# Rat Mystery



## jmon (Nov 5, 2012)

The one that is dying, probably work his way free of the trap but not without getting his neck broken. So he will die soon.

Maybe a lone squirrel stripping ur traps like that. They love peanut butter to. A rat trap might kill them if they get their neck broken. Usually they break free of it though. I've caught one before in a rat trap. Just a thought.

*I would continue doing as you plan, seal up they entry points as soon as possible and keep using rat traps. 
*
I don't use poison either. I learned the hard way, when one died in the wall. Man, what a stench for awhile. When you use poison, you don't know exactly where they will finally die and decay.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Set some baited traps outside to see if they get any activity, it might help to point you to where they are entering.

The dying rat probably escaped from one of the sprung traps. May actually have just been hit by the metal bale when the trap was sprung. 

I agree that mice are a likely culprit in regards to the missing bait. I have learned that they learn and get rather smart. Try using dental floss and tying a piece of bacon to the trigger plate. Read about it, tried it, and it worked.

With that many to deal with buy a dozen more traps to get ahead of them.

Anything outside that may be attracting them to your house, dumpster in the neighborhood, dog food outside (yous or a neighbors), farm/barn?

For the traps that are not sprung they (or something) is sitting there licking the food away very gently. Find a trap with a wider trigger plate, I've seen some but never tried them.

The good news is, they are taking the bait, just a matter of getting the trap to catch them. Have you considered trying the sticky traps? They are nasty but once they touch it the rest of their feet try to get them out. Secure them so they don't just drag them away.

Let me know if any of this helps, if not I will go searching for something more sophisticated.

Bud


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Pissants can lick the platter clean and never trip the trap but that's only in warm weather when ants are active, but I've found a solution that eliminates that problem. 

For those being tripped without a positive results you may need to do the ole trapper trick of funneling them into the trap in a direction you prefer and not the direction they prefer.


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## riversurf58 (Oct 4, 2017)

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll keep trying. I really hope it's not rats that are stealing the bait so expertly.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

If I remember correctly, someone has a design for a 5 gallon pail trap which might work well for you.

It might be @Bondo, but I might be wrong.


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## jmon (Nov 5, 2012)

Or just google *5 gallon pail trap*. Lots of great videos.


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## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

Once they learn how your traps work, you might have to go to a second kind like the black plastic ones with the teeth.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

Ditto the suggestion about ants cleaning the peanut butter off. It drove me crazy, thinking the mice had learned to lick the bait clean without tripping the trap. So I started checking traps more frequently and finally saw the ants.

That's not to say that mice (and presumably, rats) don't smarten up to whatever trap you're using. I have found the traditional spring traps the most reliable. If the critters spring the trap and get the bait a few times, they get complacent and eventually it'll get them. But throwing in a few other types just to keep them on their toes helps.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Hi Riversurf,
I did some searching and so far haven't found what I would like. The basic snap traps have a response time and from your results and my experience some mice and rats are fast enough to get out of the way. Plus, the sensitivity of the trigger isn't light enough to catch them stealing the bait. What I want is a photo sensor to detect their presence and a faster doo or whatever to complete the catch. I'll keep looking but posted this in case others have seen something like what I described??

Bud


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,.... this ain't mine, but gives ya an idea of how it's done,....
Just don't forget to keep a couple inches of water or other liquid in the bucket to drown 'em,....


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

Bondo said:


> Ayuh,.... this ain't mine, but gives ya an idea of how it's done,....
> Just don't forget to keep a couple inches of water or other liquid in the bucket to drown 'em,....
> Youtube


The water also prevents them from jumping out. It has to be deep enough that they can't push off the bottom.

I have done this in barns and outbuildings, and it works great. You can put the bait anywhere, it doesn't have to be on a roller. if it's anywhere in the bucket, they'll go for it.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Bondo said:


> Ayuh,.... this ain't mine, but gives ya an idea of how it's done,....
> Just don't forget to keep a couple inches of water or other liquid in the bucket to drown 'em,....
> Youtube


I'd like to see him build a small generator with a squirrel cage drive to put rats or a hamster in so he could have a battery powered drill.:biggrin2:

It seems his brother, friend or neighbor has electric power but he has been deprived of that for some reason.:sad:


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## PestGuy (Jan 15, 2018)

I wouldn't recommend peanut butter for bait. Rats will eat anything, but I get better results with a meat type product, such as a piece of a slim jim. Rats love this. Also keep in mind that a mouse will most likely not set off a rat snap since they are too small. As for mouse traps, I use a liquid chocolate bait, like syrup and put a little bit right in that little well on the paddle. It's harder for them to get it out without setting the trap off.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

PestGuy said:


> As for mouse traps, I use a liquid chocolate bait, like syrup and put a little bit right in that little well on the paddle. It's harder for them to get it out without setting the trap off.


Interesting. Never tried that!

I'm thinking cut it 50/50 with Terra ant poison and it doesn't matter which critters get to the trap first, you solve both problems!


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