Bucket trap - then what?

[fatcatx]

If you use a bucket trap you will need to fill it with water. If you don't like the idea of drowning them you can get large snap traps for rats so long as they put there head directly in it, it will be instant.

The type of trap I'm making doesn't need water. Making the "trap door" style so they can't jump out.
We can get the young ones with the snap traps but we've got some older ones that have narrowly escaped the jaws of death and learned their lesson.

 

[The Dapper Duck]

Ugh - this is looking less and less appealing. I've kept rats as pets too. Other than being short-lived, they are awesome. (WAY better than a hamster - just saying ) I'm trying to be as humane as possible and drowning sounded awful. If quick-= more humane then that leaves me emptying them into a pillow case and thumping the bejesus out of them on the pavement.

As long as you can get them into the pillow case without them getting away from you, just swing that pillow case at the sidewalk like you are John Henry and one good whack should do the trick. Or at least they won't even be aware of the second, confirmation swing.

 

[StefanThunder5]

Drowning works the best. I also have pet rats but wild ones are very bad

 

[Eggscaping]

By the way @Eggscaping - love the cat in your pic

Thank you! That's my big, squishy, floofer-meister blue point Siamese/Birman cross, Mochi. He's 14 years old and is the most loving cat I've ever had. That's the place he wants to spend most of his time...on my lap.

 

[aart]

The type of trap I'm making doesn't need water. Making the "trap door" style so they can't jump out.

Never heard of this......Pics, Please?

The water is to avoid having dealing with live rodents...
....so whether you 'need' it or not depends on how you want to kill them.

 

[Banditschickens]

 

[rosemarythyme]

I know it's gross but smashing them with a shovel or a bat is really the most "humane" out of the options you listed, because it's near instant. I've also had pet rats and don't like the idea of killing their wild relatives, but sometimes it has to be done and we try to make it as fast as possible. Drowning or worse, leaving them tied up in the trash, is a very drawn out way of killing them.

 

[fatcatx]

As long as you can get them into the pillow case without them getting away from you, just swing that pillow case at the sidewalk like you are John Henry and one good whack should do the trick. Or at least they won't even be aware of the second, confirmation swing.

I might have to dig deep for my inner John Henry.

 

[fatcatx]

Never heard of this......Pics, Please?

This is just a lean version to see what happens. Heavy duty cardboard is counter weighted with some large washers with a wire beneath. Depending on results, I might put a notch in the bucket for the “tab” portion and currently painters tape is securing the wire - need to come up with something more permanent. The rest of the painters tape is so I can easily attach and remove the bait.

Baited with Nutella. How could they resist?

 

[The Dapper Duck]

View attachment 1754852

This is just a lean version to see what happens. Heavy duty cardboard is counter weighted with some large washers with a wire beneath. Depending on results, I might put a notch in the bucket for the “tab” portion and currently painters tape is securing the wire - need to come up with something more permanent. The rest of the painters tape is so I can easily attach and remove the bait.

Baited with Nutella. How could they resist?

Oh, that's clever.