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Rusty Hinge[_2_] · 05-04-2010, 11:45 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

wrote:
John L wrote:
So: tomorrow I buy a couple of rat traps, and tell the neighbours; on
Tuesday I'll tell the council (FWIW).

We had a rat earlier this year,

Delicious, aren't they? Casserole it?

eating hte chicken's feed.

Oh. As you were then...

The rat traps
were useless, all they cuaght were field mice.

Not doing it right, then. 1) carefully bend the trigger until it /only
just/ catches, and it will go off if you so much as look at it too hard;
2) use milk chocolate. Rats are discerning creatures, so don't use that
cheap stuff sold for making cake icing or filling; 3) heat the
prongs/plate of the trigger and melt the chocolate on, so ratty has to
gnaw it; 4) fix a length of chain to the trap and have some stout wire
to fix the other end to something solid; 5) place the trap where you
want it and set it there - if you can move a set trap safely, it's not
set right. [ See 1) ]

IME the best trps are the galvanised pressed steel ones.

--
Rusty