OT: Need idea for good rat trap.

jackal · Jan 25, 2014

I have a rat in my shop. There were 2 and I caught one with the old fashioned snap trap.

Now the dead smell must be on the trap or something.

Does anyone have a good reliable way of catching one?

This one is about the size of a squirrel.

Don't want to use poison because of my dogs.

The most rated traps are the electric zapper and some kind of hidden door live trap.

The bucket of water design has high ratings, but I don't want to mess with a drowned or semi-dead rat, and the juice it is swimming in.

Just a good dead kill, and re-load for the next one. < ( If there is another one).

I found where they were getting in, but don't want to close it just yet. There might be some that would get locked in.

Thanks in advance,

Jackal

doug8cat · Jan 25, 2014

.22 hornet or ruger depending on your preference.

Mike C. · Jan 25, 2014

Put the trap in a box just big enough for it to function. Had one many moons ago that was wreaking havoc on the kitchen of the old house I was renting. When he got into my Little Debbie oatmeal creme pies, it escalated to all out war. After a couple of failed attempts with the trap in the drawer where he got the pies, I stuffed the trap in the box with peanut butter on the trigger and put the box back in the drawer. Wasn't 15 minutes later I heard it snap.

Spud · Jan 25, 2014

Someone will inevitably come in and say "get a cat" , so might as well ge that said and out of the way.

Trboatworks · Jan 25, 2014

Remington CBee's if you can find them..

I never reuse a snap trap BTW- toss them with the rat/mouse and get set out a fresh one.

michiganbuck · Jan 25, 2014

“There were 2 and I caught one”. Yeah right .

You could wash the traps (get 4 snap traps) with soap and water with clear rinse and then handle then with wearing gloves.
Clean up all the free food about the shop. Get taller garbage cans. Drop some shards of peanut butter sandwich about the shop. Place a few rat traps with peanut butter for bait along inside walls close to leading to garbage cans. Clean all around outside of shop with picking up all junk and rat hide-outs. keep traps (4) set and fresh baited long after you catch that one rat.

[There might be some that would get locked in.] ?

A few years back a kid in Detroit was fishing for rats with using a fishing pole and a baseball bat for the kill.
Good sport… Go figure

Buck

Scottl · Jan 25, 2014

Use a new trap. Rats have a very good sense of smell and it is entirely possible that the furry pest recognized the smell of its now missing associate. It may have even been nearby when the trap sprung. Rats are much smarter than mice so it may take a while to get the second one.

The suggestion to put the new trap in a box makes sense for a lot of reasons. It makes it harder for the little SOB to spring the trap without getting caught and then lick the bait off, which some of them learn to do.

A bigger question is (deleted) and what attracted them. Any food, even in packages, should be kept in secure containers such as metal tins. Food trash should never be left in trash bins overnight. And if this proves to be an ongoing problem the best rat traps are the ones with fur and an attitude. The local Ag supply store has a "barn cat" on duty. He sleeps in the store and they have signs warning customers not to pet him.

hermetic · Jan 25, 2014

Use a rat bait box like these, they will stop your dogs getting to the poison.
https://www.google.com/search?q=rat...ttIDoCw&ved=0CFwQsAQ&biw=922&bih=493&dpr=1.25

michiganbuck · Jan 25, 2014

We had cats, rats and raccoons in the shop and people that fed the cats said there were a few rats that the cats would back away form and then let those rats eat the food.

Buck

Spud · Jan 25, 2014

Use a have-a-heart trap. It's what I tried when my cat went missing, but all I got was opossums .

kenh · Jan 25, 2014

Yup. a new snap trap.
I had an over educated Rat, very clever. So I put the trap in a box with some food leading into the box, small entry hole, same bait in trap.
SNAP!!I win.

WILLEO6709 · Jan 25, 2014

either that or a TALL slick sided trash can, make sure critter has a way to make it into it, going for food bait. make sure nothing he can climb out on.... then club of choice etc.

snowman · Jan 25, 2014

The zap traps work time and time again. Bait with pizza. Short of that a 440v line to pieces of metal in a box baited with pizza so that the rat is completing the circuit works too.

LKeithR · Jan 25, 2014

We live in a rural area just a few hundred feet from a large chicken (broilers) farm and every time they clean out the resident rats will disperse throughout the neighbourhood. Some times are worse than others but we've had some nasty infestations. We've found that the best way to combat them is poisonous bait--we leave it out all the time. There are many ways to keep pets from getting in to it. Some useful info on this site...

Rat Fact Sheet

michiganbuck · Jan 25, 2014

Animal right groups might not like killing those poor little creatures who are just doing their thing.
Adopt a Rat ... Would the Shark Tank give me a stake for funding that?

But...

If the country goes bust we may need them.
We could rename them Smooth Tail City Squirrels.

Buck

jbacc · Jan 25, 2014

I always had success with the old fashioned snap trap and a piece of hot dog. The critters cannot seem to resist it...

Chip Chester · Jan 25, 2014

Bucket trap with water, then set it outside and let it freeze up, then bag it and pitch it. Or, throw it behind the shed until it thaws...

For re-using snap traps, unload them and then just toss 'em in the dishwasher!

Chip

Scottl · Jan 25, 2014

Chip Chester said:
Bucket trap with water, then set it outside and let it freeze up, then bag it and pitch it. Or, throw it behind the shed until it thaws...

For re-using snap traps, unload them and then just toss 'em in the dishwasher!

Chip

Only if your wife is not around!

Bill D · Jan 25, 2014

tie a piece of string or ribbon to the trap and the other end to something the rat can not move. makes it easier find and to pick up trap and throw it away. Peanut butter and Salami is a good lure.
Never seen one in use but I like the name ratzapper.com . I understand it has a smarty phone app, it will text you when it is tripped or the bait is too old. I bet they have ir cameras now as well so you can watch it work on your cell phone.
Bill D.

Rat Zapper Brand Electronic Rat Trap | Rat Zappers Reviews

3t3d · Jan 25, 2014

Mix some sugar and plaster of paris.
Deadly!, but not poisonous.

OT: Need idea for good rat trap.

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