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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-1--683379940 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed We had the same problem -- the first time I put out a large standard rat trap in the winter (January 2 years ago) in the snow to go after a female rat and two big offspring that had taken over our wood pile, it killed a squirrel. The solution is to buy a live trap. We got ours in the gardening section at a Canadian Tire in Clayton Park, for around $25 I think. The make is called a 'Haveaheart', and you need the middle size, from memory perhaps 22 inches long with a square cross-section perhaps 5 or 6 inches on the side, steel mesh construction with a sliding trap door at one end. Bait the trip plate inside with peanut butter studded with black oil sunflower seeds. Very successful and productive overnight, as we caught several squirrels that were let go, and all the rats over ~2 weeks. As the animals are live and unharmed, you can choose to release the contents somewhere 'away' or contemplate a different fate. No good for mice: the mesh size is too large to keep them in, so you need the smallest sized trap. Steve, Halifax On 18-Apr-13, at 4:03 PM, K MacDonald wrote: > Hi folks. Is there a way to use traps and avoid getting a squirrel > or chipmunk instead of the target rat? > > KM > > > Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:52:09 -0300 > > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Starlings, Nesting Material, and Rats > > From: bdigout@seaside.ns.ca > > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > > > > Hi Angela; > > Set the trap against a wall or tree with the bait end facing out. > > Sometimes a rat will crawl over the trap from behind and the spring > > actually throws them away. Billy > > > > > I've noticed the starlings gathering nesting material in the > back yard the > > > last few days. Sky Rats I recall someone on this list calling > them. > > > > > > Speaking of rats...The traps have taken care of 2 of them. One > check for > > > peanut butter, one check for suet. Last night they sprung 2 of > them and > > > seem to have gotten away unscathed. One had a piece of apple > and the other > > > suet and peanut butter. Honestly I don't know how they move > that quick to > > > not get caught. Seeing how many times I've set it on my own > thumb!! > > > > > > Angela in Windsor > --Apple-Mail-1--683379940 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> We had the same problem -- the first time I put out a large standard rat = trap in the winter (January 2 years ago) in the snow to go after a = female rat and two big offspring that had taken over our wood pile, it = killed a squirrel. The solution is to buy a live trap. We = got ours in the gardening section at a Canadian Tire in Clayton Park, = for around $25 I think. The make is called a 'Haveaheart', and you = need the middle size, from memory perhaps 22 inches long with a square = cross-section perhaps 5 or 6 inches on the side, steel mesh construction = with a sliding trap door at one end. Bait the trip plate inside = with peanut butter studded with black oil sunflower seeds. Very = successful and productive overnight, as we caught several squirrels that = were let go, and all the rats over ~2 weeks. As the animals are = live and unharmed, you can choose to release the contents somewhere = 'away' or contemplate a different fate. <div>No good for = mice: the mesh size is too large to keep them in, so you need the = smallest sized trap.</div><div>Steve, Halifax<br><div> = <br><div><div>On 18-Apr-13, at 4:03 PM, K MacDonald = wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: = separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: = normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: = normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: = 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-family: Calibri; font-size: = 16px; "><div dir=3D"ltr">Hi folks. Is there a way to use traps and = avoid getting a squirrel or chipmunk instead of the target = rat?<br><br>KM<br><br><div><div id=3D"SkyDrivePlaceholder"></div>> = Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:52:09 -0300<br>> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] = Starlings, Nesting Material, and Rats<br>> From: <a = href=3D"mailto:bdigout@seaside.ns.ca">bdigout@seaside.ns.ca</a><br>> = To: <a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a><br>>= ;<span class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Hi = Angela;<br>> Set the trap against a wall or tree with the bait end = facing out.<span class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> = Sometimes a rat will crawl over the trap from behind and the = spring<br>> actually throws them away. Billy<br>><span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > I've noticed = the starlings gathering nesting material in the back yard the<br>> = > last few days. Sky Rats I recall someone on this list calling = them.<br>> ><br>> > Speaking of rats...The traps have taken = care of 2 of them. One check for<br>> > peanut butter, one check = for suet. Last night they sprung 2 of them and<br>> > seem to have