Rat problem in town

[Mrs. Hillbilly]

I saw those rats that Jason had problems with and the gloves did need to come off.

Lol! 

[Mrs. Hillbilly]

Hood rats have become more of a problem these days.  In case some of you don't know what a hood-rat looks like.  I did a google image search and found you all picture.  This is your quintessential hood-rat but they also come in many shapes and colors.   

[Mrs. Hillbilly]

While trying to set a rat trap today, I noticed a huge Black Widow under my deck.  I paused and turned to fine my daughter filming me. She has a fun video app as you will see... ha ha!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmfTEZnoyuc

[Mrs. Hillbilly]

I have now set a trap FIVE times under my shed. Each time I check it, the bait is gone, the trap has snapped but the trap is empty!!!!!!   

I am starting to think I have some kind of special forces rat living on my property...

Anybody having better luck with different traps. 

[sharyn]

You need the traps that are an enclosed rectangle.  The rat has to go inside head first so it snaps on their neck.  The wooden snaptraps are useless.  At least that is what I found out with mice.

Victor makes an electronic trap the I was told works well.

[lagomorphmom]

Rat zapper is the only way to go. Get the new model that has infra red so they don't have to step on t oth sets of plates. That makes it work great for mice, too!! You may think its pricey but they are reusable save for batteries. I think i got mine on Amazon  I've caught a couple dozen rats and mice his summer alone (they eat the weather stripping on the garage door). Kettle corn is a great bait.

Also, they make a remote wire for the new one so if you put it in an attic, you can see if it's tripped.

Don't get the Victor brand, it's inferior (and a knock off) in many ways. I got it first and liked it a lot, had their mouse units first. Won't go back, the RZ works for both, also the 'sucess' light blinks for more than one day.

Oh, and they look very peaceful. You may vicariously wish for more gore but it makes cleanup a breeze. I use garden gloves when I handle them.

Can you tell I love the product???

[Wrightwood]

My best luck has been to use a full size peanut on the snap traps.
On the metal plate there's a small tab that you can poke into the peanut. Once you get the technique down it works very well.
I've also tied the peanut on with dental floss.



lagomorphmom is right on about the Rat Zappers but some people just don't want to spend that much money and the snap traps work fine when baited properly.

[lagomorphmom]

I know some people glue dog food on the traps also. For ME, I didn't have as much luck. Plus I was always worried the dogs might get into one. Aside from misery for me and the pooch, can you imagine how many RZs you could buy with that vat bill?

[Wrightwood]

Jason if it's under shed and it's being tripped that many times are you sure it's not a squirrel?

Another view:

[sharyn]

When I used the wooden ones for mice, I'd have a problem with the mouse just getting a foot caught and dragging the trap around leaving blood behind. 

This works well for mice.  I've never had rats (yet  so I haven't tried a rat version.)  http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1279062&cp=2568443.2568444.2598676.2602605.1305668

[jadensdad]

smearing peanut butter on the trigger mechanism seems to work well as it forces the critter to stay on the trap and lick the bait off!

[Mrs. Hillbilly]

I have two victor snap traps that I smear with peanut butter.  I set one under the deck and the other under the shed a few weeks ago.  The first night I caught one under the deck, and the one under the shed was empty.  Not getting a bite under the deck at all now, and the shed rat is getting away everytime!

I'll try the whole peanut tonight.  If that doesn't work, I'll cough up the cash for the RAT ZAPPER! 
I think Mtn Hardware sells them, or maybe it's a similar style trap.

[Wrightwood]

It's worth mentioning that a snap trap needs to be placed perpendicular to one of the surrounding perimeter walls.
(bait side closest to wall)  Rats and mice move around the sides of walls rather than just visiting open space in the middle of a room.

[tcaarabians]

Oh, just 'ewwww' ... I only have a rat problem in the chicken coop.. I want to pick up rats in a bait/springer trap like I want to to fly to the M.E. and negotiate with the Taliban. Today,, we put out 'rat bait' in the coop. I've used it before .. it works. Course, it is on the other side of my property here and I don't have to worry about the dog eating a rat that was poisoned. The chickens seem to

So,, what is more humane?   Tricking them with peanut butter and a trap that slowly strangles them to death.. or just feeding them poison that also kills them but a bit more quickly? I dunno.  Do rats have rights? I will vote no on that.. and continue to kill them with poison.  cheryl o7o

[kew]

Kangaroo rats have rights. Seriously, if that's what you have, be careful who you tell you've killed one.

[lagomorphmom]

> I don't have to worry about the dog eating a rat that was poisoned. The chickens seem to
Cheryl, if I have this right, the chickens eat the poisoned rats? Then do you eat the chicken eggs???
Plus, even if your dog doesn't eat the poisoned rats, other creatures might eat them if they wander off, like owls, or other critters that eat carrion.

>So,, what is more humane?
Electrocution is the most humane. The traps are easy to empty (place over trash can and invert). Have left them for awhile and then had to clean them out, but if you inspect them regularly you won't have that problem. Reusable and they won't take you thumb off. Least humane are the mouse sticky traps, imho.

[tcaarabians]

I would never kill a kangaroo rat. Do they look like kangaroos? Just so I know in case.

The chickens do not eat the rats. They seem to hold them in high disdain .. epicureans that they are.  Lilly and Laila (the chickens) pretty much no longer lay eggs. So, I just feed the darlings and enjoy them. Plus, I almost never eat eggs. And, I can see that my previous message was truncated and why you might have thought I was saying the chickens ate the rats. Sorry, just dealing with a family emergency here today.

As for the rats wandering off... well.. they really  don't get that far.  Do the electrocution traps run on batteries?  Enough on rats for me now.
cheryl o7o

[SkierBob]

This reminds me of the time I setup webcam viewing rat bait with a web activated electrocution button. 

[kew]

[tcaarabians]

Thanks Ken. I'm pretty sure I've never seen one of those little critters here. I do have squirrels and those little guys that look like chipmunks.  They pretty much stay on this side of the property and share in the wild bird largess I put out.

SkierBob:  I am speechless.

cheryl o7o