Reply #18: Been there, doing that... [View All]

[marzipanni]

Those barn owls we hear at night aren't doing their job!
We have some 5-6" rats living in a woodpile and they venture into the basement and attic sometimes. I've caught several over the years in a Havahart trap and released them near a creek out in the country. I've got one now in the shed, a temporary pet, awaiting her trip to the countryside.
Once one got into the kitchen (coming up through a hole for the water pipes) the night before we were leaving on a 2 week trip. To expedite getting him out before we left I reluctantly set out a snap trap and later heard the bale snap with a loud click- as though he had deftly removed the bait. Upon inspection I found a small spray of blood on the wall where the rat had leapt away with his poor cut tail or foot bleeding. I've hated those traps ever since a friend tried to catch a mouse and his nose was badly injured when the bale hit it, but he got away to suffer until he died.
I have some friends who live in the country in New Hampshire, and the man invented an electrocution trap when a huge rat kept showing up in their kitchen! Later I saw a similar trap at the hardware store but they were $60-70.00.
Hey, Good luck, HEyHEy.