How Do You Catch A Rat?

I had a rat that was out for at least a month, possibly more. I couldn't catch her to save my life. I tried live traps for a long time -two of them bated with different things, but she managed to get out or just eat the food without getting caught. Then I tried some sticky traps, and one of those black plastic snap traps -the tomcat trap. Still nothing. I even caught her twice by hand in a homemade trap I made out of a tub, but I didn't have gloves when I went to catch her and she bit me and I dropped her. We went away for the weekend to go to Tinley and I came back to a washer that was completely destroyed, she chewed every plastic hose she could. I was so mad!!! The only reason I "caught" her was because I stopped free feeding our cat that things he's special and he killed her within a few days. He still doesn't get free fed to this day... Rats are entirely too smart. I really don't know how to catch a rat like that.

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Originally Posted by wilomn

I'm sort of old fashioned in my rat catching.

I take a plain old snap trap and tie a small piece of string to the trip lever. Make sure the string only goes about 1/2 inch past the end of the lever. You don't want it very long at all. Once it's tied on, BEFORE you arm the trap, coat it with peanut butter. Put it on sort of thick. When the rat is licking it off the trip lever he'll find the string and pull it, snapping the trap on his neck. That's why the string needs to be short.

Some rats are gentle enough to lick the lever clean if you don't put the string on it. If it's a particularly smart rat, put the baited trap out a few times WITHOUT arming it. Lull the rat into a false sense of security. Then when you do arm it, WHAM.

Works pretty good for me.

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I like this strategy. Smart!

When ever one of my rats gets out I use a live trap to catch them. I almost always have them by the next day. My favorite live trap is the have a heart traps. And they are great to have around in case a rat ever gets out. I tried cheaper made traps and some rats can get out of them. The HAH traps has a bar that locks the door down. You may be able to rent on from a wildlife center. Or if you have time and nothing better to do you can try what I cousin did once. He got a laundry basket a stick, string and some bait. Tie the string to the stick. Propped up the basket with the stick and place your bait into the the back of the basket. Then hide and wait. And wait, and wait some more. When the rat goes into the basket for the bait pull the string, dropping the basket down. Or you can just try the live trap.

im not sure if you like the sounds of it but i do this when someone gets out too.. if they get out they are died.. i bought an airsoft gun( NOT one that you need c02 for) at wal-mart for like $15 .. its a pistol .. and when i see them i just pop them 1-2 times in the head.. make sure to get the bullet out if its going to a snakes belly..