Rodents cause great harm to humans. Rats are the most dangerous of them because they are intelligent and cunning. They carry diseases, damage property and destroy food. Once a rat appears in the house, it is not easy to get rid of it. Sometimes conventional traps do not bring results, and new models have to be invented. At home, you can make effective rat traps with your own hands from available items.
Types of Rat Traps
Currently, there are several types of rat traps on store shelves, differing in structure and operating principles:
- those that cause injury to animals:
- those who kill them;
- those that catch rodents without harming them.
In addition to mechanical ones, there are often electronic devices that are no less effective. The trap should be installed where rats are most often found, as well as near the discovered hole, after making sure that the house has inhabitants. To do this, before going to bed, you need to block the exit with paper or cotton wool. If it is free in the morning, it means the mink is inhabited. Otherwise, you should look for another habitat for the animal. Rats try to be invisible, so they move along the walls and prefer dark areas of the room. The rat trap must be installed against the direction of their movement.
Electronic trap
The electronic device is a container powered by mains or batteries, inside which the bait is placed. Has one or more inputs and an indicator light. When the trap is ready for use, the green light turns on. Red color indicates that the device has worked.
Caught in an electronic trap, a rat receives a powerful electric shock
The mechanism of the device allows you to automatically detect a rodent running into the chamber, after which the rat trap slams shut. When a rat steps on the electrodes or tries to grab the bait with its teeth, it is killed by an electric shock. This trap is safe for humans and pets. Installing the device is simple:
- We put the bait inside the trap through special round holes.
- We place the rat trap where rodents were most often encountered (in front of the hole or along the wall).
- Turn on the device.
- When the rat is caught, turn off the device and shake out the pest.
Video: operating principle of an electric rat trap
Mechanical rat trap
A mechanical trap is a device whose base consists of metal or wood with two brackets attached to it. They secure a frame made of thick wire. There is a spring at the bottom of it.
It is not necessary to use cheese as bait placed in the recess of a mechanical trap.
The device installation process looks like this:
- First of all, we pull back the frame and cover it with a metal arrow.
- We insert the arrow into the loop located in the movable part of the base.
- We place the bait in a special recess.
- We place the trap in the right place.
Video: operating principle of a mechanical rat trap
Usually, a blow from a frame immediately breaks the spine or skull of a rodent, but there have been cases when a rat managed to twitch and had its limbs or torso pinched. After this, the pest remained alive, but could not get out of the trap. If the animal remains in this position for a long time, death will occur within 3-4 days from dehydration.
Rat traps
The length of the rat trap-press reaches 30 cm. The principle of its operation coincides with the classical device. Thanks to the powerful teeth, reminiscent of the “jaws” of a trap, the rat has no chance of survival.
After catching the rat, the bracket is lifted and the carcass is thrown out
When installing a trap, you must configure the device correctly. To do this you need:
- Unclench the “mouth” of the rat trap.
- Place the bait in a special opening.
- Place the trap in front of the hole or along the walls.
Live trap cells
Using a live trap is the most humane way to get rid of rodents
A live cage trap is an easy-to-use trap that does not harm people or pets. This method of catching rodents is suitable if it is a pity to kill them. After the trap is slammed, the rat does not suffer any injury and it is possible to release it away from the area. The live traps themselves are cages made of rectangular or round wire.
The structure of a live trap cell is extremely simple.
On one side of the device there is a tin door, which opens with a special locking handle. It is attached to the edge of the hook, and the bait is put on it. Once the rat gets inside and pulls at the treat, the handle comes off and the door slams shut, trapping the rodent.
Live traps come in single and multi-seat types. The latter can accommodate up to 10 individuals. An ordinary rat trap has dimensions of 50x30x24 cm. Through the hole, the victim sneaks into the trap, walks along a swinging bridge and falls into another compartment from which there is no exit.
Instructions for using the device are as follows:
- Pull the handle out of the cage completely.
- Open the door and put the bait on the hook inside.
- We insert the frame located on top of the cage inside the handle and hook it to the hook.
- Place the trap in the right place.
Video: operating principle of a live trap for rats
There are several useful tips when using such a device:
- When choosing a high-quality live trap, you should make sure that it consists of natural materials. The base should be iron or wood. Do not use a device made of cheap plastic, as rodents are repelled by the smell.
- The mesh should be thick in diameter so that the rat cannot chew through the bars.
- If the trap has not been checked for a long time and the animal died there, it should be washed thoroughly before the next use. Rats have a developed sense of smell, and if they smell a corpse, they may not even approach the live trap.
The disadvantages of the design are its large size and bulkiness. It does not always fit in the right place and takes up a large area of the room when stored.
Glue trap
Adhesive-based devices are often used to catch rats. Such traps are left at the entrance to burrows and in places where rodents frequent. Devices made from glue do not emit harmful fumes, therefore they are safe for humans and pets. But still, you should not install such traps in places where children and pets play. You should also monitor the cleanliness of the room in which they are located. Dirt and dust settling on top of the device significantly reduces the adhesiveness.
A trap based on special glue for rats is low cost, but its duration of action is limited
This trap is sold both ready-made and in the form of a tube of glue, which is spread on a sheet of cardboard or other base. Next, bait is placed there. Once the rat gets its paws or body onto the sticky area, it tries to escape, causing it to become even more bogged down and eventually become completely stuck, with no chance of escape. Several animals can get on the glue at the same time.
Despite all the advantages, the device also has a number of disadvantages:
- Caught animals suffer for a long time in such traps, gradually dying of hunger and thirst. Not everyone has the courage to kill an animal right away.
- If you take the mousetrap outside the room, there is a risk that birds will get stuck.
- If a child or pet gets into the glue, it will not be possible to easily wash off such contamination. You will have to scrub the skin with vegetable oil for a long time, since it is this that best dissolves the active substance of the trap. And the animal’s fur needs to be trimmed.
Ways to fight
If you notice signs of the presence of rats, action should be taken immediately. There are three ways to fight:
- Biological. Many people prefer to just get a cat. But this solution is not always acceptable;
- Chemical. Using poisonous baits is effective, but unsafe, especially if you have pets.
- Physical. To exterminate rodents, a rat trap is installed. Stores offer a variety of rat traps, but homemade rat traps are no less effective.
Read on topic - The dog ate rat poison - what to do
Which trap to choose
Often, from all the variety of traps that differ in efficiency and price, it can be quite difficult to choose the right one. Professionals offer a number of tips to help you choose a rat trap.
Helpful Tips:
- If there are one or more rodents and there are no children or animals in the room, a rat trap or a single live trap will help catch the pest. If finances allow, you should use an electronic trap.
- If rats appear in large numbers, a multi-place trap or strangler should be installed.
- It is recommended to use a product made from natural materials. If you choose a device made of plastic, you need to ensure that there is no chemical smell.
Purpose
Most often, a rat trap is used to catch rodents at home. Such structures are installed in areas where rat populations are located to quickly catch them.
The ideal option for hunting these pests is to install rat traps in their holes.
Rat and mouse are cunning animals that avoid open areas and prefer to move in corners or along walls. This tactic allows rodents to remain invisible and safe.
Important! Rats have an exceptional sense of smell and are very clean. They avoid unclean objects, strong odors, and polluted areas.
It is recommended to keep rat traps clean, otherwise animals simply will not look into them. If rodent traps become dirty, they should be washed with a 2% soda solution and then ventilated. It is not recommended to use strong-smelling substances as bait, as pest animals will avoid them.
How to make a rat trap with your own hands
If for some reason it is not possible to buy a ready-made trap for rodents, you can always try to build a rat trap yourself from materials that you have on hand.
From a flower pot
This rat trap is the easiest and most affordable to use. But the pot itself must be quite large to completely cover the rat. If you don't have one, an enamel or tin bucket will do.
Step-by-step instructions for making such a trap are as follows:
- We prepare a high plastic bar. It should be such that the rat can easily get into the pot.
- We sharpen one side of the bar and place the bait on the tip. We direct the pointed edge into the pot.
- We place the bar on the edge.
- We place a pot on top, one side resting on the bar and the other on the floor.
To create a home trap, you can use any similar container instead of a pot.
When the rodent grabs the bait, the bar falls, the pot lowers, and the rat remains trapped inside.
On a note. It is advisable to place cardboard or plywood under the structure, this will make it easier to throw out the animal.
From the bucket
To make a trap, you can use an unnecessary plastic or iron bucket, as well as a sheet of cardboard and tape. The rat trap is installed in the following order:
- A tunnel is made from cardboard and secured with tape.
- One half is placed on the edge of the table (it is advisable to secure it with tape to the table so that it does not move), and the other should hang down.
- Bait is placed on the edge of the tunnel.
- A bucket is placed under the hanging half of the cardboard structure.
To create a rat trap, instead of cardboard, you can use a piece of wide plastic pipe
When the rat smells the bait, it will follow it inside the tunnel and, having reached the edge, tip over into the container.
Video: operating principle of a rat trap made of cardboard and a container of water
On a note. Before placing the bucket, you should pour water into it. This way the rat will definitely not get out of the trap.
From a plastic bottle
To catch a large rat, use a 2-5 liter bottle and perform the following steps step by step:
- The top part of the bottle is cut off, but not all the way, so that it can be opened slightly.
- A long rod is fixed at the bottom of the cut opening. A harness is attached to it, replacing the spring.
- A hole is made near the bottom of the bottle. A hook is attached to it, on which the bait is attached.
- The door that is made is attracted to the top of the bottle itself and, as soon as the rodent pulls the treat, it slams shut.
The traditional version of a bottle trap is very easy to make
Electric homemade rat trap
To make an electric trap, we will need plexiglass, wood, a plug with wires cut from old household appliances, and step-by-step implementation of the following steps:
- We are building a house. The upper and lower parts are made of wood, everything else is made of plexiglass.
- An exit is created in one wall, and long grooves are drilled in the other two, located parallel.
- A glass plate is inserted into them. It should slide easily in the grooves.
- Another gap is made on the side of the door. Two bare wires crossed with each other are passed through it.
- They are led to the trap door.
- The bait is placed inside.
As a result of these simple actions, the rat ends up in a trap, where it is electrocuted.
People who have at least a little knowledge of this field can make an electric trap.
Noose noose
Making your own rat trap-noose is not difficult.
To make a noose loop we will need:
- rubber band;
- a piece of strong thread or fishing line;
- wooden plank;
- weight (wrench, hammer);
- bait.
Step-by-step instruction:
- We construct a loop from a rubber band that should be easily tightened.
- Attach the noose to the edge of the board. The end of the tape should hang down.
- We attach the bait to the edge of the board so that, when approaching it, the rat runs through the loop.
- We tie the bait with a thread, one end of which is tied to the load, the other to the noose.
- When the animal grabs the bait, the weighting object falls sharply, and the noose around the rodent's neck tightens.
Video: how a rat trap works
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Uo_i2mZIFqM
Bird snare
You can fight birds using a hunting snare. With its help, it will be possible to detain even individuals of impressive size.
Assemble the structure according to the diagram posted on the website. Proceed step by step:
- Find a log of medium thickness. Length about 2 m.
- Drill through.
- Dig into the ground.
- Thread some fishing line or rope through the hole. Tie a weight on one edge and make a loop on the other.
- Lay the loop on the ground.
- Make a knot near the hole. Insert a perch into it and place the bait on it. As soon as the bird lands on it, it will immediately fall and be pulled into the noose.
You will have to fight for the safety of your harvest. But keep in mind that it is permissible to resort to all these methods exclusively on your own site. Using them for hunting purposes is prohibited by Russian legislation.
Which bait to choose
Rats love to eat animal products. Therefore, the following baits are suitable for traps:
- fish;
- sausage;
- ground meat;
- salo;
- cheese;
- egg.
Care should be taken to ensure that the bait has a strong odor. In this case, the rat will smell the bait and will want to eat the treat, overcoming its fear. Smoked products (sausage, cheese, lard) are perfect for this purpose.
On a note. When working with bait, you should keep in mind that you should not touch the bait with your bare hands, as the smell of a person repels rodents.
If the bait remains untouched for several days, it needs to be replaced with something else.
The best commercial rat traps
The following commercial traps can be distinguished:
- Press traps.
- Tunnel traps.
- Electrical devices.
- Mesh traps.
- Ultrasonic repellers, etc.
For many, ultrasonic repellers have already become an excellent alternative to other control methods that involve killing animals.
Beautiful fake “Little Mice” crocheted with diagrams and descriptions in amigurumi style
The symbol of the coming year can also be crocheted from beautiful soft yarn. You can use such crafts as Christmas tree decorations, or you can decorate your New Year’s table with them. Offering a detailed description of how to knit a mouse, even a beginning knitter can handle it.
You will need:
- Yarn for knitting milky, pink and pink 100% acrylic 400/100m;
- Crochet hook 1.25;
- 2 black beads;
- 1 pink bead;
- Needle and thread;
- Stuffing for toys;
- Thin white line.
Creation stages:
1. The mouse’s head is knitted first. The finished piece must be stuffed with stuffing and finished knitting by decreasing the row to 6 loops.
2. Now the lower legs are knitted using pink thread.
3. After this, the upper legs are knitted.
4. To knit the ears, use a gray thread at the beginning of knitting, and then continue knitting with a pink thread.
5. Now the mouse’s body itself is knitted; do not forget to stuff the parts with filler to give them volume.
6. The last thing to knit is the mouse’s tail. Once all the parts are knitted, they will need to be sewn. Glue on black eyes, a pink nose and insert antennae from fishing line.
Even a knitter without experience can handle such a simple pattern, the main thing is to have the desire.
Electrical
An electric rat trap is an innovative device powered by electric current. Such traps are made in the form of houses (boxes), filling them with aromatic baits. Inside an electric rat trap there is a special mechanism powered by electricity. A powerful electric discharge is created inside, capable of killing a rodent that gets inside. Electrotraps are safe for people.
Rats caught in such electric rat traps have virtually no chance of survival, since the resulting electric discharge affects the animal for at least two minutes. There is a special signal on the body of the electric trap, which indicates in color that the “prey” has been caught.
Why you need to fight rodents
Danger from rodents
If we take agriculture, then the situation with rats is very difficult there. The problem lies in the destruction of crops: they spoil the bark of trees and eat small plants that were planted by farmers.
Rats can live in food warehouses and this is not even uncommon. Over the course of one winter, a flock can spoil a large amount of food. Rats also eat bird eggs, causing harm to poultry farms.
They not only damage the foods they feed on, they even spread to untouched foods. Scientists conducted an experiment, its essence was that the rats were offered a whole warehouse to live in. The period of residence was limited to two months. During this time they were able to ruin everything that was possible. When calculating all the losses, the damage was simply colossal. About two hundred tons of sugar, fourteen tons of flour, two hundred boxes of pasta were eaten by rodents over these two months. Accordingly, it was no longer possible to restore all this.
It can be concluded that rats pose a danger not only to human health, but they can also affect financial components. Thanks to the teeth of rats, they can easily chew through not only thick cardboard, but even metal. It has been proven that rats can destroy various structures by gradually destroying concrete supports. It follows from this that if there is no food in the warehouse, they will begin to destroy the warehouse itself. If there are a lot of them, then it won’t be difficult for them to damage the walls, wiring and equipment in order to get out.
What is their danger?
Rodents in the apartment
These rodents have caused great harm to people since ancient times. It is not necessary to take only the financial aspect here. First of all, the most important threat is infection, which is carried by almost all individuals. Unfortunately. Most of the diseases they carry are fatal to humans.
The paradox is that animals become infected very easily. In the wild, they begin to hunt other individuals. As a rule, in the wild, animals in almost all cases are infected. Then a chain reaction occurs and the virus begins to be transmitted from one organism to another.
But this is not the only way rats can become infected. These animals can eat almost anything, and to some extent they are omnivores. You can include already dead animals in their diet. When a rat eats a corpse, a huge number of bacteria and microorganisms have already multiplied in it. They are the ones that lead to rat infection. The transfer of cadaveric microorganisms to humans can have a sad outcome.
Important! We must not forget about the body of a rodent, because various microorganisms can also live on it. It is not at all necessary for rats to bite a person; even contact with him will be enough for her to infect food near the person. And if you eat them, a person will become infected
There have been cases of parasites transferring from rats to domestic animals
And if you eat them, a person will become infected. There have been cases of parasites transferring from rats to domestic animals.
Diseases carried by rats
If you start counting the diseases that rats can carry, there are about eighty of them. The most dangerous can be called the plague. Turning to history, one can remember how this disease caused entire epidemics, but now it is under control.
Encephalitis can also be classified as a dangerous disease. This disease affects the human brain and reduces the chances of life if the infection is not prevented in time. Unfortunately, people are not always able to see a doctor in a timely manner. You can also distinguish diseases such as rash type and rabies. These diseases pose a great danger to humans, especially to children. There are preventative vaccinations, but not everyone gets them.
Note! All of the above diseases are transmitted through an animal bite, but we must not forget about transmission through spoiled food. You cannot eat spoiled cereals or sugar, there is a high risk of infection. Diseases such as leptospirosis, giardiasis, tuleryemia, hemorrhagic fever and listeriosis can be provoked
You should also be wary of tuberculosis, hepatitis, salmonellosis, fungi and viruses, which are also carried by rats
Diseases such as leptospirosis, giardiasis, tuleryemia, hemorrhagic fever and listeriosis can be provoked. You should also be wary of tuberculosis, hepatitis, salmonellosis, fungi and viruses, which are also carried by rats.
Rat football
While watching their tailed pets fuss, owners often notice how rats chase food pellets or raisins throughout the cage, using them as balls. So why not arrange a football championship for your pets, giving them the opportunity to feel like real football players? This type of entertainment will be especially relevant if there are several rats in a cage. The animals will begin to fiddle with the ball with delight, rolling it around the cage and trying to take it from each other.
You can use the following as a soccer ball for rats:
ping pong balls; walnuts or hazelnuts; balls of foil or paper; small round skeins of thread wrapped with tape.
