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Thread: You clever Rat you

  1. #1
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    You clever Rat you

    Hi everyone,

    I know we have some experienced ratters on the forum,and I'm in desperate need of some ratting advice. I have a couple of rats in the barn and a couple by the outside of the house. Food is scare but they've chosen to make their home here after a neighbour moved out, who used to feed dogs outside which attracted rats and now theyve moved out, the rats are on the move and have found new board and lodgings.

    But these guys are clever and I do mean clever, Ive had some mice in bait box traps but never a rat since I laid them down a month ago, I thought the rats were either not interested or too big for the smaller traps to catch them, as they would sometimes go off but no rat caught, and they would clear out the bait boxes as a bonus. So I bought big cheese snap traps which are very big, big enough for the rats anyway, food gone, trap either sprung or emptied but no rat.

    So I installed PIR cameras to see what they're doing. Ive watched them and theyre clever, they have approached the rat traps from behind, so they walk over the spring holder and sit on the middle loaded spring in the middle of the trap. They arent putting their feet on the trap but it looks like they are just licking the bait off from the lower end of the trap. The traps arent going off, they are even jumping them, I think to set them off so they can feed after.

    I have also a pressure plate trap outside in a wire box, they use it as a dinning table never putting a foot on it. I will try to block one side of the two entrances and put bait the side so they cant get in, to force them over the pressure plate I think

    You have to admire their ingenuity and cunning, I think it may be about patience and adjusting the sensitivity, but if anyone has any ideas on optimising the traps the advise would be most welcome.

    Cant shoot them as they are in areas with no realistic backstop or clear view point, so trapping is preferable, dont like baiting as they eventually die and stink in the barn.

    Any help on how to set them up most welcome, I have the bait working just their very clever at avoiding the trap - who teaches them to be so clever - maybe the university of hard knocks -

    ATB

  2. #2
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    Are you able to use fen traps, although they need covering to prevent anything else getting near.

    A mate has a near 100% success rate. He digs a small hole, chucks the bait in and then fen trap on top. He then sifts a little soil over. Rats will scrape around and will set the trap off.

    Type into YouTube. "Rat versus Fenn trap" and you see the setup.
    Last edited by Rapid7Nick; 15-01-2018 at 10:39 PM.

  3. #3
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    Kash, rats are clever you should have put the traps with no bait on them for at least 2 weeks ,
    rats then get used to them being around and not being set .so no threat, then set them with bait do this with gloves on as rats have an excellent sense of smell, this should work as it works for me, but genraly i love shooting the blighters ,my birdtable provides great rat shooting from my bedroom window x15 rats since Nov , its a bit quiet lately but i am sure they will be back!!!
    atb brian

  4. #4
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    [QUOTE=Rapid7Nick;7414707]Are you able to use fen traps, although they need covering to prevent anything else getting near.

    A mate has a near 100% success rate. He digs a small hole, chucks the bait in and then fen trap on top. He then sifts a little soil over. Rats will scrape around and will set the trap off.

    Like in this vid.

    [

    i would delete the vid as it as far as i know is against the rules!!!!
    Last edited by brian747; 16-01-2018 at 12:43 AM.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by brian747 View Post
    i would delete the vid as it as far as i know is against the rules!!!!
    I would think so

    Plus you have posted a link to it too


    Pics Or Links To Pics Of Dead Stuff
    Is banned on here, anybody posting links to videos or pictures of stuff getting shot will be banned

    Zero tolerance

    http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....-Of-Dead-Stuff

  6. #6
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    Sorry didn't realise deleted link, was just trying to help.

    Can Mods or Brian delete the link in the quote please.
    Last edited by Rapid7Nick; 15-01-2018 at 11:05 PM.

  7. #7
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    I use the cage style multi catch trap, non-lethal (or it is until I check it with air pistol or rifle), they can't get to the bait without getting trapped, bit like a lobster pot
    https://www.pestcontroldirect.co.uk/...-rat-trap.html

  8. #8
    NewPaul's Avatar
    NewPaul is online now Jack Hargreaves lookalike --- How
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rapid7Nick View Post
    Sorry didn't realise deleted link, was just trying to help.

    Can Mods or Brian delete the link in the quote please.
    Easily done when trying to help
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  9. #9
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    Thanks all, much appreciated for the help and links, the fen is the pressure plate I was talking of, which is in a wire cage not caught one yet this route, as they don't cross it but I will adjust it so they have too.

    I'll try less food on the trap as fish is too easy to remove with peanut butter. has anyone tried gum or similar. These rats seem happy to cross large gaps to get food.

    Looking at the videos again they seem happy to enter the traps from the middle and sit feeding, seemingly to know that if the trap triggered, that the snap trap will pass over their head. I'll try drawing them in down a short drain pipe to the trap at the end to stop them entering from the rear or side.

    I'll post a vid once I get a better success rate, I think I'll have to out invent them to stop their tactical castle takeshi skills 😂

  10. #10
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    I had a similar issue, ie stealing the bait, so i melted chocolate & "painted" it on the trap, so they have to knaw at it to get it off.

    Rob

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by kash2001 View Post
    ..... I have a couple of rats in the barn and a couple by the outside of the house. Food is scare .......
    Pound to the penny, you have more than what you've seen, and they wouldn't be there if food was scares.
    Rat bait boxes, those black ones that you put a blue coloured grain poisen in does the trick. Tempt them to it by putting peanuts,sunflower seeds in at first then introduce the blue grain poisen. Worked for me around the chicken runs, and occasionally a bit of lead.
    https://www.pestcontrolsupermarket.c...ation-38-p.asp

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by robthedog View Post
    I had a similar issue, ie stealing the bait, so i melted chocolate & "painted" it on the trap, so they have to knaw at it to get it off.

    Rob
    Thats great Rob, I'll try melting it on. Caught one last night jumping the trap and got caught in the centre of it, splat the rat came to mind, and one mouse in 2 bits so it definitely didnt suffer to these big cheese traps

    Yes I know Ive definitely got 2 in the barn, they are feeding of the odd bit of spilt grass seed but there's no food in the barn,but I guess they are feeding outside in the compost heap, the wife use to put egg shells and bread in there but not any more : . So just fruit, veg and cardboard.

    So the mission is still on 1 down and about another ten +including those whose home is now outside, you can mark the day almost from when the neighbours moved out to the rats moving home, I'll get them but eating of the middle of the trap and sitting inside it was unbelievable to see.

    Anyone tried the electric traps thought about rigging up something to a 12v battery

  13. #13
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    i have found by gluing metal/plastic bottle top to baiting needle and filling with peanut butter just enough so they almost need to get their heads in works.
    I also found that mounting the spring trap onto a piece of timber to get it at least 4 inches of the deck works too
    Falcon Prairie CS.22 Huntsmans .20 Theoben .20 & .22 FAC

  14. #14
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    A bit pricey though. Have you looked at the Co2 rat traps. Good Nature A24 they are called. Some of the reviews are good and some not so good. Although the clips on YouTube look good.

  15. #15
    secretagentmole Guest
    T-Rex traps, they cannot set them off by walking from the back over the pressure plate. Glue traps work well too!

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trapper-Rex.../dp/B002Y5MVO2

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