Thread: Bird Predator Control

Hi @kukuwai how is that at220 going ?

Need advice chaps!
My cage trap isn’t inviting enough for Mr Rat, my usual bait of sultanas didn’t entice him, same when I smeared the sultanas in peanut butter, then I added a bit of Chesdale cheese and still no rat.
I even left a sultana and bits of cheese on the ground outside the trap and they were left untouched.

Mr Rat has been dining on what appears to be pitasporum ‘fruits’ right by the trap and leaving the husks (and poos!) scattered around right by the trap.

Any other baits that might entice Mr Rat into the trap?

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

Mr Rat has been dining on what appears to be pitasporum ‘fruits’ right by the trap and leaving the husks (and poos!) scattered around right by the trap.

I would try scratching up a heap of them and put them in the trap. Mr Rat probably doesn't need to go in with all that food about.

Sorry @sore head stoat I just spotted that above post. Love the AT220. Just ordered some more lure to keep it rocking, honestly its a rat slayer


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Originally Posted by Finnwolf

Need advice chaps!
My cage trap isn’t inviting enough for Mr Rat, my usual bait of sultanas didn’t entice him, same when I smeared the sultanas in peanut butter, then I added a bit of Chesdale cheese and still no rat.
I even left a sultana and bits of cheese on the ground outside the trap and they were left untouched.

Mr Rat has been dining on what appears to be pitasporum ‘fruits’ right by the trap and leaving the husks (and poos!) scattered around right by the trap.

Any other baits that might entice Mr Rat into the trap?

Maybe its not possible but I would try to remove as much of rats food source as possible.

Cage trap as in live capture cage trap ? If it is, have you covered the floor of the trap with what is around on the ground so rat doesnt feel steel under foot ? is a single rat heavy enough to trip the trap when it stands on the treadle ? The other day we caught 2 rats in a live capture cage trap and I suspect a single rat may not of been heavy enough to trip the trap ?? ...

I would also try a wooden tunnel box with a Victor or Knees trap inside it just to mix it up a bit and keep mate rat guessing...

Good fun trying to catch an educated rat .

Originally Posted by sore head stoat

Maybe its not possible but I would try to remove as much of rats food source as possible.

Cage trap as in live capture cage trap ? If it is, have you covered the floor of the trap with what is around on the ground so rat doesnt feel steel under foot ? is a single rat heavy enough to trip the trap when it stands on the treadle ? The other day we caught 2 rats in a live capture cage trap and I suspect a single rat may not of been heavy enough to trip the trap ?? ...

I would also try a wooden tunnel box with a Victor or Knees trap inside it just to mix it up a bit and keep mate rat guessing...

Good fun trying to catch an educated rat .

remove all food source so your bait prefeed is only food available - wrap that pittosperum with steel or alloy band if you can - forget ya sultanas and chesdale and stay with peanut butter - but a little bit at first - increase when being hit - but gloves big one - and put pree feed traps etc in quiet area away from open areas- even cover trap if you can - lull Mr. rat into sense of security and hair trigger your trap - rats are light so make sure slight touch sets trap off - play with the settings and use a small file to sharpen the edges so it is a very very light set

Lots of good advice @Finnwolf – but its hard to compete with natural fruits if they are into it
Some of my best producing sites have been using some kind of ramp – local branches off the Pittosporum, a piece of 100*50 or even a stay on a strainer post – they seem to be suckers to climb a ramp. Put a couple of traps up the ramps to make it interesting – possum paste or peanut butter are lethal. That black rat was still alive and had been eating one of his mates I got the previous day – an old carcass makes great lure.
I filthy dirty cage seems to work better than a clean and shiny one – even old rats can be stupid.

Chocolate? Nutella?

Thanks for all the advice guys!

My trap is a steel one with a spring loaded door that is released when Mr Rat pulls at the bait, it has seen the demise of many rats using sultanas as bait, sometimes smeared with peanut butter as an added attraction.

Isolating the pitasporum is not an option - to many access ways ie jumping from neighboring hedge, off garage roof, of neighboring tree.

I’ll persevere in the meantime but may try other baits.

We use a lot of the at220s at work. This was underneath an at220 that had been out for around two weeks. There were 17 possums. Some had rolled away from underneath the trap. They do work well.

Persistence paid off!

Mr Rat fell for my peanut butter on sultana bait last night!

Now to give it the BB gun treatment and add it to the ‘rat garden’

The Kewpie mayo is now catching possums in my SA traps and tigers in my live capture cage. I really like it as a lure but we dont have ant problems down in Canty.

My head can hurt thinking about various lures, just lately I have had a bit of joy on fresh pork fat and smoked salmon off cuts, both are oily and dont seem to go off to quickly in the summer heat.

I always think of what Cam Speedy said on a field day I attended of his... 1/3 in the nasty end of the trap 1/3 at the entrance to the trap and 1/3 spread around the trap... raise the excitement and lower the caution..

dog still getting HH each week in section....checked the double set fenn up in maimai today...rats tail and bit of fur is all thats left in trap....thinking ferret has dinner served up to it....was a BIG rat going by tail size.

Thanks for the report @time out !! Always good to hear from you

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