Are you looking for the best rat traps? Then you’ve come to the right place.
In this Pest Strategies product review you can expect to learn:
- What the best rat trap is
- The best way to bait traps
- Some do’s and don’ts
- Where traps should be positioned
- How to keep rats from stealing the bait
- The pros and cons of each type of rat trap
Ed has been working in the pest control industry for years helping 1,000's of homeowners navigate the world of insect and rodent management. He manages Pest Strategies now helping homeowners around the world!
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Victor Metal Pedal Rat Trap
Features
- Easy to use
- Very cost-efficient
- No need for poisons
The Ratinator Multiple Catch Live Rat Trap
Features
- No poisons
- Easy to bait and set
- Catches multiple rats
Kat Sense Rat Traps
Features
- Easy to set up
- Touch-free disposal
- Works for several types of rodents
OWLTRA Electric Rat Trap
Features
- Quick, humane rodent trapping method
- Easy to set up
- Battery-powered, no AC outlet needed
Table Of Contents
Top 5 Best Rat Traps
Short on time or just want a quick answer?
Check out our list below for a summary of our results. Keep on reading to learn more about rat traps.
- Classic Metal Rat Traps
- Kat Sense Rat Traps
- OWLTRA Electric Rat Trap
- Victor Metal Pedal Rat Trap
- The Ratinator Multiple Catch Live Rat Trap
Rats have been a problem for mankind since the beginning of time. They’ve infested ships, homes, warehouses, churches, temples, municipal buildings, commercial buildings, public forums, and the palaces of kings worldwide.
They carried deadly diseases during the Middle Ages, such as thebubonic plague, AKA, The Black Death, and in large numbers they can devastate entire crops in the field. To call them a pest would be a huge understatement.
So naturally, people have been trying to eradicate them ever since. With zero success by the way.
Let’s be clear about something. Rodent control – rats, mice, squirrels, etc. – isn’t about eliminating or eradicating them, that’s impossible. You’re never going to wipe them out.
That’s not what this guide is about.
Instead, it is about keeping them under control and not letting them wander around your house and make themselves at home. When rats enter your property, they are killed in short order.
Our reviews below will lay out the best traps, but before that, we’re going to give you some information on how to use the traps effectively.
Where Should Rat Traps be Positioned?
Setting traps in the right position takes a bit of detective work. Rats and mice haveextremely poor eyesight.
事实上,如果他们人类n they’d be declared legally blind. In order to compensate for their lack of vision, they will usetheir vibrissae(whiskers) against objects in their environment the same way a blind man uses his cane.
They will move slowly through their environment, staying close to walls and stationary objects to “map out” the location of everything around them.
As they move along, close to the walls, the oil on their fur leaves dark stains calledrub marks. Once they’ve established a pathway or route through an area, they’ll stick to it.
This is where you want to place your traps.
Use a flashlight and get down on your hands and knees to find where the rub marks are. You won’t find them on every wall, or every length of wall, so you’ll have to do a bit of investigating.
Once you have found the rub marks, you’ll know where to put the traps.
What are the Dos and Don’ts in using traps?
Do put them right next to the wall so they’ll be sure to encounter them as they retrace their route around and through your house.
Don’t put the traps out in the middle of the room. They’ll be unlikely to run into them.
What Should You Know About the Rat’s Sense of Smell?
Rats and mice have avery acute sense of smell. If you smoke, when you handle a piece of cheese or other bait you’re going to use, the cigarette smell will transfer from your fingers to the cheese.
Humans can’t detect such a small amount of scent, but rats can. When they smell the smokey odor from the cigarettes they’ll turn around and leave bait untouched.
Our second set of Dos and Don’ts
For this reason, you should always wear a pair ofdisposable latex gloves在处理任何老鼠陷阱。这将防止任何odors on your hands from transferring to the trap or contaminating the bait.
The gloves will also protect you when you’re removing a dead rat from the trap. There may bodily fluids on the trap or the dead animal that you don’t want touching you.
Some of those fluids may contain dangerous bacteria or viruses. Wearing gloves will protect you from them.
Rats also use their sense of smell in another, very interesting way.Rats will smell each other’s breathto determine what kind of food is safe to eat.
If they smell cheese on another rat’s breath, and the other rat is still alive and healthy, it tells them the food is safe to eat. When they encounter that same food, later on, they’ll remember smelling it on the other rat and know they can eat it.
Our third Dos and Don’ts
Do put bait on unset traps for a few days. Let them get used to eating the bait off the trap – and surviving to pass it on in their breath to other rats.
This will help them overcome their shyness around new items in their environment (the trap) and “spread the word” about the bait you’re using.
Once you’ve baited the trap(s) for several days and they’ve eaten it, then you can start setting the trap(s) and expect to get some immediate results.
Read Also:What’s the best way to deter wasps?
What Baits Should be Used With Rat Traps?
老鼠omnivores the same as humans are, sothey’ll eat practically anything we will; bacon, fruit, eggs, peanut butter, even pet food.
Spicy food won’t attract them very much, and the burning may keep them away from it in the future if they try it. You should use foods that have a strong odor so they can smell it from a distance and be drawn to it.
Dos and Don’ts in using baits with rat traps
However, rats are notorious for stealing bait from traps without setting them off. There is a simple way around this problem.
If you’re using hard food as the bait, tie it to the trigger of the trap with string, thread, or fine wire so the rats can’t simply take the bait and walk off with it.
It will force them to tug and twist at it to get it off the trigger, which will set off the trap.
If you’re using peanut butter or some other soft food as your bait, don’t put a big glob of it on the trigger.
Instead, smear a thin layer on the trigger so they’ll wind up licking the trigger. This will move the trigger and set off the trap.
Top 5 Best Rat Traps Reviewed
As a quick recap, here are the 5 rat traps we looked at.
Be sure to take a look at the Live Animal Humane Trap too. It is a good option for those you who don’t want to kill them, just get them out of your house.
Always remember to be careful handling rat traps.
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Classic Metal Rat Traps
This is a pack of 4, fully galvanized, rat snap traps. Built on the classic design, but with a metal base plate instead of wood, they are durable and reusable.
These heavy-duty traps sport a powerful spring for fast, humane killing action so the animal doesn’t suffer.
Each trap is 6.6” long and 3.5” wide. The galvanized metal won’t rust when it’s used outside, and the metal base won’t warp as wood can often do in moist or humid conditions.
They can be used and reused for years to come without breaking or wearing out like plastic traps. The metal also won’t absorb human smells.
Wipe it down with a damp rag before each use to eliminate any lingering odors that might keep the animals from approaching the trap.
Incidentally, these traps aren’t made in China, they’re made in the Czech Republic by a company calledmade2catch.
The spring is strong enough to require some caution when setting it. It can cause serious injury to your hands and fingers. The trigger is sensitive enough to catch all but the most clever rats.
The Good And The Bad
- Strong spring
- Fast, humane kill
- Large size for rats
- Metal won't rust or warp
- Metal won't absorb human smells
- Can cause serious injury if used carelessly
Kat Sense Rat Traps
If you’re tired of the work and hassle while trying to eliminate rats from your home or business, Kat Sense Rat Traps are for you. They’re designed to be reusable, so you don’t have to throw them away. And with their eco-friendly design, there are no toxic baits to harm other animals or the environment.
What makes these rat traps so unique is their touch-free design. No more messy glue boards or peeling dead rats from a snap device. Just press a lever and tilt the trap to empty it.
Kat Sense Rat Traps can be used indoors or outside around the perimeter of a home or business. They work for rats, squirrels, and chipmunks. They’re great in storage areas, garages, and gardens.
The Good And The Bad
- Easy to set up
- Touch-free disposal
- Works for several types of rodents
- Dual entry points
- Rats don't always die instantly
- It's best to keep children and pets away from traps
OWLTRA Electric Rat Trap
The OWLTRA Electric Rat Trap is perfect for getting rid of rats in your home, restaurant, or warehouse. It also works well for storage areas and greenhouses.
It’s simple to use. Just place the unit in locations where you have rat infestations. The electronic sensing unit will trigger the high-voltage trap to send a fatal electric shock once the rodent enters.
The OWLTRA Electric Rat Trap is battery-powered, so you can use it in outdoor sheds where there is no electricity available. With the convenient baiting area and release door, it’s easy to set up and clean after use.
The Good And The Bad
- Quick, humane rodent trapping method
- Easy to set up
- Battery-powered, no AC outlet needed
- Simple, hands-free disposal
- Not for outdoor use
Victor Metal Pedal Rat Trap
Victor, based in Pennsylvania, has been a recognized name inpest control for over 100 years. This is the original snap trap with a wood base, in a pack of twelve traps.
These traps are built from environmentally friendly wood, along with a galvanized metal trip petal, spring, and hammer.
These traps are easy to use. Bait the trip petal, pull the hammer back, and set the bar. Keep your fingers clear of action of course.
The powerful spring on this trap is strong enough to kill rats quickly and humanely, but it is also strong enough to cause serious injuries to your fingers or hands if you get careless around it. Only hold it by the sides of the wooden base.
After each kill, remove the rat and wipe it off with a damp rag. Remove the old bait as well.
Wipe off the trigger and put in fresh bait. Then position the trap where the rats will be sure to run into it again.
You get 12 traps in the package so you can set them out everywhere, but without having it cost you an arm and a leg. These are very cost-efficient!
The Good And The Bad
- Easy to use
- Very cost-efficient
- No need for poisons
- Easy to set and reset
- Environmentally friendly
- Can cause serious injury to fingers and hands
The Ratinator Multiple Catch Live Rat Trap
Made byRugged Ranch, from Vista, California, this trap catches up to 21 rats at a time. It doesn’t use any poisons and it catches the rats alive so they can be safely transported far away from your home or office to be released into the wild.
Why kill them if you don’t have to, right?
But single animal traps have to be emptied after every animal gets caught, whereas this trap can stay in place, catching multiple rats at a time. This is a huge time saver and the convenience can’t be overstated.
You don’t have to worry about getting your fingers caught in a snap trap and there aren’t any concerns about accidentally shocking yourself with an electric trap either.
This is an elegant solution to the age-old problems of rats and what to do about them. The rugged metal construction is rust-resistant and tough enough to keep the rats where they belong – trapped.
The interesting part about this trap is that the presence of trapped rats is not a discouragement to other rats that come along. All they see are other rats in a small area that smells good.
They don’t realize their buddies can’t get out so they push their way in and get trapped with them.
When transporting the trap you’ll need to cover the trap with a cloth otherwise they’ll go crazy in there.
The Good And The Bad
- No poisons
- Easy to bait and set
- Catches multiple rats
- Very humane method of catching rats
- Has to be covered during transportation