Rats around chickens

[Nicepix 5,650]

Well done! 

Don't think that it will be the only one. You'll keep on catching while ever the trap is armed.

Also a photo would have been good. We could have seen the set-up.

[EDDIE B 3,166]

2 hours ago, davethe said:

Got 'im!

Unfortunately no video, I guess it was on its cooldown "time between videos".

Did you do anything different to catch him?

[Gooner 143]

Well done as already stated keep trap down & baited as there will be more than one

[davethe 24]

30 minutes ago, EDDIE B said:

Did you do anything different to catch him?

I might have tapped the treadle to a slightly higher sensitivity, perhaps. But otherwise took heart from the fact he wasn't scared of going in there and put fresh chicken feed pellets out each day.

It's all set again for tonight, although I have read that the death throes of the first might dissuade the second.

 

[EDDIE B 3,166]

5 minutes ago, davethe said:

I might have tapped the treadle to a slightly higher sensitivity, perhaps. But otherwise took heart from the fact he wasn't scared of going in there and put fresh chicken feed pellets out each day.

It's all set again for tonight, although I have read that the death throes of the first might dissuade the second.

 

That wont be a factor st all lad. Happy trapping

[Nicepix 5,650]

50 minutes ago, davethe said:

I might have tapped the treadle to a slightly higher sensitivity, perhaps. But otherwise took heart from the fact he wasn't scared of going in there and put fresh chicken feed pellets out each day.

It's all set again for tonight, although I have read that the death throes of the first might dissuade the second.

 

There shouldn't have been any death throes. Click, bang, dead!

Some Dutch neighbours had a strange idea that if you catch a rat alive you douse it with petrol, set light to it then let it go. They call it the 'screaming rat' and it is supposed to get rid of all your rats. They tried it and then came round asking for some traps. 16 others hadn't heeded the scorched rodent's cries  

[davethe 24]

Not caught anything since, not even on camera.  Perhaps I should fill in that hole (so I can see if it gets dug out again) and choose a different spot.

[Nicepix 5,650]

I would leave the trap armed all year round if it can be placed somewhere out of the way. I have rat and mouse traps set all year round and I notice that when the weather turns nasty with heavy rain or when it gets really cold I often get catches.

[davethe 24]

Got two moles in a hayfield today though.

[LuckOrJudgement 437]

41 minutes ago, davethe said:

Got two moles in a hayfield today though.

Too wet for moling on a lot of my grounds. I had some sets along a little river bank and only just got to them before they were submerged.

It's a messy muddy business at the moment - I'm glad of the christmas break to be honest 

[Outofnowhere 93]

On 15/11/2019 at 18:07, Nicepix said:

You are welcome. Glad you have had some benefit out of using  Putanges.

If you are using a Mk. 4 trap for rats then I would suspend a couple of Frolicks dog biscuits over the treadle using a short length of fence wire. These biscuits have a strong smell and rats love them. And if you cover the trap to keep most of the rain out you only need change the biscuits every two or three weeks. (They are also brilliant baits for carp, chub and barbel). Make sure that you recess the trap as in Katchum's photo by placing a couple of flat pieces of wood to raise the trap floor either side of the treadle. It is better for the treadle to be lower, not higher than the floor of the trap.

you mean this stuff Nicepix??

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=frolic+dog&hvadid=2978605276&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvqmt=p&tag=mh0a9-21&ref=pd_sl_5yutizm75z_p

 

 

[Nicepix 5,650]

Yes, that's the stuff. It is my preferred rat and mouse bait as it is so versatile and lures them in. You can break it up and squish it into the cups on rodent traps, or put the crumbs under a Mk, IV trap or for the live catch cages hang a couple of biscuits off a wire. The double mousetrap  boxes  have a spike at each end in the bait compartment. I put a couple of Frolics on each spike and then put a sliver of wine cork on to secure them so they don't fall out when you are shaking a mouse out of the trap.

[Nicepix 5,650]

44 minutes ago, LuckOrJudgement said:

Too wet for moling on a lot of my grounds. I had some sets along a little river bank and only just got to them before they were submerged.

It's a messy muddy business at the moment - I'm glad of the christmas break to be honest 

I leave the traps in when they become submerged. I've even set new ones under water. As soon as the water level drops moley will be along to harvest the drowned worms.

[davethe 24]

My first ever catch was an aquatic mole in a flooded tunnel.

[davethe 24]

A mouse seems to have moved in to where the rat used to live, and he doesn't seem to weigh enough to set the trap off.  I'll have to re-set and try extra delicate tap trapping.