Best way to catch Rats

I had a bit of a rat problem when we bought the house I'm in now. The rats would trip the wood snap traps and I would only get them the odd time. I switched to a Have A Hart live trap and would get them every time. Only thing is they are still alive, used a tall 5 gal bucket and drown them, then decided that was to much work, now I just blast them though the cage with a pellet gun. I have found the best bait was peanut butter or crispy crunch candy bar. I really hate rats.
 
We have a Jackie and a Rosie! Two big German Shepard’s who hate rats almost as much as I do. They both actively hunt rats in our yard and are very successfully. They like to bite the legs off and leave them for me to kill in the morning
When I was a kid we had this dog that came to us a stray, I don't know exactly what he was, but I'm pretty sure he had some Terrier in him. He could be lying on the deck and see a rat in the yard. He would be down one story of stairs and across 150 ish feet of yard so fast you wondered what just happened. He would then break every bone in it's body without breaking the skin, so all that was left was this lump of jelly like fur. Man I would like another dog like him, as he also had just a great personality.
 
I installed the Lunainator in 2010 and have never had rats since. Averages a rat a month and the odd squirrel or too a year. I left her with a buddy over the weekend and she killed 6 in the 2 days she was there. lol
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I’m a Victor trap and peanut butter guy.

I had a neighbour two doors away with bird feeders in her yard for years. Rat magnets those feeders. She moved, rat problem mostly left when bird feeders were gone. I killed dozens over 20 years, used the same victor traps till they wore out then bought new ones as needed. There’s always rats around no matter where you live but if they’re not messing with my stuff, I leave them be.
 
Best trap i've used so far, easy clean up, add just a touch of peanut butter in the twist on holder.
one hand squeeze and removes the rat, they stop coming around, lol just leave them dead in the trap
for few days they learn quick.

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.tomcat-rat-snap-trap.1000105879.html

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These traps are very good. I camouflage them in my compost pile. Cover them with lettuce, sink them in a bit so they have to root around to get to the peanut butter and SNAP. Last year I had one caught by the tip of his nose. Judging by the mess in the compost he fought that trap for a long time but he never shook it. When I was a kid we used to go to the dump and shoot rats with our .22 single shot Cooey. That was alot more fun than what kids do today with their PS4.
 
Our dogs live to chase and exterminate them too. Unfortunately some people were / are using poison traps and it also knocked the squirrel population down to where we didn’t see any for one season. As we / most of us know, that poison eventually gets into the food chain. I know some people consider squirrels to be 'tree rats’ but around here they seem to go about their own business without bothering anything.
 
I hate the poison method. I don't want to have to track down the rotting flesh smell if a rat died within a wall cavity.

I was working on my old motorcycle in the garage one day. We had a cardboard box full of rags. I went to grab a rag without really looking into the box and I grabbed a rat perfectly around the belly. Instantly threw the rat in the air and ran out of there like a little girl. If I didn't panic so fast, I probably could have easily killed the rat by throwing it against the wall. Ended up hitting it with a shovel. But anyways, I sealed up some holes in the garage and no more rats.

I also have one of those noise producing things in there now and we haven't seen any rats since.
 
I hate the poison method. I don't want to have to track down the rotting flesh smell if a rat died within a wall cavity.

I was working on my old motorcycle in the garage one day. We had a cardboard box full of rags. I went to grab a rag without really looking into the box and I grabbed a rat perfectly around the belly. Instantly threw the rat in the air and ran out of there like a little girl. If I didn't panic so fast, I probably could have easily killed the rat by throwing it against the wall. Ended up hitting it with a shovel. But anyways, I sealed up some holes in the garage and no more rats.

I also have one of those noise producing things in there now and we haven't seen any rats since.

The old grab a live wriggling thing unknowingly reaction. :eek: one time we had a bunch of rats nesting in the ceiling in the barn office. I'd had enough and started to tear it down. I was wearing a respirator, this rat comes launching out of the ceiling lands on my face/respirator and takes off running for the hills I don't know who was more freaked out me or him.
Re the noise makers, If you have something they like, (feed/Heat) they will eventually get used to it. I used them above my milking parlor where there were these grain feeders that went through the ceiling down to where the cows were milked. the rats were always getting into the feeders. I put the noise makers up there and the rats disappeared. I thought all my troubles were over, I could put them anywhere I didn't want rats, so I bought a ton of them...............And then the rats came back. So my advice for what it is worth (which may not be much) is to turn it off until you see evidence and then turn it back on. I havent used the noise makers in a bunch of years. maybe it's time I dug some out.
It is interesting to see how others deal with rat problems.
 
I started using a Aspectek Yard Sentenel RC in the boat this year with no sign of rats.
Instructions say to change the frequency setting every couple of weeks so they dont get used to it. Still leave a couple traps set just in case.
 
Victors all the way. Snap and their dead, make sure you smear a small amount of peanut butter UNDER the trigger, on top and the smaller ones can lick clean. Its the time of year and they will be around. I do feed the birds all winter so rats are a normal problem, treat like a challenge, trapline out just like when I was a kid on the farm. Last year a first, 2 young ones by the head in the same trap.

HM
 
I use slightly modified Victors. I install small finishing nails around the edge, so when the trap is tripped, the nails impale the rats - quick death. I even sharpen the nails a bit. Once impalled, they can’t pull out. A little messy, but effective.
No catch and release here! Almost as much fun as fishing!
Stosh
 
Anyone try casting for them? Peanut butter ball and a sharp barbed hook? haha...
Give it a try. Make sure to film yourself. You could wind up with your own fishing show and big dollar sponsors ! Sort of the Charlie White of the rat fishing world.
 
Anyone try casting for them? Peanut butter ball and a sharp barbed hook? haha...
I believe the rat is barbless only, but it may depend on what Rat Area you’re fishing. Also be aware there are Rat Slot limits and Rat Conservation Areas (RCA).
 
Sounds fun. Lawn chair in the yard, cast to the compost pile. A Lucky in one hand and a cigar... then wait for the bite. ;-)
Nope campfire pellet gun with a flash lite taped to the barrel and a chicken coop. Now that's fun. Pop....squeal,everyone drinks
 
Noticed a foul order and flies everywhere as I had decided to give up on the traps, speed up the kill and move towards using poison.Big mistake but did find the source of the rat infestation. My hot tub. Must have pulled over a hundred dead,crusted critters imdedded in the foam insulation which they apparently love to chew on. What a mess and it unfortunately cost me $15k for a new tub which the dealer swears is rat proof.
Stayed tuned I guess on this one.
Also have a huge problem wiith raccoons and their insistence on snacking on my ongoing chauffeur beetle battle and the rotor tilling my front lawn. Apparantley racoons love to eat rats so now I have no idea what to do? Welcome to Burnaby.
 
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