Best way to catch Rats
- Thread starter fish brain
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Kildonan
Well-Known Member
Cool. I’ve never caught a black one.
Prawn Star
Active Member
I had my boat stored on my friends property and went to check on it to find a family of rats using it as a RV. They were chewing on everything and made a ****** mess . Filled the boat with traps but also suspended some cannon balls with fishing line tied to the floor mats with a little peanut butter on the knot and a cannon ball de-brained the biggest one .
Goathorns
Active Member
I have killed 11 rats so far this fall. Almost all near the compost pile. One in the carport. 9 small ones, 2 medium sized. Standard spring traps, heavy duty version! Using bacon fat, some bacon bits. They seems to like a bit of shelter over the trap. I need one of those rat proof composters...
outbeen
Well-Known Member
I have killed many many many rats over the years. When I was in college I lived in a rat infested house and killed over 30 in one fall.
Rats are highly intelligent. You will almost always catch the babies and young ones first, followed by the females. The last rat you catch with typically be the king rat, the alpha male. I have observed this at 3 seperate residences. The king rat will typically be the most difficult to catch.
Snap style traps can be very effective but rats learn quickly that they are dangerous. Observing rats, I have seen the large ones hold back and watch while smaller rats are caught/killed first. Always place the traps along fences or walls, with the longest side of the trap touching the wall. Rats typically travel along fences or edges, and placing the trap in the same direction of increases the effectiveness of the trap. If you know where the rats nest is, face the trap to the snap points towards the nest. Rats leaving at night to eat will be headed face first into the traps. Once your catch rate drops off and rats get wise to snap style traps, you need to appeal to their intelligence. Place bait on the traps and dont set them for a few days. Let the rats get conditioned to the traps as a food source, then try just setting one or two out of a set.
Another good method is the trash can. An adult rat can jump about 24-30 inches. Using a 160L trash can put a piece of dowel or broomstick through the top with a cardboard paper towel roll or soup can in the middle. Place the bait on the soup can. THe rat will walk out on the dowel try and grab the bait and fall into the garbage can(which it cant jump out of). Check this type of trap frequently. If theres a rat in the pail either fill it water, or finish it off with a shovel.
These methods will get most of the rats, but to kill the king rat the most effective(and time consuming) method is spotlighting. First determine where the rat is travelling, then get a lawnchair and six pack of lucky. Prepare a .177 calibre pellet gun by duct taping an LED flashlight to the barrel. Figure out where the rat is hanging out, set food out and wait. Large rats will almost always start moving right at dusk. When you see it come out, shine the flashlight in its eyes and it will freeze momentarily. In Victoria I caught killed a very large rat this way. Over 30cm long, with no tail and scars all over its face that I presume were from snap traps.
Happy hunting!
Rats are highly intelligent. You will almost always catch the babies and young ones first, followed by the females. The last rat you catch with typically be the king rat, the alpha male. I have observed this at 3 seperate residences. The king rat will typically be the most difficult to catch.
Snap style traps can be very effective but rats learn quickly that they are dangerous. Observing rats, I have seen the large ones hold back and watch while smaller rats are caught/killed first. Always place the traps along fences or walls, with the longest side of the trap touching the wall. Rats typically travel along fences or edges, and placing the trap in the same direction of increases the effectiveness of the trap. If you know where the rats nest is, face the trap to the snap points towards the nest. Rats leaving at night to eat will be headed face first into the traps. Once your catch rate drops off and rats get wise to snap style traps, you need to appeal to their intelligence. Place bait on the traps and dont set them for a few days. Let the rats get conditioned to the traps as a food source, then try just setting one or two out of a set.
Another good method is the trash can. An adult rat can jump about 24-30 inches. Using a 160L trash can put a piece of dowel or broomstick through the top with a cardboard paper towel roll or soup can in the middle. Place the bait on the soup can. THe rat will walk out on the dowel try and grab the bait and fall into the garbage can(which it cant jump out of). Check this type of trap frequently. If theres a rat in the pail either fill it water, or finish it off with a shovel.
These methods will get most of the rats, but to kill the king rat the most effective(and time consuming) method is spotlighting. First determine where the rat is travelling, then get a lawnchair and six pack of lucky. Prepare a .177 calibre pellet gun by duct taping an LED flashlight to the barrel. Figure out where the rat is hanging out, set food out and wait. Large rats will almost always start moving right at dusk. When you see it come out, shine the flashlight in its eyes and it will freeze momentarily. In Victoria I caught killed a very large rat this way. Over 30cm long, with no tail and scars all over its face that I presume were from snap traps.
Happy hunting!
Prawn Star
Active Member
Great rat killing tutorial. Thanks outbeen.
fish brain
Crew Member
I sense a how I got the ******* story coming up!
Great post...had me reminiscing about Carl's quest to kill the gopher in Caddyshack!
Ocean Jade
Member
Ocean Jade
Member
Birdsnest
Well-Known Member
I had rats under my hot tub once and this is how that went:
For years now I have run a vacation rental in tofino with a hot tub. I had just had a group of Chinese people in there and I went out to the hot tub to check it and I turn the jets on and the bubbles to check for scum build up. The tub is rubbling with the noise of the bubble but there is this horrible fishy smell. I thought to myself what the hell did this group put in here? So I was frustrated because I had to change the water which is nothing new really but I really thought they had put something in the water.
After changing the water and getting it ready for the next group I am horrified that the smell is till there! I inform the new guest that I have to change the water and the tub will be ready the next day. Again the new water is just as bad. Im supper pissed because I think my tub is wrecked. I open the door to the pump and brains of the tub and I can see a slight blood trail from the motor. Now Im very curious. The blood trail looked like a snake motion and I now think something is up that involves and animal.
One more time I drain the tub and but it on its side to inspect the whole underside of it. Sure enough there is a festering maggot filled rat with the tip of its tail cut off from the pump. I am truly horrified and a bit ashamed that I thought the Chinese people may have put some fishy concoction in the water.
I now know that hot tubs need to be critter proved because in the winter it is very cozy inside for them.
So ya, I don't like rats.
For years now I have run a vacation rental in tofino with a hot tub. I had just had a group of Chinese people in there and I went out to the hot tub to check it and I turn the jets on and the bubbles to check for scum build up. The tub is rubbling with the noise of the bubble but there is this horrible fishy smell. I thought to myself what the hell did this group put in here? So I was frustrated because I had to change the water which is nothing new really but I really thought they had put something in the water.
After changing the water and getting it ready for the next group I am horrified that the smell is till there! I inform the new guest that I have to change the water and the tub will be ready the next day. Again the new water is just as bad. Im supper pissed because I think my tub is wrecked. I open the door to the pump and brains of the tub and I can see a slight blood trail from the motor. Now Im very curious. The blood trail looked like a snake motion and I now think something is up that involves and animal.
One more time I drain the tub and but it on its side to inspect the whole underside of it. Sure enough there is a festering maggot filled rat with the tip of its tail cut off from the pump. I am truly horrified and a bit ashamed that I thought the Chinese people may have put some fishy concoction in the water.
I now know that hot tubs need to be critter proved because in the winter it is very cozy inside for them.
So ya, I don't like rats.
Sideshow Bob
New Member
Had a cat - a sweet little thing and a blood-thirsty killer too. Rats came in dead, and were devoured. She'd leave the feet and tails and a pile of intestinal goo. Woke up some nights to the sound of gnashing kitty teeth and crunching bones from underneath the bed. Gross.
Once, she left an intact trophy on the living room floor. 19" from tip to tail. Neck neatly broken and all its fur intact. Mounting quality kill. She swanned around proudly for hours.
Spotted a twoonie-sized hole in the stucco of my house a few weeks ago. Insulation pulled out and other obvious sign. Showed the new cat where to hunt, but he's useless. Prefers beetles and flies.
Thanks for all the advice on the thread. Wish me luck!
Once, she left an intact trophy on the living room floor. 19" from tip to tail. Neck neatly broken and all its fur intact. Mounting quality kill. She swanned around proudly for hours.
Spotted a twoonie-sized hole in the stucco of my house a few weeks ago. Insulation pulled out and other obvious sign. Showed the new cat where to hunt, but he's useless. Prefers beetles and flies.
Thanks for all the advice on the thread. Wish me luck!
california
Well-Known Member
This rat thread provides some good information and seems to mirror some real life drama. The rat Killer Mueller has been picking off the little rats using a variety of baits, hes gotten the Papadopoulous rat, Manafort rat, The Flynn Rat, the Cohen rat and now the Stone rat. A whole bunch of Russian rats have fled the scene to avoid being trapped, but as several posters here have pointed out the King Rat, the biggest nastiest, one is hardest to kill and you can't get rid of the infestation until you kill it. But the King rat lives protected in his white house, immune it seems to the normal rules of engagement. Maybe some of the good ideas here on how to kill the King rat could be employed, to rid the area of vermin and the diseases they carry.
CIVANO
Well-Known Member
You are a fool!
Corey_lax
Crew Member
3 weeks later and I still haven't successfully caught this rat.... 4 traps set up. 2 big ones, 2 small ones. All the traps are set off after a couple days but no squished necks to be found.
