Aluminium Crayfish Refuge Trap

About this product

Based on work undertaken at Sparsholt College, Hampshire; the Hutchings refuge trap can be used in areas where water voles and otters are present. A very simple structure with no bait, the trap can be left in place for some time. It works on the preference of crayfish for tunnels and, with the variety of tunnel sizes offered, a variety of sizes are captured. This trap will give a reliable indication of the population structure. This trap is manufactured in the UK from aluminium to ensure that it is lightweight and corrosion resistant. The trap can be held in place with the four supplied pegs or weighed down with stones.

Refuge traps should be placed within shaded areas of suitable habitat at the edge of the stream or water body and angled as close to horizontal as possible and perpendicular to the flow of water so that the crayfish don’t get washed out or become trapped by the flow of water. If the traps are being used to survey for the native white-clawed crayfish then the traps should be used between the beginning of July and the end of September, if surveying for non-native crayfish then they can be deployed between April and October. Traps should be washed with disinfectant between uses in different watercourses.

Please note:
Our native crayfish species are legally protected in Britain. Environment Agency consent is required for trapping any species of crayfish in the UK and a further licence is required from Natural England or the Natural Resources Wales for handling the British species Austropotamobius pallipes (White Clawed Crayfish).  It is the responsibility of the purchaser to be licensed when required and to operate under those license conditions. Seek guidance from your local Environment Agency office before commencing any sort of crayfish trapping.

 

Specification

Dimensions:
* Tunnel widths: 50mm, 35mm, 22mm x 2, 16mm x 2
* Width: 270mm
* Depth (i.e. length of tunnels): 150mm
* Material: Aluminium

* Includes 4 x fixing pegs