Phil’s Legacy
Did you know that the PhilProof bait station is a local invention? It was created by Phil Thomson, a respected name in local pest control circles with over 40 years of experience in conservation and pest management.
Phil Thomson with his PhilProof Bait Stations featured in Forest & Bird Magazine Nov 1996, Image supplied
At just 17, Phil began his career as a Wildlife Service cadet, leading him on a journey across New Zealand. He managed takahē in the Murchison Mountains, tracked kākāpō in Fiordland, and transferred Chatham Island pārea to predator-free islands. Phil soon realised that protecting native wildlife meant tackling introduced predators. Work often involved enduring challenging conditions, such as during a cat control project on Stewart Island. There, Phil, his wife Susan, and another worker lived in a tiny unlined shed, battling bitter cold, rain, and horrendous sandflies to safeguard the kākāpō from feral cats.
Phil later moved to South Waikato to lead the Department of Conservation's kōkako project at Mapara Wildlife Reserve. This project successfully boosted kōkako numbers and improved populations of tūi, bellbirds, and kererū. His career includes numerous other DOC conservation projects, including those on Great Barrier Island (Aotea), Waiheke, and the Mercury Islands (Mātauri). Now self-employed, Phil still continues to work in pest control and wildlife management around the Waikato, including on the DOC reserves of the Hakarimata Ranges.
Phil’s passion for conservation and his drive to improve pest control tools led him to develop the PhilProof bait station over 30 years ago. This lightweight, rain-proof, stackable, and easy-to-fill device was designed for effective pest control in all sorts of conditions. Creating it was no easy feat; it involved many late nights, numerous prototypes, and the help of his wife and children in the production process.
Philproof bait station, Photo Credit Gary Duffy
The final product, made from recycled plastic, has protected hundreds of thousands of hectares of native forest and is still widely used by conservation groups. To showcase its durability, Phil famously stood on his bait stations, proving their robustness. That’s how they earned the name PhilProof! (I always thought it might be because there’s a knack to opening them—perhaps that’s where the "proof" comes in!)
Pest control in action - possums and rats at a PhilProof bait station. Photo Credit: D Edwards
In addition to the bait station, Phil developed possum traps, rat-monitoring tunnels, and stoat tunnels, all designed to reduce predator numbers and protect native wildlife, while ensuring these products suited New Zealand’s tough conditions and remained affordable. Although others have long since taken over the local Newstead-based PhilProof business—previously managed by Brooke and now under new ownership—Phil's legacy continues to influence conservation efforts.
So, next time you see a PhilProof bait station, remember the man behind it—a true Waikato champion for New Zealand’s threatened native species!
