Carnage! Gruesome and a little gory!

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Apollyon

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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.
 
It sounds cliched, but cheese really is the best bait for mousetraps. You can mold it around the bait pedal and it's harder for the mice to remove than peanut butter. Obviously sewing the bait on works well too, but cheese is easier. When I was about thirteen we had a population explosion of voles (fat Alaskan mice) in my area and they overran our house. Besides setting traps, I used to do my homework with a BB gun at my side waiting for a vole to show itself. They're hard to hit, but I got a couple of them. The really tough part was explaining the BBs imbedded in the wall to my parents.
 
See, the internet told me (several-to-many sites) that cheese was not optimal. Was that an AK thing? The Raisinets were sworn by a few people. The key, though, was put something in for which the animals have to work (like a peanut in the peanut butter) - they'll tug at it, and set off the trap.

Whatever works, man! However, I didn't skin any of the little bastards - I don't know if there is a market for chipmunk pelts!
 
In TN we used to use a combo method of peanut butter on the trap with a Dorito squished on top of the PB to give the cheese appeal. It has worked at least a dozen times over 4 apartments between medical school and resident.

Happy Hunting,
-1234
 
Wow, you have some seriously uppity rodents in your place. Not only demanding chocolate covered raisins, but specific brands, and all special types of deserts...wow. These are not your average everyday vermin. It reminds me of the Geico cavemen.

You've got World War III on your hands, brotha'. I don't think run of the mill mouse traps are going to get it done. You need to beef up your arsenal a notch or two. In the words of the great Carl Spackler of Caddyshack: [preparing to dynamite the gopher tunnel] "Au revoir, gopher."
 
Up to 5, now! I take pictures of each one, and there's one out there now. Just gotta get the forensics, and then that dude is out, too!

I just wonder how many there will be!

When you think you have the last one, there will be at least one more. Keep setting the traps until you don't have any activity for a month!

By then, the rodents may start to calm down for the winter. But be prepared for war next spring when they wake up from their long nap.

I swear, rodents are worse menace than the zombie apocalypse.

post your pics on an image hosting site like photobucket, and provide a link. It will give you satisfaction to show off your trophies.

good hunting!
dsoz
 
When we lived in Baltimore for the SO's graduate work, we used canned tuna fish in the big-assed Victor Power Kill traps and it worked like magic. And a Baltimore rat is not a creature to be trifled with, but I could see that perhaps the chipmunks might different bait. Highly recommend the Power Kill traps, regardless. Increased kill rates many fold when we upgraded from the plain-jane version.
 
Wow, you have some seriously uppity rodents in your place. Not only demanding chocolate covered raisins, but specific brands, and all special types of deserts...wow. These are not your average everyday vermin. It reminds me of the Geico cavemen.

You've got World War III on your hands, brotha'. I don't think run of the mill mouse traps are going to get it done. You need to beef up your arsenal a notch or two. In the words of the great Carl Spackler of Caddyshack: [preparing to dynamite the gopher tunnel] "Au revoir, gopher."

Thank you for the best laugh I've had in a long time! I think there's T-shirt potential in "seriously uppity rodents". And I'll buy 7 of 'em......
 
My parents had hot and cold running mice a few years ago and my Dad swears they just pushed out the little poison bowls as if to say "Waiter! Service!" On his advice I use traps with good results,although after last year's epic catch (26 in 4 months) I'm thinking of escalating to a cat. So far this year only 3 and no trace of others in 4 weeks. We'll see what I get when I come home from vacation. That's when they got seriously out of control last year. FYI I use almond butter as bait as I am allergic to peanuts. Works like a charm. I like the idea of sticking chocolate covered raisins in it though.
Oh,and me too for the seriously uppity rodents t-shirt.
M
 
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When I was living in Africa I designed and built some very effective live traps. They were fairly easy to construct, could be made cheaply from locally available materials, and worked perfectly. I can send you plans if you want, but there's not much point in building one unless you want the rat or chipmunk alive so you can eat it. Did you know bush rat really does taste like chicken?
 
I've heard squirrel is good eats, but there doesn't seem to be much meat at all on a chipmunk. I just bagged #6 today.

Ironically, the last several, when I got to them, they had ants all about them. For some strange reason, I thought that these simpleminded, running on instinct rodents deserved a little better (notwithstanding I broke their necks and/or skulls), so I knock the ants off the trap before I take my pictures and dispose of them.

I just gotta check and make sure none of the DB mods lurk in here and ding me if I put up pictures of my trophies.
 
Thank you for the best laugh I've had in a long time! I think there's T-shirt potential in "seriously uppity rodents". And I'll buy 7 of 'em......

:laugh:

You're welcome. You make 'em, and I'll wear one.
 
I just gotta check and make sure none of the DB mods lurk in here and ding me if I put up pictures of my trophies.

Ooooh, ouch. Can't speak for the non-EM forum mods, but this DB EM mod sure was hoping for a pic or link 🙂....Nothing like a bonafide trophy pic!

I do like your idea of suturing the raisinette to the trap, pure genius!
 
Ooooh, ouch. Can't speak for the non-EM forum mods, but this DB EM mod sure was hoping for a pic or link 🙂....Nothing like a bonafide trophy pic!

I do like your idea of suturing the raisinette to the trap, pure genius!

Well, I wasn't thinking of you or DocB - but there's a few of your colleagues that come out of the woodwork expressly to write tickets.

I just have to upload the pix - then I'll put 'em in a post!
 
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