Rat trap: Snapped on my finger today (yellow plastic paddle trigger is too sensitive)

[Danny D.]

While I was working on my pool equipment, I heard a rat next to me
rooting about in the pool heater.

At one point, the soft furry guy even showed itself, seemingly oblivious
to me, inches away from my face walking along the pipes... but I wasn't
quick enough to snap a picture before it scurried back into the heater.

So, I put out a couple of those horrid yellow-plastic-tabbed rat traps,
where it snapped onto my finger, as I tried to set the the super-
sensitive trigger. Ouch!
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/13058021/img/13058021.jpg

I swore I'd throw them away and get new all-metal rat traps in the
morning!

Anyway, I wasn't back working on the wires, only two feet away, for more
than five minutes, when I heard the tell-tale snap.
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/13057973/img/13057973.jpg

The rat died immediately as I was there within five seconds and it wasn't
moving at all:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/13057980/img/13057980.jpg

I felt really badly for the little guy, but I can't have them chewing on
the wires in the heater (which might be why the heater isn't working):

Just curious:
Q: Do you also have trouble setting those plastic yellow-paddle rat traps?
(Next time I get traps, I'm going to buy the all-metal-trigger ones!)

[Ed Pawlowski]

On Fri, 17 May 2013 08:46:55 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
<Dan...@is.invalid> wrote:



>
>The rat died immediately as I was there within five seconds and it wasn't
>moving at all:
> http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/13057980/img/13057980.jpg
>

If you saw one, there is a half dozen or more still around.

>Just curious:
>Q: Do you also have trouble setting those plastic yellow-paddle rat traps?
>(Next time I get traps, I'm going to buy the all-metal-trigger ones!)

Never needed one, fortunately.

[Frank]

I've got the mouse sized traps and noted they are sensitive and had to
bend the trigger a little to make more stable.

I do like the trap because the large paddle platform seems to do a
better job. I've had a lot of the all metal ones with peanut butter
bait having been licked off without triggering trap.

This type trap is far more humane than the traps that enclose them where
they starve to death or the glue traps where I've seen one almost gnaw
off his leg to escape.

[Robert Macy]

We used to live in an OLD home built circa 1906 when insulation and
sealing against critters was not a high priority. Norwegian roof rat
influx and I got 12 rats within a week. Victor killed them all except
the patriarch! That bar snapping down on his head only made him angry.
He went a good twelve feet dragging the trap trying to get away, where
I found him and finished what 'victor' had started. I always spray
Raid Flea spray around an 'expired' trap. The second a rat starts to
die, their temperature starts droping, the fleas evacuate, and that's
a whole new infestation don't want.

[Roy]

That looks like a deer mouse not a RAT. We don't have rats but we do have
deer mice which spread the hanta virus.

[Jon Danniken]

On 05/17/2013 01:46 AM, Danny D. wrote:
>
> So, I put out a couple of those horrid yellow-plastic-tabbed rat traps,
> where it snapped onto my finger, as I tried to set the the super-
> sensitive trigger. Ouch!

I purposely set my mousetraps to be "too sensitive", then slowly back it
off until they can hold without going off by themselves. This obviously
results in a lot of immediate trips, which leads to an important lesson:
don't put your finger inside of the action, and always expect it to trip.

In other words, learn how to hold the trap so that your body parts
aren't exposed to damage.

Jon

[Danny D]

On Fri, 17 May 2013 07:55:49 -0700, Roy wrote:

> That looks like a deer mouse not a RAT. We don't have rats but we do
> have deer mice which spread the hanta virus.

It did look kind of small for a rat - and it had big eyes and ears - but
it had a rat like tail, so I had thought it was a rat.

Googling, I agree, it's probably a deer mouse, especially since the belly
was white, and the ears were big, and the head smallish.

When he looked at me, eye to eye, across the pipes, I thought it was very
cute for a rat. Now I know why. It was a big mouse. Plus it didn't act
scared in the least by my presence.

[Oren]

On Fri, 17 May 2013 07:55:49 -0700 (PDT), Roy <wil...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

<snips>

< http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/13057980/img/13057980.jpg>

>
>That looks like a deer mouse not a RAT. We don't have rats but we do have
>deer mice which spread the hanta virus.
>

I was thinking that, but compare the size in relation to the two traps
and the constrainer lid.

I've seen some huge rats, river rats, that were humongous (almost like
a small beaver).

[Danny D]

On Fri, 17 May 2013 08:07:52 -0700, Jon Danniken wrote:

> In other words, learn how to hold the trap so that your body parts
> aren't exposed to damage.

Understood.

It's hard to describe, but you MUST put your finger on the yellow paddle
in order to set it!

Of course you know that - but you're supposed to hold the force of the
spring with one hand while you 'juggle' the pressure on the yellow paddle
with the other hand (which is in harms way while you're doing that!).

If you don't put your finger on the yellow paddle, and delicately juggle
the pressure until the yellow paddle 'takes', the trap won't set because
the trip bar won't hook the little lip on the yellow paddle.

I tried putting a small stick or pebble under the yellow paddle to angle
it upward, and, well, that works ... but it's problematic to set and
remove.

So what you're forced to do is hold back the spring with one hand, and
with the other hand, you adjust the paddle to the right point (which is
easy). The hard part is that you slowly allow *some* tension on the
spring to *hook* the yellow plastic paddle, until it takes.

The problem is that it keeps slipping off!
It takes a *lot* of tension to hold those lousy yellow paddles.
Muuuuch more than it takes to hook the metal type triggers!

LESSON LEARNED:
* Never buy those yellow plastic paddle type rat traps! *

[Jon Danniken]

On 05/17/2013 09:18 AM, Danny D wrote:
> On Fri, 17 May 2013 08:07:52 -0700, Jon Danniken wrote:
>
>> In other words, learn how to hold the trap so that your body parts
>> aren't exposed to damage.

[snip]

> So what you're forced to do is hold back the spring with one hand, and
> with the other hand, you adjust the paddle to the right point (which is
> easy). The hard part is that you slowly allow *some* tension on the
> spring to *hook* the yellow plastic paddle, until it takes.

Aye, it is definitely a balancing act. A lot of the difficulty for me
was "anticipating" the hammer to snap over, which made me nervous, which
made my hands shaky, which led to more frustration. Once I was able to
be calm about unintended trips (easier said than done), it became
easier. It also helps to develop your technique on a mousetrap first.

The key, as you said, is to hold the hammer down until your other hand
clears the action.

> It takes a *lot* of tension to hold those lousy yellow paddles.
> Muuuuch more than it takes to hook the metal type triggers!

I definitely prefer a metal bait pan myself, partly because I find it
easier to modify the catch on the bait pan than the hold-down lever.

Jon

[Roy]

On Friday, May 17, 2013 10:16:25 AM UTC-6, gfre...@aol.com wrote:
> On Fri, 17 May 2013 07:55:49 -0700 (PDT), Roy <wil...@hotmail.com>
>
> wrote:
>
>
>

> the all-metal-trigger ones!)
>
> >
>
> >That looks like a deer mouse not a RAT. We don't have rats but we do have
>
> >deer mice which spread the hanta virus.
>
> >
>
>
>

> That is a roof rat (rattus rattus)
>
> AKA tree rat, fruit rat or for the Florida chamber of commerce types a
>
> Palmetto Squirrel.
>
> http://gfretwell.com/wildlife/rattus_rattus.jpg
>
>
>
>
>
> The other principle rat in the US is the Norway rat (AKA sewer rat,
>
> river rat etc) They are bigger with a shorter tail.

And you are full of shit.

[Danny D]

On Fri, 17 May 2013 12:16:25 -0400, gfretwell wrote:

> That is a roof rat (rattus rattus)

I left it outside last night where it aly, and just now, I went outside
to snap another picture to confirm its identity - but - it's gone.

I'm not surprised. Once we had to kill a rattler and it was gone within
15 minutes of putting it outside.

There are no dogs or cats (totally enclosed gated property), so it might
be the vultures that got it over night or in the morning. We often see a
bobcat. And we can hear the coyotes. One or the other is eating well this
morning ...

[Roy]

On Friday, May 17, 2013 11:37:31 AM UTC-6, gfre...@aol.com wrote:
> On Fri, 17 May 2013 09:54:18 -0700 (PDT), Roy <wil...@hotmail.com>

>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> >On Friday, May 17, 2013 10:16:25 AM UTC-6, gfre...@aol.com wrote:
>
> >> On Fri, 17 May 2013 07:55:49 -0700 (PDT), Roy <wil...@hotmail.com>
>

> >> >That looks like a deer mouse not a RAT. We don't have rats but we do have
>
> >>
>
> >> >deer mice which spread the hanta virus.
>
>
>
> >> That is a roof rat (rattus rattus)
>
> >>
>
> >> AKA tree rat, fruit rat or for the Florida chamber of commerce types a
>
> >>
>
> >> Palmetto Squirrel.
>
> >
>
> >> http://gfretwell.com/wildlife/rattus_rattus.jpg
>
>
>
> >>
>
> >> The other principle rat in the US is the Norway rat (AKA sewer rat,
>
> >>
>
> >> river rat etc) They are bigger with a shorter tail.
>
> >
>
> >And you are full of shit.
>
>
>

> Look again
>
>
>
> http://gfretwell.com/ftp/dead%20rat.jpg
>
>
>
> That sucker is 6" long if you roll him over on his belly, almost 12"
>
> with the tail.
>
> That is easily twice as big as a deer mouse.

After a second look, I would say that my conclusion was the right one.
A deer mouse for sure.

[Danny D]

On Fri, 17 May 2013 13:44:51 -0400, gfretwell wrote:

> There are all sorts of critters that would pick up a
> free meal like that.

In a way, it makes me feel better that at least one
animal got a fresh free meal. It's sad to kill an
animal - but at least it didn't go totally to waste.

[Dan Espen]

With one hand hold the trap open, with the other
set the catch. Then remove your hand from the catch side.
Then slowly release the wire. If it holds, then only
handle the trap on the edges when you set it down.

Those look like mouse traps and the victim looks like a mouse.

Rat traps are about twice as big and will do a lot more damage if you're
careless.



--
Dan Espen

[hrho...@sbcglobal.net]

No way is that a rat, rats have much more pointed noses, I know for
sure because my daughter and granddaughter have had rats as pets and
they never, even when small, looked anything like what was in your
photo. So, unless you have a new species, that is a MOUSE!

[DD_BobK]

How about a tape in the photos for scale?
Rats do not normally come out to get trapped during the day.
That animals ears look more mouse like than rat like JMO

The plastic triggers suck.

[DD_BobK]

On May 17, 6:20 pm, "hrhofm...@sbcglobal.net"

+1

[Roy]

On Friday, May 17, 2013 11:27:16 PM UTC-6, gfre...@aol.com wrote:
> On Fri, 17 May 2013 21:49:00 -0700 (PDT), DD_BobK <rkaz...@gmail.com>

> I use Costco laundry detergent that comes in a bucket with that lid
>
> and I did post a picture with a measuring tape on the lid.
>
>
>
> http://gfretwell.com/ftp/dead%20rat.jpg

The EARS say MOUSE...the NOSE says MOUSE...I have trapped DOZENS of these
mice in my old house. They also have a habit of "pack-ratting" all kinds
of material and stashing that material in boots, shoes and winter
wear (overshoes). Every fall they try to find a nice winter home and
infiltrate no matter how I try to mouse-proof the old shack.

[Unquestionably Confused]

And I say, who cares?

I got tired of setting traps for mice in the garage and, in the fall, in
the laundry room.

I bought a pair of Rat-Zapper Classics (now called "Raticators")

Powered by AA batteries they work like a charm.

Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDIZzv2NEMU

http://www.ratzapper.org/

http://www.amazon.com/Rat-Zapper-RZU001-Ultra/dp/B000BWFESU

When the pilot light says it's got one DRT, I just shake it out into the
garbage can or back in the field and drop in two more small pieces of
dry dog food and set it back down next to the wall.

When I first got them and set them out in the garage and shop, I was
zapping three or four mice per day. Now I might get one every two weeks
or so.

[DD_BobK]

On May 18, 5:43 am, Unquestionably Confused <puzzl...@ameritech.net>
wrote:

> On 5/18/2013 1:01 AM, Roy wrote:
>
> > On Friday, May 17, 2013 11:27:16 PM UTC-6, gfre...@aol.com wrote:

> >> On Fri, 17 May 2013 21:49:00 -0700 (PDT), DD_BobK <rkaza...@gmail.com>

>
> >> wrote:
>
> >>http://gfretwell.com/ftp/dead%20rat.jpg
>
> > The EARS say MOUSE...the NOSE says MOUSE...I have trapped DOZENS of these
> > mice in my old house. They also have a habit of "pack-ratting" all kinds
> > of material and stashing that material in boots, shoes and winter
> > wear (overshoes). Every fall they try to find a nice winter home and
> > infiltrate no matter how I try to mouse-proof the old shack.
>
> And I say, who cares?
>
> I got tired of setting traps for mice in the garage and, in the fall, in
> the laundry room.
>
> I bought a pair of Rat-Zapper Classics (now called "Raticators")
>
> Powered by AA batteries they work like a charm.
>
> Check it out:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDIZzv2NEMU
>
> http://www.ratzapper.org/
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Rat-Zapper-RZU001-Ultra/dp/B000BWFESU
>
> When the pilot light says it's got one DRT, I just shake it out into the
> garbage can or back in the field and drop in two more small pieces of
> dry dog food and set it back down next to the wall.
>
> When I first got them and set them out in the garage and shop, I was
> zapping three or four mice per day.  Now I might get one every two weeks
> or so.

WARNING.....

I bought on of these POS's..... ~$50....took forever but eventually
killed one rat.

Developed "error condition" replaced batteries... twice.
Still doesn't work, company gives run around.

I cannot afford to kill rats @ $50 a pop.

Reading Amazon reviews.... lots of people love these units, a fair
number hate them.
I'm guessing they have QC / production problems (made in China?)

If you get a good one, you;re golden if you get a bad one...you're
SOL. :(

cheers
Bob

[DD_BobK]

On May 17, 10:27 pm, gfretw...@aol.com wrote:
> On Fri, 17 May 2013 21:49:00 -0700 (PDT), DD_BobK <rkaza...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

> I use Costco laundry detergent that comes in a bucket with that lid
> and I did post a picture with a measuring tape on the lid.
>
> http://gfretwell.com/ftp/dead%20rat.jpg

Well done..... our local rats don't look like that (all the ones
I've caught over the last 30 years)
That looks like one of our local mice but MUCH bigger.

I'll defer to your expertise.... I've never caught a rat during the
day, only at night.
Mice, OTOH, day or night...they;re really dumb.

I've seen this style rat.

cheers
Bob

[Unquestionably Confused]

On 5/18/2013 12:45 PM, DD_BobK wrote:

> WARNING.....
>
> I bought on of these POS's..... ~$50....took forever but eventually
> killed one rat.
>
> Developed "error condition" replaced batteries... twice.
> Still doesn't work, company gives run around.
>
> I cannot afford to kill rats @ $50 a pop.
>
> Reading Amazon reviews.... lots of people love these units, a fair
> number hate them.
> I'm guessing they have QC / production problems (made in China?)
>
> If you get a good one, you;re golden if you get a bad one...you're
> SOL. :(

For once I apparently was lucky and, thus, golden. Bought a twin pack
for something like $75. Had one instance where, as you alluded to, it
went to error condition (showed there should be a dead mouse/rat/critter
but there wasn't).

Washed it out in a shallow pan per the instructions, let it dry and
all's been well ever since.

Had mine two years now and have changed the batteries out three times.
It's a hit! Just keeps knocking them dead! (sorry, couldn't resist).

Spring time now and wife will move one out by her herb garden and
decimate the gopher/ground squirrel population.

Buddy who tipped me to these is out in San Diego where tree rats (or
roof rats) are a problem. Damn those are some big dudes. Thought that
maybe he had to catch them and pound them into the traps to make them
work<g> He's sent pictures of the damn rats with their ass hanging out
of the trap. DRT!

So long as it works, I'm happy and SWMBO is happy and that's all that
counts.

[Oren]

On Sat, 18 May 2013 10:45:00 -0700 (PDT), DD_BobK <rkaz...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>I cannot afford to kill rats @ $50 a pop.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV9woxUshuA>

[Unquestionably Confused]

On 5/18/2013 4:18 PM, gfre...@aol.com wrote:

> They seem to learn pretty fast and start avoiding a trap they see a
> dead buddy in.

Rat Zapper recommends occasionally cleaning out (soak in a shallow pan
with a bit of detergent and let air dry). Likely to remove the scent of
death more than anything else.

> The glue pads work pretty good too if you put it along a wall where
> they like to run. Just be sure you anchor it or they will run off with
> it. That was the first one I shot in the house. He was running around
> dragging a clue trap and the dog bowl the glue trap caught along the
> way.

IIRC placing any trap along the wall is the way to go. Little buggers
don't seem to like scurrying out in the open and tend to follow the walls.

The mechanical cat (the trap that scoops them up and flings them into a
holding cell to starve to death recommends that placement. You see the
commercial bait traps at Costco, Sam's and by factories always along the
walls.

I know Rat Zapper recommends locating them that way. Seems to work just
fine.

[rep...@workshop.com]

On Fri, 17 May 2013 08:46:55 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D." <Dan...@is.invalid>
wrote:

>I felt really badly for the little guy, but I can't have them chewing on
>the wires in the heater (which might be why the heater isn't working):

I'm an animal lover, but it's a fucking worthless rat, that spreads
disease as well as damaging stuff. Get over it. Rats deserve to die
just for existing. I'd put rat poison all over that place. There are
probably more of them. Rats and mice are just plain disgusting, filthy
things that should all die.

[rep...@workshop.com]

On Fri, 17 May 2013 17:33:34 +0000 (UTC), Danny D <Dan...@example.com>
wrote:

Times are hard. The economy is worse. There are a lot of hungry and
starving people. One of your neighbors probably took it home and cooked
it for dinner. -OR- What did your wife cook for dinner last evening?
Maybe you ate it, and didn't even know!!!!

Or you have a cat in the neighborhood, and cats are your friends whern
it comes to rodents.

[Danny D]

On Sat, 18 May 2013 01:27:16 -0400, gfretwell wrote:

> I use Costco laundry detergent that comes in a bucket with that lid and
> I did post a picture with a measuring tape on the lid.
> http://gfretwell.com/ftp/dead%20rat.jpg

Yup. Both covers are exactly the same (and both from Costco).

[Attila Iskander]

"Danny D" <Dan...@example.com> wrote in message
news:knbi0q$ejm$1...@speranza.aioe.org...

What a small rat...

[Roy]

That's because its a !@#$% DEER MOUSE.

[victor3...@battery.com]

On Fri, 17 May 2013 08:46:55 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D." <Dan...@is.invalid>
wrote:

>where it snapped onto my finger, as I tried to set the the super-
>sensitive trigger. Ouch!

I HOPE YOU CALLED AN AMBULANCE!

This could kill you!

[Danny D]

On Tue, 21 May 2013 02:45:35 -0500, victor3410086.2 wrote:

> This could kill you!

It didn't kill me, but the nail is about to fall off ... :)

[Robert Macy]

I've heard and witnessed that *if* you drill a hole in the nail at the
site of the injury; the hole seaping relieves pressure of the bruise
and the nail may not fall off - just have the small hole slowly
migrate out to the end as the nail grows.

[Danny D]

On Tue, 21 May 2013 16:14:55 -0700, Robert Macy wrote:

> I've heard and witnessed that *if* you drill a hole in the nail at the
> site of the injury; the hole seaping relieves pressure of the bruise
> and the nail may not fall off - just have the small hole slowly
> migrate out to the end as the nail grows.

I've done that before.

The nail gets all purple with blood, and then you scratch a hole
in the center with a paper clip (or whatever).

The nail is very soft, so, it punctures quite easily.
Then the very dark red blood comes out easily to relieve the pressure.

[Danny D]

On Sat, 18 May 2013 20:33:35 -0500, Unquestionably Confused wrote:

> Rat Zapper recommends occasionally cleaning out (soak in a shallow pan
> with a bit of detergent and let air dry). Likely to remove the scent of
> death more than anything else.

These poor things don't seem to care that there's already one
dead in a trap right next to the trap they decide to eat from:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/13126962/img/13126962.jpg

They both seem to be the same big-eared long-tailed species as
before, only much smaller this time:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/13126966/img/13126966.jpg

[DD_BobK]

DDD-

>>>>The nail gets all purple with blood, and then you scratch a hole
in the center with a paper clip (or whatever).
The nail is very soft, so, it punctures quite easily.
Then the very dark red blood comes out easily to relieve the pressure.
<<<<

If you actually did this before..why not this time?
Or are you merely relating information that you've read?

I've actually BTDT a number of time for others & myself.
The best way is to "burn" through with heated tip of a paper clip
wire.
The heated tip burns through (might need to re-heat once or twice)
quite easily.

The liquid blood will instantly cool the heated wire thus preventing a
burn to the underlying tissue.
Drilling with a drill motor is asking for permanent injury to the
tissue below.

I'm sure scratching your way through isn't as easy as you make it
sound.

BTW... the nail doesn't get all purple with blood... the bleed is
beneath the nail.
The blood is trapped between the finger tissue and the nail, hence the
pain due to pressure.

I performed my first "burn through" in August 1984 around the time of
the LA Olympics

[Danny D]

On Wed, 22 May 2013 00:58:24 -0700, DD_BobK wrote:

> Drilling with a drill motor is asking for permanent injury to the
> tissue below.
> I'm sure scratching your way through isn't as easy as you make it
> sound.

So there are three methods, one of which we both deprecate:
1. Drilling (to me, this is fraught with issues)
2. Scratching (for me, this works fine, & causes no pain)
3. Burning (personally, I've never tried it, but you have)

So, we're in violent agreement on the 1st, and we have
our own methods for the 2nd and 3rd.

Scratching a nail clean through turns out to be trivially
easy, as it's really all very soft stuff. Try it if you
think it's too difficult. You'll be amazed at how easy it
is. There's absolutely no risk of burning too!

YMMV.