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- Nov 24, 2002
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Well, I didn't post pictures (yet) as I fear falling afoul of "the man".
We've had a recent small problem with chipmunks and mice. Don't know where the mice went, but the chipmunks are staying local. So, I got some rat traps, and read a bit on the interwebz. One thing I learned was to set the trap out, unset but baited, for a few days, so that the beasties could become accustomed. Peanut butter with a peanut embedded at first, then peanut butter with a chocolate covered raisin in it (not Raisinet brand, but hereafter to be referred to as such for convenience). Then, started setting the traps! One misfire - both traps tripped, bait gone, but no murder. However, next day, victory! Nothing the next night. Then, bait stolen again, but no critter. I had an idea - I took a needle and thread, and stuck it through one side of the Raisinet, then turned it around and came back, and very simply tied a loop. I made two, and looped one each on each trap (on the bait lever, there's a cut-out flange, which you can see in the pic above), and that was that. Two days, two kills! First one yesterday, the little brother had the Raisinet in his chops, and his dead body wouldn't let go, so it all went. Other one was intact. Today, I think that THIS little brother was trying to back out, but didn't do it in time, because there was a little nibble on the bait, but the bar caught him (calling them all "he/him", but I don't know the genders, and didn't look) across the forehead, right above the eyes. The first two were on the neck. This third one had the eyes bugging out.
To be candid, I am happy that it didn't pinch the animal's face off, but leave it alive.
I reset the trap with the bait. The second one, with bait gone, last night I'd set, just for added funzies - if every edge is sharp, like a bowling ball, more likely to get a dance - but it deployed with the live one today, and now won't hook at the point (there is jargon to the trap biz, and I don't know it), so it won't engage. So, just one is active. However, I don't know how many rodents there are left. More destruction!
As you are aware (or, if not, will be), a rat trap is strong enough to break a finger by crushing. Fortunately, I am still digits 1-5 R/L intact.
We've had a recent small problem with chipmunks and mice. Don't know where the mice went, but the chipmunks are staying local. So, I got some rat traps, and read a bit on the interwebz. One thing I learned was to set the trap out, unset but baited, for a few days, so that the beasties could become accustomed. Peanut butter with a peanut embedded at first, then peanut butter with a chocolate covered raisin in it (not Raisinet brand, but hereafter to be referred to as such for convenience). Then, started setting the traps! One misfire - both traps tripped, bait gone, but no murder. However, next day, victory! Nothing the next night. Then, bait stolen again, but no critter. I had an idea - I took a needle and thread, and stuck it through one side of the Raisinet, then turned it around and came back, and very simply tied a loop. I made two, and looped one each on each trap (on the bait lever, there's a cut-out flange, which you can see in the pic above), and that was that. Two days, two kills! First one yesterday, the little brother had the Raisinet in his chops, and his dead body wouldn't let go, so it all went. Other one was intact. Today, I think that THIS little brother was trying to back out, but didn't do it in time, because there was a little nibble on the bait, but the bar caught him (calling them all "he/him", but I don't know the genders, and didn't look) across the forehead, right above the eyes. The first two were on the neck. This third one had the eyes bugging out.
To be candid, I am happy that it didn't pinch the animal's face off, but leave it alive.
I reset the trap with the bait. The second one, with bait gone, last night I'd set, just for added funzies - if every edge is sharp, like a bowling ball, more likely to get a dance - but it deployed with the live one today, and now won't hook at the point (there is jargon to the trap biz, and I don't know it), so it won't engage. So, just one is active. However, I don't know how many rodents there are left. More destruction!
As you are aware (or, if not, will be), a rat trap is strong enough to break a finger by crushing. Fortunately, I am still digits 1-5 R/L intact.
