How to get rid of a rat on board

[Fence Man]

Originally Posted by freakytiki

Lay cheese on floor and shoot him when he comes out.

Now we're cookin with gas!

[Dave22q]

Rat trap with Slim Jim bait worked for me. Only took 2 nights.

[xbillaroo]

For future reference, last year in Thailand an Aussie steel boat finally(after considerable damage ) got rid of rat visitor using marshmallow as bait in trap.

[dockgoody]

We had the problem,contacted a professional exterminator and bought the trap that they used. You often See these around commercial establishments, black with a hole to enter. We didn’t stay in port but followed his advice to use cooked bacon (“they can’t resist bacon”),caught him the first night.

[Maka]

Do NOT poison or gas to kill rats onboard.

They end up dead in inaccessible places and now you have a dead rat smell problem.

[rosatte]

Throw her overboard bawahaaaa

[Trumpet]

I read some time ago of someone who used a sticky trap - basically a piece of card with some very strong, non-setting glue. Put bait in middle, rat walks onto card, feet get stuck. Next step is supposed to be to drown in bucket but the author of the account I read couldn't bring himself to do that so put card and rat overboard to sail the seven seas.

Leaves no holes in boat, unlike shooting.

[buzzstar]

When I saw the title, I figured it might refer to humans, not rodents, and thought, oh good, another useful thread today.

[bourque]

They hate the smell of Pine Sol cleaner.

[Beavereater]

Get a few of these. Bait with dab of peanut butter with a piece of slim jim stuck in it. Small cup in the bottom twists out for placing the bait in. Do not smear bait on the trigger pan, you want the rat to commit to sticking it's head all the way in to get at the bait cup.

https://www.amazon.com/Trapper-Rex-T.../dp/B002Y5MVO2

Been in the pest biz for 35 years this will not fail.

[knockabout]

play rock & roll music very loud / AC/DC works well as does Black Sabbath then the full Screaming Jets 'DoYa' album (not recommended in a crowded anchorage )

[captainwireman]

Yes, they can be most clever. I had Norway rats that loved the avocado tree and my house for bathroom facilities and general hell raising.

I would find the spring traps sprung and the bait gone until I utilized gunsmithing techniques. Do a trigger job on the traps. Easy, just file and polish so they are set with a hair trigger. Really no special skills required. Use a block or other preventer for safety when setting them and secure the bait with thread or the very effective peanut butter mixed with whatever you notice them eating and be generous.

One can not find better than a bored cat or a good rat-dog.

[hamburking]

Borrow a friend's hungry DOG. Put the dog below. Post video here.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by knockabout

play rock & roll music very loud / AC/DC works well as does Black Sabbath then the full Screaming Jets 'DoYa' album (not recommended in a crowded anchorage )

This song might be more appropriate:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8BjKQkym8w

[jgbrown]

You might laugh but the best rat trap I found was the zapper type! The plastic ones that look like a spring clamp work well too, they force the rat to stick it's head right in. Glue traps are awful. If you miss the rat they will rip limbs off to get away.

I had a bad year for rats last year in the shop:
19 rats in the zapper trap. One person named it the streetcar of death. Looks like a big silver tunnel, they walk in one end, bait is way down at the other, as they cross the middle section... ZAP. Peanut butter works great, add a bit of dog kibble or meat for bonus.

Snap traps seem to pick up the smell of dead rat quickly. I caught an additional 10 rats with snap traps, but it took several replacements due to smell I suspect.
Caught a few on glue traps, but it was not a pleasant experience for me or the rat!




Other tricks: If you suspect more than one, set a trap out with food but don't set it to spring, as they get used to eating there they are less likely to be suspicious. If it kills one on the first go round the others seem to avoid it more.