Help me catch this rat!

[3forks]

I know you've tried traps, but these have worked well for me. I have the same issue because of my garden. I set up all 6 of these with peanut butter and peanuts. Most nights I get nothing, but then there will be a night when I get 3 or 4 at once. I think they travel together when they are on the hunt. Since I've set these up, I haven't lost anything in my garden. I even caught a sparrow in one of these traps. Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MZ19B3O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve got the Tom Cat version of these and always had success… up until now.

 

[WRM]

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve got the Tom Cat version of these and always had success… up until now.

I've used tom cat too. All about the same, although the mechanism is better on some than others.

One tip I can give on these is to find the path of travel (ie along a brick wall) and place a few close together with the trigger plate facing the solid surface. They dodge one a lot, two sometimes, 3 or more, rarely. But, need to find that travel path.

 

[3forks]

As a side note, I’m starting to identify with the character Ahab, in the novel Moby Dick.

I’m also considering just feeding this rat and taming him down to turn into a pet since it’s obviously got more brain power than me.

Final option, if I do live trap this rat is to put an ad on Craigslist as to why this rat is so special, and sell it to someone who wants to release at their worst enemy’s house.

 

[Jbxl20]

Buy this today and thank me tomorrow. They will climb over their dead rat friends bodies to get killed by this trap. It is freakin awesome.

A24 Rat & Mouse Trap Home Trapping Kit | Goodnature USA

*We've got over 15 years of experience in trapping, so you know our traps will stand up to whatever you throw at them. When rats or mice come calling, there’s never just one. The Goodnature® Home Trapping Kit has everything you need to get on top of your rodent problem, and constant control...

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I do wildlife control for a living and we use these every now and then for bigger rat jobs. It does work but then they usually prefer to eat their dead friends than the bait. It is an awesome trap and really has some force.

Do you have any small footholds you can burry in front of the hole. Rats are smart and this time of the year if they have a food source nearby (gardens, bird feeders, chicken coops, etc.) it’s hard to get them to go after any baited traps. I’ve caught stubborn rats like this before, you might find just a leg tho.

 

[WRM]

Thus my suggestion of travel path traps. They aren't necessarily going after the bait, they're just stepping on a trap.

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

Dang--I could just adopt the rat and maybe get a Joepa tax credit in the mix. That's a pricey trap!

That’s because they work. Watch the videos lol. I’ve killed so many rats and mice with this. I eliminated a whole bloodline of pack rats. Kill em all

 

[WRM]

That’s because they work. Watch the videos lol. I’ve killed so many rats and mice with this. I eliminated a whole bloodline of pack rats. Kill em all

Next stimulus I just may have to finally stimulate the economy then.

 

[btindall]

you need to get the victor rat traps and build a small box for it to go in. then put the trap in there unset, with some raw shelled sunflower seeds until they start eating them and think it is safe. Ratz are greedy little guys and once they feel fine going in and out of the box, set the trap. I take a popsicle stick and hot glue to the trigger for maximum kill possibilities.

 

[3forks]

Thus my suggestion of travel path traps. They aren't necessarily going after the bait, they're just stepping on a trap.

I have considered burying some old school victors and not setting them for a few days then setting them. May have to give that a whirl.

I do wildlife control for a living and we use these every now and then for bigger rat jobs. It does work but then they usually prefer to eat their dead friends than the bait. It is an awesome trap and really has some force.

Do you have any small footholds you can burry in front of the hole. Rats are smart and this time of the year if they have a food source nearby (gardens, bird feeders, chicken coops, etc.) it’s hard to get them to go after any baited traps. I’ve caught stubborn rats like this before, you might find just a leg tho.

I do have a small conibear, reluctant to use it because of our dog.

 

[Dos Perros]

Poison probably most effective, least satisfying.

FWIW, I wouldn’t have suggested poison if I knew you had a dog. Didn’t see that in the original post.

Don’t care if you have a cat.

 

[WRM]

The ol victor is good too. I've caught two juvies in the same one at same time multiple times.

To me, it's really about finding where THEY want to walk.

 

[LLRJ17]

Rumor has it Carl from Caddyshack is available. Who else knew he specializes in more than gophers?

 

[Rich M]

Spend $30 on a hav a hart trap sized for rats. Use sunflowers as bait.

I have rats in the area and have done the pellet rifle and snap trap thing. The live trap is excellent.

keep it out of the rain and it’ll catch rats for many years.

 

[Ridgehunter604]

you need to exclude the deck or you’ll continue to have this issue.
dig a trench roughly 1’ deep and 1’ wide around the deck.
Screw 1/2” hardware cloth to the bottom edge of the deck, have it hang down into the trench and then form an L outwards to cover the base of the trench. Fill back in your trench covering the mesh.
you can purchase a small one way door off Amazon etc. give it an opening with the one way door to get out. Try to install close to where it’s going in and out. (Otherwise it’ll dig under the mesh the wrong way or die and smell under the deck)
Once out and sealed, it’s up to you if you want to sick the minks on it, use a pellet gun, or bring it home as a prize for outsmarting you for so long.

 

[TSAMP]

I think this should move to the live hunt thread.

 

[rayporter]

in first grade i used to sit by the corn crib with a .22 and a flash light to shootem. i got a dime for each rat i shot. later when we got our drivers license we went to the dump and really tore them up. i still have the aircraft landing light i rigged to shoot with.

 

[mtnrunner260]

Buy and release a 10' boa under your deck.

 

[Danomite]

I live in an area with a lot of pack rats and have had good luck with the Kat Sense traps. Probably 30 rats in 2.5 years with 5 or so set around the outside of the house all the time.

Recently I had some under my deck that weren’t going for those and the small Haveahart caught rats 4 nights in a row. I use peanut butter and a dollop of banana.

We have a Yorkie and two small kids so I have to be careful with traps and poison, but I’ve sprayed one of the peppermint rodent repellents in my garage and truck engine regularly and have never had problems there.

 

[OutHeavy]

Rumor has it Carl from Caddyshack is available. Who else knew he specializes in more than gophers?

“In order to conquer an animal, I have to think like an animal, and whenever possible, look like one.”
-Carl Spackler

 

[MTPipeliner]

I don’t get rats, but have had mice problems in the garage and laundry room at times. I find that putting unbaited “better mouse trap” style traps in travel lanes to be very effective. I keep several in the garage at all times and I’ve never seen a live mouse or found much evidence of them there so I think that I’m getting them pretty soon after they get inside.

I put the traps against the wall so as they run along the wall they have to crawl through it. Not sure how your area is configured but maybe you could do something similar.

Or stake out at night. Several winters ago I had a big vole in a flower bed and could t catch him but finally got him with a pellet gun.