Rats....maybe

Lorian

Sounds like rats. Whichever option you go for never touch bait or traps without rubber gloves on. Your scent will put them off.

B0bbyEwing

Lorian said:

Sounds like rats. Whichever option you go for never touch bait or traps without rubber gloves on. Your scent will put them off.

Ah I didn't know about that. Well, it didn't put them off the peanut butter within the past couple week or so but unfortunately it was on the flimsy trap and not the beefy one, so they just had off with it.

The only thing/s that make me say rat are
1. The 1 jelly bean poop nugget I saw. The other drops I've seen in the past have been smaller.
2. The noise. I know this is a poor guide but it SOUNDS big.
3. I'm not sure a mouse would've dragged the trap. That said, maybe it wasn't dragged. Maybe that's just how it landed when it went off.

As for the argument of mice - mice have 100% been seen in our garden, so that's a definite. Whether it's mice in the house, who knows.

I'll keep plugging away with the advice here.

RhondaD

Just a tip but I actually found the traps far more successful if i baited with chicken. 

B0bbyEwing

RhondaD said:

Just a tip but I actually found the traps far more successful if i baited with chicken. 

Weird. Well, not weird but that surprises me. 

We have enough chicken left over so I'll give that a go. I only leave bait in for a few days anyway before changing it out.

For weeks now it's been in the same spot - the diner, which is the only solid floored non-joined part of the house. Not sure how it's in that wall. When it's scratting away it sounds like when a cat starts pulling on the carpet with its claws. 

I smack the crap out of the skirting & it goes quiet for a while. Annoying that I can't get bait anywhere near this area. Unless I put it outside the house but then I've no idea what area is its access point so I could be putting it far away from how it gets in OR attracting fresh rodents.

FreeBear

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=753746895468570

dealyboy

Hello again B0bby ... I can understand the frustration and worry, I got lucky with mine.

When I did my research, googling blogs and viewing comments on rat traps and bait stations on retail websites and youtube videos, I found a lot of good advice.

I noted the following:
- peanut butter (but not too much) is favourite for trigger traps
- triggering problems are very common, either too sensitive or not sensitive enough
- traps often 'disappear' or are found some distance away and are found with the consequences of a non-clean blow
- the rat smell (or mouse I guess) is very strong in the area they frequent the most, my sense of smell is not brilliant but cats are natural sniffers (as are some humans) and can lead to a good place for a trap

Patronising warning alert: Of course traps and bait stations are dangerous to animals, wildlife and humans and should not be left in places where they can access them.

Hope you had a good Christmas.

B0bbyEwing

dealyboy said:

Patronising warning alert: Of course traps and bait stations are dangerous to animals, wildlife and humans and should not be left in places where they can access them.

Hope you had a good Christmas.

That's what bothers me. 

I got some humane ones for outside (though I think they're probably a bit carp to be honest) because we have a lot of various birds that come in the garden, a number of cats and also a hedgehog which is [hopefully] hibernating in the hog-house my wife got for it.

The last thing I want is for any of those things to get their noses or feet taken off. 

I did think about guarding a beefy trap somehow but decided against it as I didn't want to risk the above reason.

And yes thank you, despite sharing it with an unwanted guest, Christmas was fantastic. Hope yours went well too