The Rat's End....

[here to stay]

Or what I saw hanging out the back of the Rat Zapper.

I definitely have a rat problem. And a dilemma on how to deal with it. I do not want to poison as there are both neighborhood pets and LGDs nearby. I did the 5 gallon water bucket trap, which worked like gang busters last year but failed to catch a single rat this year. Any bait put in mechanical traps gets eaten by slugs overnight. And to catch a rat, you have to let the trap sit unmolested for a couple of days til the rats get used to it by which time the bait's long gone.

So I bought a rat zapper. After sitting for about a week, it finally killed a rat yesterday. A hefty one, who is probably the parent of many. I feel like ixm losing the war.

The best would be a ratting dog but for many reasons, among which are the cost of vet bills these days, I am reluctant to get another dog. Oh well....

Anyone have another weapon in the rat wars?

[copperkid3]

In days past, a good Ruger 10/22 with an excellent scope worked wonders....



Y.M.M.V.

[here to stay]

Well, this morning saw another rat in the trap. Maybe it will work.

[Skandi]

My uncle had been fighting rats in his greenhouse, he'd tried all sorts of poison and they just ate it and lived, but one of those electric traps sorted it. I have a problem in my chicken run, but I don't know what to do with mine, I don't want to go electric as we have two small barn cats that I would rather not zap. Can't buy poison here only the state does that. but that water trap sounds an idea, I will look it up.

[here to stay]

The traps I have are tunnel like. I suppose a cat could reach its paw in but I have no idea why they would do so nor if it would seriously hurt if they could get it in far enough. I think once a rat is killed inside the tunnel the trap needs to be reset before it discharges again. So if an animal chose to pull a dead rat out it shouldn't shock them. I think anyway- the ibstructions are pretty minimal.