Reusing a mouse/rat trap

[Lubener]

I also have been reusing them for a long time after the capture.

 

[KenshinHimura]

A buddy of mine likes the reusable plastic tomcat ones in his garage. not too much of a fan of reusable ones due to the ick factor and not of a high success rate for me. I prefer the wooden Victor traps as well without the fake cheese. I use peanut butter with a small amount of sunflower seeds in the PB as well. I stay away from bait due to less of a chance of a mouse dying somewhere i cant find and i dont want any cats or birds to get sick if they eat a mouse that had taken some bait

 

[oil pan 4]

I won't get too graphic, but I've been helping out with parents and a rodent problem they have in their house. My dad insisted that they needed a rat trap because they were pretty big. Nothing was caught for a while until today. I saw a rodent going around in the lower floor and figured a good place to set a rat trap.

Did catch one, although it looked like a mouse and not a rat - a fairly big one of maybe 3 inches long from head to the base of the tail. Kind of surprised that it was caught by a rat trap since I've heard they sometimes miss mice because they're too small. It seems reusable though. It's a standard Victor wooden rat trap with a plastic trigger plate. Not sure if it was looking for the bait (stale sourdough bread) or if just tried going through a narrow passage where I placed the trap.

The only problem with cleaning and reusing it is that there's a bit of blood on it. Right at the end so it's soaked into the grain of the wood. Is that going to make the trap less effective? I washed it and scrubbed it down, but I can't get rid of the stain.

My mouse traps are all well decorated with the blood and guts of my prey.

 

[2005jettatdi]

I have two tin cats. They work quite well and you don't even have to put bait in them. Just put them against a wall.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

Some traps just seem lucky. Of course you can reuse them. Just use gloves. I uses slim Jim pieces for bait. I don't like using poison if I can help it. We have hawks and owls flying around and don't want to kill them. They put in some work for rodent control.

 

[JHZR2]

I used to use victor wood traps. US made in Litirz, PA if I’m not mistaken.

I’ve found that the cheap black plastic ones with a bar work much better. And they can be cleaned/wiped/sprayed if desired.

 

[Dinoburner]

Don`t worry about a little blood, they cannibalize.

 

[wlk]

Don't wash them off as it will attract more. Wooden Victor traps are the best and you caught either a juvenile rat or full grown mouse, rat would look bigger though.

 

[wlk]

I used to use victor wood traps. US made in Litirz, PA if I’m not mistaken.

I’ve found that the cheap black plastic ones with a bar work much better. And they can be cleaned/wiped/sprayed if desired.

Yep they are still in Lititz, PA, I live 25 minutes from them.

 

[Lyman]

This is what I place under my house. I decided to use the wood as sometimes my traps run off. It works great and easy for me to reach in and grab.

 

[y_p_w]

Don't wash them off as it will attract more. Wooden Victor traps are the best and you caught either a juvenile rat or full grown mouse, rat would look bigger though.

I did wash it off and managed to catch another in the reused trap. I think it was a juvenile Norway rat - about 4 inches long. The ears were pretty small and the tail was fairly long and hairless. First time I'd seen one caught midsection though. Usually seen them right at the head or neck. I just hope it was dispatched quickly.

 

[supton]

Stupid mouse woke me at 3am, banging around. Didn't want to wake the wife so I had to put up with it until the inevitable end. Not sure how it was hanging on, the trap got him good and square.

Rebaited all of them, old PB seems not to be working--they only went for the fresh PB in the new traps that I set up. The newer ones with the yellow plastic might be doing better than the old ones, not sure. Doesn't hurt to have a mix of them I figure.

I have mine on boards in the attic. No worries about mess, on the boards or the trap, they care less about that sort of thing than I do. I just make sure to wash up well afterward.

 

[wlk]

I did wash it off and managed to catch another in the reused trap. I think it was a juvenile Norway rat - about 4 inches long. The ears were pretty small and the tail was fairly long and hairless. First time I'd seen one caught midsection though. Usually seen them right at the head or neck. I just hope it was dispatched quickly.

Yep you got rats. Rats are smart and do not like new things in there areas unlike mice. Be patient and put protein on the traps. Don't wash them and catch away. It broke its spine, he didn't suffer.