How Does The Victor Electronic Rat Trap Work

[Bazara Benavides]

Sinceevery Thread device can connect to other Thread devices, you can get much more coverage between devices. One trap on my Wi-Fi network is fine but what if I have to deploy traps in multiple locations that might not have a good Wi-Fi signal? Thread would handle that much better. Victor does make a LoRaWAN mousetrap, for larger areas.

Have you encountered an issue with your Victor Electronic Mouse Trap, or just want to learn more about it? Our convenient troubleshooting section will walk you through the most common customer questions to ensure successful trapping.

Electronic traps are for indoor use only. Place the trap on a flat surface against a wall where you have seen signs of rodent activity. The trap should be placed lengthwise with the rodent entrance nearest to the wall. Be sure that the area is free of dust and debris.

No, an electronic trap cannot be used outdoors. It uses batteries and electronic components that cannot be exposed to the elements. Placing the trap outdoors will interfere with the functionality of the trap, causing it not to work.

Rodents prefer foods that are high in protein and fat. Try using peanut butter, hazelnut spread, chocolate and meats such as bacon or beef jerky. Be careful not to use too much. Rodents have a very strong sense of smell, so only a small amount of bait is needed to attract them to the trap. Do not overfill the bait cup.

Rodents have a very strong sense of smell, so only a small amount of bait is needed to attract them to the trap. Do not overfill the bait cup. Open the kill chamber door to access the bait cup, which can be found on the floor of the trap, furthest from the rodent entrance. Use a cotton swab, toothpick, tweezers or similar tool to place bait so that your scent is not transferred to the trap.

You can check to see if your trap is working by turning the trap OFF, then ON again. A green light will appear once and the unit will buzz to let you know the trap is armed and ready for use. A continuous indicator light is not used so that battery life can be preserved.

The Victor Electronic Mouse Trap does not use poisons or chemicals. It features a covered tunnel design and built-in safety switch that automatically deactivates the trap whenever the lid on top of trap is opened. This trap may be used with caution in homes with children and pets.

With all of the improvements this trap offers over other, more traditional models, we would have expected to pay a premium. But these traps usually go for about $7 for two, which is only a few dollars more than the cheapest traps we tested (our also-great pick) and cheaper than nearly every option in the Competition section. With hundreds of positive reviews, the Tomcat is regularly available online.

Wirecutter senior editor Harry Sawyers recently deployed a pair of Tomcats in a Los Angeles garage where mice had gotten into a surplus stash of dehydrated dog food. Sawyers baited the traps with a few bits of food and reports with a mix of shame and pride that he netted three mice in two nights. "I hope it's over," he said. He noted that the traps' easy one-handed operation made it possible to pick up the loaded trap, drop the catch into a plastic bag, all the while shielding his face with his free hand to avoid looking into the creature's still-open black eyes.

To use the Wi-Fi element of the trap, the Victor app first needs to be downloaded to your device. The app does not have a lot of positive reviews with reports of having trouble connecting to the trap or a lack of notifications. Despite the negative reviews, we tested it and found that it works as advertised. We had no problems with it, but we will keep using it and will report back on any issues. However, we can only recommend this trap for people who have a strong network connection in the place they want to monitor. Basements, attics, and crawl spaces may have a tough time getting good Wi-Fi reception. You can test the signal by taking your phone to that location and connecting to the Wi-Fi. You can also use a laptop, a security camera, or anything else that connects to Wi-Fi.

We emailed Victor to confirm that the company only collects basic information with its app, like the email address you sign up with, trap names, and the number of kills on each trap. The app may also collect location information, but the traps work fine without that permission, so we suggest not enabling it unless you run into issues. The company also confirmed it does not share any customer data with third parties, and the minimal data it does collect is encrypted in transit. Since the traps are connected to your Wi-Fi network, we suggest making sure your Wi-Fi settings are secure.

Frye and Corrigan are both members of a group called the Scientific Coalition of Pest Exclusion, which is dedicated to spreading awareness about how to exclude pests from homes and other buildings, as opposed to straight-up extermination. They have numerous resources to help architects, engineers (PDF), builders, landlords (PDF), and homeowners be more proactive about pest exclusion.

Placing some traps side by side can sometimes catch mice jumping past a trap, as Frye mentioned in our pick section, and he also suggests buying about six snap traps per mouse to increase your odds of getting a catch.

Doug Mahoney is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter covering home improvement. He spent 10 years in high-end construction as a carpenter, foreman, and supervisor. He lives in a very demanding 250-year-old farmhouse and spent four years gutting and rebuilding his previous home. He also raises sheep and has a dairy cow that he milks every morning.

Sarah Witman is a senior staff writer who reports on powering and charging technology for Wirecutter. She previously worked as a writer, editor, and fact checker for several science magazines. Though she researches and tests chargers for a living, her phone battery is usually low.

And so I resolved myself to ridding the house of these vermin. I hate poisons, since we have children, cats and a dog. And the traditional mice and rat traps very often miss and catch only a foot or tail which seems awfully cruel to these rodents. Glue traps are just wicked in concept and usage and seem to be designed for torture of the mouse or rat. So, the question is how to catch a rat with a trap, kill it humanely, and rid my house of rats and mice forever. And finally which is the best rat trap?

After baiting the electronic rat trap, I turned on the Victor, and was immediately shocked, and I almost hurled that &*^%$#! Victor Mouse and Rat killing machine across the room. But I decided to give it one more try.

Tried re-baiting the Victor again the next night, and this time with a tasty morsel of smoked Tuna and nothing took the bait or got electrocuted by the Victor. No bait taken. No dead mouse or rat, and no flashing light on the Victor Electronic Rat and Mouse Trap that indicates a killing or tripping of the electronic circuit.

Tried re-baiting the Victor Trap again the next night, only I put it in the Garage next to the kitchen door. Next morning I was rewarded with one small dead and electrocuted RAT! Cool.

UPDATE: Rat number three has been dispatched by the Victor Rodent Trap.

UPDATE: Rat number three has NOT been killed by the trap. Instead it appears it was shocked non-stop for at least 15 minutes. When I made my way to the trap and dumped the Rat I thought maybe it was still moving. But creeped out, I took it outside and put into the garbage can. Next morning I went out and checked on the Rat number three, and found it alive and well. I ended up killing it with a shovel, and now I have that memory of it squealing as I killed it. Damnit.

Given the last experience, the shock I got, and the other poor design features of the trap, I DO NOT Recommend this Victor Electronic Trap. I am going to try and get a complete refund on this poorly designed product that is supposed to kill rodents. My Victor M240 Electronic Mouse Trap Review really tested my patience, and humane sensibilities.

So I dusted off the Victor Electronic Rat Trap, and baited it with a chunk of peanut butter and jam sandwich, and a few pieces of dry dog food and place the Victor Electronic Mouse Trap along the wall I saw the rat. Rats run around the peripheral walls of a room or a building, and you will usually have best success using any kind of rat and mouse trap by putting it next to the wall. Turned it on, and locked up the chickens and went to bed.

Try using popcorn kernal covered with peanutbutter. I had purchase one of the traps and it was broken too. The first 4 that I had worked perfectly so just write to Victor on Facebook and they might replace the malfunctioning trap.

And now I see new players on the market. Hoont Powerful Electronic Rodent Trap, PestZilla Electronic Rodent Trap, and the Eliminator Electronic Rat and Rodent Trap. All three of these look like they are made by the same folks. I think I may order up one of each and put them through their paces. We have an explosion of Rats and Mice this Summer, and they are getting under the house, in the garage, and in the chicken run.

Ha! I actually tie wrapped a small carrot to the back. I slathered it with peanut butter. The next day, the carrot was still there. Minus the peanut butter. Tonight I put a lot of peanut butter in the back all over the empty tie wrap. We shall see.

I have a mice issue in my house. But the thing I live with roommates and they are usually very messy. So the house is full of them. We would find them on food pantries, in roommates rooms and even my room! I try to keep my room cleaned but recently I just found out that they like to chew on bar soap!! But these lil fuckers are so fast that when I see them they are gone in less than 1 second! And its frustrating I want to make sure that it really works before I buy them. They like to come inside when its about to rain or during the winter since it gets very cold here in MN.

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