How to use the app
Ring Biosecurity NZ immediately if you're confident it's new
If you're confident that you've found a pest species new to New Zealand, please don't hesitate to call Biosecurity New Zealand free at 0800 80 99 66.
If you're less sure, or if it's a pest already in New Zealand that's spreading, use the Find-A-Pest app to take photo(s) and report your observation.
SUPPORT
If you need help with the Find-A-Pest app or have questions, email us help@findapest.nz
RESPONSE TIMES
THE BASICS
The first time you use the app, you'll need to get set up with a free iNaturalist NZ account, add your phone number to your profile on the app (in case you find a new pest of critical importance), and give permission for the app to access your camera and location.
You only need to sign in and set up when you first open the app.
The quickest way to submit an observation is to open the app & tap the blue camera icon. Take/select a photo, name it if you know it (optional), and submit your finding.
Blue Camera - Name - Submit
Our Find-A-Pest identifiers and the experts on iNaturalist NZ will quickly get stuck in to identifying what you submit and you'll see their identifications and comments on the Activity page on your app.
You can look through the images of pests on the app in any sector/industry to learn about the most important pest animals and pest plants you should be looking out for.
Tap on any one to see a fact sheet for that pest. From each fact sheet, you can tap a button to submit a photo, if you think you've found that pest.
If you're not sure whether something is a pest, don't worry, if you send it via the blue camera button, we can take a look and let you know.
We're keen to see everything you find, knowing that your next photo might be
the first record of a nasty new arrival in your area.
Quick Start Guide
STEP 1: DOWNLOAD THE APP
STEP 2: SIGN IN
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Sign in or register with iNaturalist.
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Click authorise to allow Find-A-Pest to access your iNaturalist account
STEP 3: PROFILE SETTING
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The first time you use the app, you will be asked to fill in the Profile Settings page.
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We ask for your phone number in case one of your finds triggers a biosecurity alert and we need to contact you.
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Set your Profile with the region of New Zealand that you're in and select the sectors you're interested in.
STEP 4: MAKE AN OBSERVATION
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The quickest way to make an observation is to click the blue camera button in the bottom centre of the main screen in the app. Just snap a photo and send it in.
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You can also search through the factsheets in each sector to find out more about pests and send in an observation from there.
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You will receive feedback on your observation which will show up in the activity tab in the app.
