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Are you coping with a rodent infestation?
Are you looking to place traps in or around your property to eliminate rats or mice?
It’s fairly easy to set Victor Rat Traps. These traps are inexpensive and effective rodent management systems. However, many people have apprehensions about settings these quick-snapping devices.
In this article, we show you how to use Victor Rat Traps safely and effectively.
Setting a Victor Rat Trap
You’ve probably seen a Victor Rat Trap before. These time-tested rodent mitigation systems consist of a small rectangular wood boards with a spring-loaded metal kill bars. They are sold in most stores.
Step 1. Remove the trap from its packaging.
Step 2. Position the trap so that the kill bar is facing away from you.
Use pliers or a screwdriver to remove the staple that is holding down the set arm. The set arm is the kinked section of metal wire that connects the kill bar to a metal loop on the other end of the trap.
Step 3. Move the set arm so that it extends off the back of the trap.
Step 4. Using a toothpick or other utensil, place a small amount of bait on the copper pedal that is located in the center of the trap. You can use an artificial rodent bait or some peanut butter, bacon, dried pet food, or nuts. Try not to touch the bait with your fingers. Rodents are less likely to pick up bait if it carries a human’s scent.
Step 4. Pull the kill bar back. Make sure to hold it in place with your thumb. Avoid putting your fingers in front of the kill bar. The spring-loaded kill bar can snap back across the other side of the trap.
Step 5. Pull the set arm back over the kill bar. Set the arm bar under the small notch on the copper bait pedal.
Step 6. Set the trap next to a wall, as rodents tend to form a path around the perimeter of a room. Make sure that the side of the trap with the copper pedal is pushed right up against the wall. Or else, place the trap somewhere that you have noticed increased signs of rodent activity.
Traps should be set at 2- to 3-foot intervals.
Step 7. Traps should not be reused. Dispose of an entire trap, rat included, once a catch has been made.
See Victor’s instructional video here.
Setting Plastic Traps
Victor also makes an easy-set version of their standard rat trap. The easy-set rat trap has a plastic pedal instead of a copper one. When it comes time to set the Victor Easy Set Rat Trap, you must insert the arm bar under the yellow pedal. Other than that, all of the directions are the same as those listed for the traditional Victor Rat Trap.
Some people prefer to use Easy Set Rat Traps because they have larger trip pedals. These traps also have firm and sensitive settings. The firm setting is more difficult to trip.
Do Rat Pellets and Traps Work?
Rat pellets and traps are inexpensive and highly effective, but they shouldn’t be the only step you take to mitigate rodent infestations. Seal off and inspect any potential rodent access points, such as open eves, pipes, and vents. What’s more, keep your kitchen and pantry clean. Rodents are known to target loose food.
Listen for sounds. Look for signs that suggest rodents are present. You may hear squeaks, scampering, or chewing late at night. Rodents are nocturnal. Night is the time when they are most active.
While anticoagulant rodenticides are highly effective, there’s no telling where poisoned rodents will die. Rats and mice may die inside your home or business, creating additional problems.
Moreover, when rodenticides, or rat pellets, are not placed in appropriate bait boxes, domestic pets, children, and non-target wildlife risk being exposed to these lethal poisons.
Since rodents are killed and apprehended by Victor Rat Traps, these inexpensive mechanics are a preferable means of rodent mitigation. Just be sure you know how to set one without snapping your fingers.
You can also use traps in conjunction with other rodent mitigation systems. High-frequency rodent deterrent machines irritate rodents. When they are present, rats are likely to migrate elsewhere.
Tips for Trapping Rats
Rats are intelligent animals with strong instincts. There are a few things that you can do to increase your chances of trapping these troublesome rodents. First off, set “safe” traps before settings traps with engaged kill bars. Animals sense the dangers involved in strategically placed baits. If rats see traps as an ordinary part of their environment, they are much more likely to let their curiosities get the best of them.
Place baited traps every week for at least two weeks. Replace and dispose of traps on an ongoing basis. Continue to place traps until you no longer notice signs of rodents.
Important: Rodents are known carriers of several diseases, including hantavirus, plague, fleas, leptospirosis, typhus, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis. These diseases are spread through the droppings, urine, and nesting materials of rodents. Extreme care must be taken when it comes to cleaning up trapped rodents, their droppings, and their nesting materials. Hire a professional to ensure that you are not putting yourself or your loved ones in harms way.
Final Thoughts
Rats infestations are common throughout the United States. You must act as soon as you notice signs of rodents on your property. Traps are highly effective tools when it comes to eliminating rodent populations. You can use them with or without rodenticides (rat pellets) in order to eliminate entire populations of rodents.
