Lethal and humane trap for Brown Tree Snake
Closed Special Notice Posted
- Solicitation number
- 1155195
- Agency
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Department of Agriculture
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- Total Small Business
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 332999 All Other Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
- Place of performance
- Barrigada Guam 96913, United States
- Points of contact
-
- Todd Bierl todd.k.bierl@usda.gov (612) 336-3465
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a Special Notice for a sole source procurement of lethal and humane traps specifically designed for the Brown Tree Snake. This procurement is set aside for small businesses and involves an Automatic Resetting Lethal Trap (ARLT) system that was developed through a proprietary collaboration between NZ AutoTraps and the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC). The agency has determined that this specialized trapping system cannot be readily replicated by other contractors due to its unique design requirements and the extensive testing and revisions required to achieve 100% reliable lethality while maintaining humane standards. APHIS intends to award a fixed-price indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) commercial supplies contract specifically for the USDA Wildlife Services Guam Program. The opportunity was posted on July 29, 2025, with responses due by August 1, 2025.
The purpose of this procurement is to address the lack of commercially available automatic resetting trap systems that can reliably and humanely eliminate Brown Tree Snakes, as existing commercial options like GoodNature rat traps failed to meet the required lethality and humane standards. The ARLT must meet stringent specifications including up to 6 months or 100 euthanizations between servicing, rechargeable USB battery, electronic trigger with auto-reset capability, specific dimensions of 20cm x 20cm x 20cm, and a fully stainless-steel kill bar designed for tropical conditions. Additional requirements include multi-species capability for both Brown Tree Snakes and rats, optional 24-hour or nighttime-only operation, and a phone app for trap operation and monitoring euthanization numbers. Only small businesses are eligible to participate in this procurement, and contractors must be able to supply both the ARLT devices and batteries for the specialized trapping system. The sole source justification emphasizes that the proprietary knowledge and expertise required for this system cannot be rapidly conveyed to other potential contractors.
Notice text
SOLE SOURCE
This is a proprietary trapping system developed by NZ AutoTraps in collaboration with NWRC. It required numerous revisions to trap components by NZ AutoTraps and tests by NWRC to create a 100% reliable lethal and humane trap for BTS. There is not a large commercial market for ARLT specific to snakes. An attempt to use current commercially available automatic resetting trap systems (e.g., GoodNature rat traps) did not result in reliable lethality and was not found to be humane when it did result in a lethal strike. This ARLT was designed in collaboration with NWRC because of the lack of commercial options available (see attached emails between NWRC and vendor) and this collaboration was necessary to ensure functionality and humaneness. This technology cannot be rapidly created using other conventional trapping systems. This knowledge and expertise of the proprietary ARLT system cannot be readily and rapidly conveyed to other potential contractors.
APHIS-WS intends to award a fixed price with economic price adjustment indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) commercial supplies for ARLT and batteries for ARLT limited to the USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services Guam Program located at 233 Pangelinan Way, Barrigada, Guam 96913-1277.
The ARLT must have the following specifications:
- Up to 6 months or 100 euthanizations between device servicing
- Rechargeable battery - USB charger
- Electronic trigger
- Auto resetting
- Trap dimensions - 20cm wide x 20cm deep x 20cm high
- Fully stainless-steel kill bar - 17cm long x 12 cm wide with double spring
- Option of 24-hour operation or Daylight de-activation (Nighttime operation only)
- Open trap design
- Designed for tropical conditions
- Multi species – will kill both a Brown Treesnake and rat species
- Phone App – operates the trap and provides euthanization numbers
Todd K. Bierl
(Major Program Contracting Officer)
Emergency Acquisition
Marketing and Regulatory Program Business (MRPBS)
Acquisition and Asset Management Division (AAMD)
Acquisition Branch
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Office#(612)336-3465
Cell# (612)500-1321/(763)286-8084
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