Author Topic: rat trap bait (Read 1102 times)

zoner · « **on:** June 21, 2012, 12:02:27 PM »

howdy all. Got some trappin questions concerning the urban rat, guys. I've lived in my house for 36 yrs or so and the other day saw the first and only rat i've ever seen here behind my house crossing the alley so me and a couple neighbors put some traps around....no way we could use any kind of poison here. I know the old standby is cheese but figure their must be other good if not better baits to use....any body got any good ideas......Mike

hillbill · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2012, 12:12:15 PM »

my gma would use a chunk of raw bacon tied on the trigger with a piece of thread.myself i use a raisan sucrely mashed ito the little hook part of the trigger with some peanut butter on it.

zoner · « **Reply #2 on:** June 21, 2012, 12:14:26 PM »

thanks for the help,sir

hardertr · « **Reply #3 on:** June 21, 2012, 12:27:00 PM »

Peanut butter smeared on the trap plate has always worked for me. You can also try a cotton ball with a dab of vanilla extract on it. Just set the trap right up alongside the trash cans (I'm assuming you live in one of the residential areas that puts the cans out in the alley for pick-up). Just put a little sign with "rat trap" and an arrow on it tape it to the can on trash days so the garbage men will know it's there.

45-70.gov · « **Reply #4 on:** June 21, 2012, 01:30:58 PM »

peanut butter #1

remove all other food sources

if you see a rat and don't scare it
it wil return the next day within a feww minutes
then use rat shot or air rifle

mcbammer · « **Reply #5 on:** June 21, 2012, 01:54:04 PM »

Peanut Butter on a jar lid . Cage traps instead of spring loaded.

Bogmaster · « **Reply #6 on:** June 21, 2012, 04:52:49 PM »

Any land loving rodent will relish peanut butter.
Tom

Bugflipper · « **Reply #7 on:** June 21, 2012, 06:15:54 PM »

I had them move into a mustang I was restoring one time. I put mothballs in it and that ran them out. May want to throw some under the house and in the attic to keep them from setting up shop. I have never used live traps. Just for the regular rat traps bacon, peanut butter and cheese has always been good for me. Most likely they would eat about any handout they could get though.

zoner · « **Reply #8 on:** June 22, 2012, 12:30:05 AM »

thanks again.....sounds like peanut butter might be the ticket.....will report back with results( i hope).....Mike

jlwilliams · « **Reply #9 on:** June 22, 2012, 01:03:54 AM »

Be sure to set multiple traps. Rats are smart and will avoid traps after seeing another rat killed in one. Setting multiple traps all on the same night minimizes the likelyhood that more will see it. Get as many as possable at once. Also try a few different types of traps. I set spring traps and lay out big glue traps and lay poison bait all at the same time. Keep that up for a week, then lay off for a while. Killing rats is a numbers game. Get as many as possable, because there is no such thing as one rat. Good luck.

Oh yeah, like 45-70 said, eliminate all other sources of food. Secure trash like it's gold. Feed the cat inside. Go on a clean up crusade. That is why there are rats, food. Get rid of their food and they will move to food. That is the number one thing to do. Make the only sources of food for them trap bait or poison (I know you said that's a no go for you, but others may read this and be able to use it)

45-70.gov · « **Reply #10 on:** June 22, 2012, 02:34:57 AM »

i have seen worn rat trails
coming out of a shed to a never empty dog food bowl

that dog was way to fat as were the owners
they rented from me and wanted me to deal with their rats

they looked puzzled when i pointed out the trails and not to overfeed the fat dog
the rats left when they left
dog food makes a rat immune to some rat poison

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #11 on:** June 22, 2012, 09:31:37 AM »

I'm not sold on peanut butter as a great rhodent lure afetr watching something a few days ago. A mouse come out in daylight right on top of the cooking range so I went and got a mouse trap and smeared peanut butter on it and placed it on the range. A few minutes later the mouse come back out sniffed the peanut butter and went away sniffing every other edible thing settleing on a frying pan with bacon grease where he ate a while on that. Then he went and smelled everything in the area, trying to get through nthe cracks in the heating coils to get at food that had fell through but couldn't get at it. Eventually he give up and reluctantly come back to the peanut butter and bingo.

rzwieg · « **Reply #12 on:** June 22, 2012, 06:47:47 PM »

I've seen mice lick PB off the paddle on traps. Now I secure walnut or pecan to the trigger with light wire.

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #13 on:** June 23, 2012, 02:24:10 AM »

Moles or shrews along with some mice can lick the peanut butter off a trap without springing it. I put elmers glue on the trap pan and let sunflower seeds dry in the glue, gets them every time.

mcbammer · « **Reply #14 on:** June 23, 2012, 10:36:39 AM »

Quote from: Asa Lenon on June 23, 2012, 02:24:10 AM

Moles or shrews along with some mice can lick the peanut butter off a trap without springing it. I put elmers glue on the trap pan and let sunflower seeds dry in the glue, gets them every time.

I think he is trying to catch the big browns , thats why I suggest a cage trap.

zoner · « **Reply #15 on:** June 24, 2012, 01:31:31 AM »

got one with the peanut butter yesterday....unfortunately it wasn't the one I saw cuz the one i saw was bigger, but at this point a dead rat is a good thing......more to come i hope......Mike

muznut 54 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 24, 2012, 02:14:13 AM »

Bacon grease or peanut butter melt it dunk a cotton ball in it when it cools tie it to the trap trigger so the rat or mouse has to push or pull it to get it off, bang every time.

zoner · « **Reply #17 on:** June 27, 2012, 09:13:40 AM »

once again thanks for your advice guys......the dead rat count is up to three

45-70.gov · « **Reply #18 on:** June 28, 2012, 03:05:21 AM »

what a waste of good targets

zoner · « **Reply #19 on:** June 29, 2012, 01:24:58 AM »

DRC(dead rat count)= four now and still trappin......Mike

alan in ga · « **Reply #20 on:** June 29, 2012, 01:42:21 AM »

there are 2 basic rat familys in general, wharf and roof rats. Roof rats like fruit/nut food. I use a commercially prepared attractant but believe you might find good results with FIG NEWTON bars, using the fruity gooey center for the attractant. It smells just like what I use.
Peanut butter and cheese works but it never hurts to vary your attractants. If a rat has had his nose or head popped unsuccessfully by a trap but didn't get caught, he won't go back that THAT attractant again, or even a trap that smells similar [wood trap such as a Victor]. If you've used wood traps for a while, switch over to plastic traps such as the T Rex brand. They smell different and rats are smart and have memory. Also, make sure the traps do not 'move' easily and are set on a surface that does not let them 'wobble' when touched. Rats want a quiet secure surface to first explore, not something that 'moves' or feels insecure.
From a rat chaser for the last 40 years.....and still doing it.

rzwieg · « **Reply #21 on:** July 03, 2012, 07:26:03 PM »

Quite sound alan.

When I was a kid my folks had rat that got into everything. It chewed through light sheet metal, wood, plastic.I tried snap traps with pb, cheese, walnut, fried bacon...#2 coils then small cage traps with corn...she was well educated.

It got hit by a car crossing the road to the neighbors. They were happy too. 13" from nose to the base of the tail. Wish I had a pic.