to defend from weasels and stoats which are their natural predators.
Diet
Predominantly vegetarian, the water vole is known to graze on well over 200 species of plants, that being said they will eat a range of insects and fresh water molluscs and even fish.
Appearance
They are typically dark brown with a relatively round body and short tail, they are often mistaken for rats when swimming because both are excellent swimmers.
Habitat & Breeding
A female can produce four litters of up to 9 young each year and typically have a territory of around 70m of river bank, whereas the males have a range of several times this and therefore have access to several females within their own range. The young are weaned at 4 weeks old when they leave the nest to find a territory of their own.
Threats to Populations
Like many of our native species, Water Vole populations have been in decline for several decades and without intervention and a concerted conservation effort could become extinct. There are a number of possible causes, those listed below are the most likely contributors:
- Poisoning accidentally while rat populations are being targeted
- Pollution inhibiting the natural reproduction cycle and decimating native species of plants on which the voles feed.
- North American Mink are an introduced species which are aggressive predators and small enough to fit into the burrows made by the voles and are capable of wiping out entire colonies.
- Loss of Natural Habitat either from grazing animals which trample the banks destroying their food and burrows, or clearance of vegetation and mowing.
- Drought, with our increasingly erratic weather patterns many watercourses run dry, the River Kennett close to its source at Avebury has been dry for over 18 months!
Protection
The Water Voles homes are protected under schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, in short this means a developer must survey for Water Voles before any work begins and ideally retain the existing habitat, or must create an alternate suitable habitat if found.
For professional advice on the survey of Water Voles see the IEEM leaflet here
We now offer FREE UK SHIPPING for online orders over £75 to the UK mainland (under 20kg), including service & repair items. For information on qualifying requirements for free shipping, please see our delivery page.
We aim for next working day delivery on all UK mainland orders received before 2.30pm. Where products need to be made to order or are not a regular stock item, or during busy times of year, despatch times may be longer.
If your order is urgent please call us on 01451 833 181. There is usually an additional charge for timed delivery.
We will always use a reputable courier company and require a signature on delivery. Smaller items are usually shipped using Royal Mail or DPD, and larger items are sent using TNT or Tuffnells. Palletised deliveries are with Pallex.
We will email you shipping confirmation after your order has been despatched. Where available, you will also receive tracking notification by email or text. If you need to track your parcel urgently then please contact us.
We can deliver to anywhere in the world, but you may need to contact us for a quote.
If your order doesn’t qualify for free shipping then UK mainland delivery starts at £7.92 ex VAT, while Highlands and Islands delivery starts at £12.50. You can calculate shipping costs using the basket.
For full delivery information please click here.
Important Information About Backorders
At Wildcare there are times when items are only available on a backorder basis, either due to high demand or if the item is a special order item. We refer to these as ‘backorder items.
Backorder items are clearly listed on our website as ‘Order To Reserve Stock (Backorder)’. Items that are in stock and ready to be shipped immediately are listed as ‘In Stock’.
When you place an order for a back order item or an order that includes back order items, a member of our team will be in contact within 48 hours of your order to confirm the lead time for delivery. For any queries before then, please call us on: 01451 833 181
Avoiding Disappointment
We cannot guarantee that a backordered item will come back into stock or be delivered for a specific date, however we will always do our best to keep you informed and updated.
If your back order is urgent or required within a specific time frame we suggest to call us on 01451 833 181 so we can keep your requirements in mind throughout the waiting period.
Returns
If you receive damaged items or the wrong goods, please let us know straight away so that we can arrange for them to be returned to us and replaced as quickly as possible.
You will need to obtain a Returns Number - please call us on 01451 833 181 or email [email protected]
Please return goods, WITH THE RETURNS NUMBER MARKED ON THE PARCEL to: Wildcare, Eastgate House, Moreton Road, Longborough, GL56 0QJ
We may ask for a photograph any damaged items before we agree to replace them.
