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Thread: How to catch a rat....Do not click if you can't handle it.

  1. #1
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    How to catch a rat....Do not click if you can't handle it.

    I bet you all thought I was gonna make a joke about a local political party...


    Not this time..

    Couple of weeks ago I thought I spotted a rat tail near a bush my yard. Didn't really pay attention because it could have been a pale snake. Couple of days later I was told by my woman we got rats. 1 mom and 4 kid rats all peeking out from a air vent along the foundation of our house.

    I could have went and complained at the town board that we have a rat issue in town but instead I went to Valu Home center to pick up the world famous Victor rat traps.


    https://valuhomecenters.com/shop/law...ack?SKU=769851


    These are my favorite

    Victor Rat Traps


    Now if you want to shop through Amazon here are the best selling rat traps

    https://amzn.to/3A3aO5Q




    Natural finished woodbase snap trap. Metal trigger and a safety catch for use in setting.

    I don't like the sticky traps or poison. I could have used a live trap and taken them for a ride but didn't.

    First off wear gloves. Mice and rats can smell your scent on the trap and on the bait. Plus you should protect yourself from germs.

    Rats and Rat Trap

    I like to use peanut butter topped with an apple just like this. You really don't need the apple but seeing it's their last supper you might as well be nice. Be very careful when setting the trap. You can really hurt yourself.

    Rats Victor Rat Traps

  2. #2
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    We got a winner.. Didn't take long.

    Rats and Rat Trap

    Put your gloves back and place the rat in a plastic bag before putting it into your garbage.

    Rats and Rat Trap

    Reset the trap and wait...

  3. #3
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Bagged 3 more over the next few days....

    Rat in Trap





  4. #4
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    The last one was clever. I have no clue how he did it but he got the food and didn't spring the traps. TWICE! I had two traps setup. I knew I wasn't dealing with the average rat.





    I reset the traps but bent down the pointy part that held the bait. I can't just picture a rat being delicate enough to physically pull two apple pieces including licking the peanut butter clean.

    Well that worked.

    The last one. It has been a week and haven't got another since the 21st.

    Rats Victor Rat Traps



    My question is why did we get rats. We do have a bird feeder but it has a tray to catch seeds. I did have a neighbor replace some steps on a porch so I'm wonder if they were under that porch and traveled over.

    These are miniature rats. The ones my grandfather and I used to catch on Lovejoy were way bigger.

  5. #5
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    You're supposed to buy several million dollars worth of totes and equipment to get rid of rats, not simple rat traps 😀

  6. #6
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    When your woman said, "we got rats. 1 mom and 4 kid rats all peeking out from a air vent along the foundation of our house. ", did she mean they were inside looking out or outside looking in.

    I called the county on Monday because my neighbor saw a rat by his shed. The woman from the county ask me where I saw a rat.
    I told her that I didn't but my neighbor 56 ft away saw one by his shed. I told her he was calling to be baited also. She asked me for his address and she looked it up. She said yes, he has filed a complaint but she advised me not to have them bait at my property. She said the county baiting them would bring them to my property. I thought that made sense.

    I would have liked them to come and see the property in the other direction which looks like a rat habitat. There must be no less than 20 wood pallets stacked, a pile of old bricks and all kinds of crap just laying there.

    Georgia L Schlager

  7. #7
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    I wonder why people just can't handle their own issues. I could see the town handling rats on town property, town dump or at sewer entrances. As home owners or renters you would think they would just take care of it themselves. If you have a neighbor who is the food source let them know. If you have rats because of it they most likely do to. What I'd do is catch them and give the neighbor a bag of rats.

    There is nothing wrong with being a good neighbor. If you have someone elderly living next to you it wouldn't hurt to help them take care of their rat issue. I think it took me no more than 15 minutes to set the traps and just a few minutes each morning to check them. Do put fresh bait each time you reset the trap. What would you rather eat? Nice juicy apple or a dried out apple chip.

    You should really take care of the issue the moment you think you have rats. They grow fast and breed very fast.

    This weekend I'm going to figure out the best way to seal up the area they used. Most likely some heavy screen mounted behind the air vent.

  8. #8
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    When your woman said, "we got rats. 1 mom and 4 kid rats all peeking out from a air vent along the foundation of our house. ", did she mean they were inside looking out or outside looking in.

    I called the county on Monday because my neighbor saw a rat by his shed. The woman from the county ask me where I saw a rat.
    I told her that I didn't but my neighbor 56 ft away saw one by his shed. I told her he was calling to be baited also. She asked me for his address and she looked it up. She said yes, he has filed a complaint but she advised me not to have them bait at my property. She said the county baiting them would bring them to my property. I thought that made sense.

    I would have liked them to come and see the property in the other direction which looks like a rat habitat. There must be no less than 20 wood pallets stacked, a pile of old bricks and all kinds of crap just laying there.
    Years ago the owners of the house enclosed the original porch. There is a small space under the enclosed area. She said they were inside looking out and she counted heads. 5. Just to be on the safe side I'm going to check the traps for another week just to make sure I got them all.

    They do make different versions of rat traps but the Victor old fashion traps works just fine. Over a billion have been sold since the company started. I think the sticky traps should not be sold. That is a pretty bad way to go even for a rat. I see the use of poison bait but I have too many animal friends to risk getting them sick so the snap trap was the way to go.


    Here is something I didn't know.

    http://www.victorpest.com/store/busi...ue-mouse-traps

    Allows for Humane Trap and Release Rodent Control

    Similar to live traps, our commercial mouse glue traps can be used to release rodents safely back outside. To utilize catch and release pest control, live mice can be removed from the glue traps with a bit of vegetable oil. After freeing the mouse, release it at least 5 miles away to prevent it from returning to your property.

    My question is how do you oil up the mouse or rat. I'm going to assume the animal would be rather pissed off stuck to the glue trap.


    Some more information


  9. #9
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Tony, you are brave.
    Two things -
    1) I would be afraid I'd chop off a finger setting the trap

    2) They don't make a shovel handle long enough for me to pick up a trapped rat

    Georgia L Schlager

  10. #10
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Power of Google


  11. #11
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    They say sheds that aren't on a concrete pad are a perfect rat habitat.
    Also, dog crap left in yards is a perfect rat food source.

    I saw one under one of those moveable basketball hoops (where you fill the bottom with water). I mentioned it to a friend that has one. He moved his and lo and behold, a rat ran out from under his, but his jack Russell pounced and killed it immediately.

    I put out some traps just in case, and ended up killing two chipmunks in my garage. I felt pretty bad and put the traps away.

  12. #12
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    I use these Bait Stations at all my properties in Buffalo...
    http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pro...n?cm_vc=-10005
    and... go thru at least one bucket a year of this..
    http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pro...l?cm_vc=IOPDP1
    I had a skunk living under a neighbors garage floor... used a live trap to capture..then thru a wet towel over trap to prevent getting sprayed...filled a garbage tote with water...and the rest is history...didnt want to get arrested for shooting off a firearm in the city.

  13. #13
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    It has been a few days now and I haven't trapped another. We counted 5 originally and bagged 5.

    Anything larger than a rat I would live trap and set free way back in the woods.

    We have a shed up on blocks. There is one long time wood chuck family and a few rabbits. They don't bother me and I leave them alone.

  14. #14
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Here is the old air vent that closed off the area where the rats were living.


    Outside Air Vent


    I'm gonna see if I can just replace the screening that was chewed through.

    Outside Air Vent

  15. #15
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WNYresident View Post
    Here is the old air vent that closed off the area where the rats were living.


    Outside Air Vent


    I'm gonna see if I can just replace the screening that was chewed through.

    Outside Air Vent
    I have a patio that was enclosed before my time which is now a family room. There's an air vent there. Screen is okay but I just put some #4 steel wool between the slats to make sure. While I was kneeling there, I saw this hole in the concrete pad next to the vent



    I won't get much sleep tonight knowing that that is there.

    When I go to Home depot in the morning, I'll get more steel wool. The 10 or 20# Quikrete in the pail should probably be enough to patch it. Don't you think?

    Georgia L Schlager

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