Quote from: fastwin on October 13, 2011, 10:38:40 AM
You seriously need to set up a "nanny cam" and get this rodent's antics on video...

+1
Rat cam would be interesting...
I'm guessing this is a posse of rats, with an especially wily one as their leader...squeaking out orders..."Rufus, move the ramp an inch more to the left...Rudy, stabilize the base of the ramp...Rory, lead three up to the top...everyone grab the tail in front and don't let Rory fall! (such a pain to chew through the bucket from the outside, and he'll spend weeks getting that vegetable oil out of his fur)...that was fun, good night's work team...back to the avocados...who's going to plant the insect distraction this time?"


But I digress.  These rats need to GO  

Might be fun to get one of those robot cams that roll around the house to keep an eye on the little home wreckers. 

Quote from: AJ on October 13, 2011, 10:56:24 AM
+1
."Rufus, move the ramp an inch more to the left...Rudy, stabilize the base of the ramp...Rory, lead three up to the top...everyone grab the tail in front and don't let Rory fall! (such a pain to chew through the bucket from the outside, and he'll spend weeks getting that vegetable oil out of his fur)...that was fun, good night's work team...back to the avocados...who's going to plant the insect distraction this time?"


But I digress.  These rats need to GO  

Quote from: somegirl on October 13, 2011, 09:17:29 AM
No, we just had a tarantula keeping us busy briefly.

Anyway, I was coming to post an update.

My findings this morning contradict our earlier theory of a vegan rat and confirm that we are not actually dealing with a simple rodent, but rather Satan's minion.

I had set up this hanging bait of peanut butter and bacon bits over a bucket with water (and a little vegetable oil to keep bugs from breeding in it).  This was on October 4, and it stayed like this until last night.





Finally the rat figured out how to get at the tasty treat.  It moved the ramp to the side so it could reach it.





It is (well past) time for the sticky traps.

Not sure how old your kiddos are.....this warning is worth noting.  Almost happened to a friends child several years back.


http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5006.html

Quote from: rgramjet on October 13, 2011, 02:33:37 PM
Not sure how old your kiddos are.....this warning is worth noting.  Almost happened to a friends child several years back.


http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5006.html

Great warning. Kiddo is 14 months old.  Bucket is well behind a safety gate.

All the ingenious things and still no dead rat. 

You should arrange the bucket and stick contraption in a way that the stick will fall into the bucket when the rat gets on the far end of the stick with the tasty prize attached.

Also, you need to put more liquid in the bucket so that the rat simply can't stand up, and jump out of it.
You have enough water in there for mice or voles, but not nearly enough for a decent sized rat.

BC.

Quote from: AJ on October 13, 2011, 10:56:24 AM
+1
Rat cam would be interesting...
I'm guessing this is a posse of rats, with an especially wily one as their leader...squeaking out orders..."Rufus, move the ramp an inch more to the left...Rudy, stabilize the base of the ramp...Rory, lead three up to the top...everyone grab the tail in front and don't let Rory fall! (such a pain to chew through the bucket from the outside, and he'll spend weeks getting that vegetable oil out of his fur)...that was fun, good night's work team...back to the avocados...who's going to plant the insect distraction this time?"


But I digress.  These rats need to GO  

I think someone's tipping these little bastards off and drawing schematics to solve for the equation you're presenting them.  I'd get shit tons of sticky paper and line the traffic areas.........who gives a shit about humane BS.

I'm all for a night-vision camera triggered by motion detector.  These make the beast with two backsers are far more nimble than you are giving them credit for.  And I bet they are even smart enough to pull the dangling prize towards them instead of venturing out over the water for it.  I am thinking that rats have problem solving skills equal to squirrels.  As for the glue traps...  Had a friend who set some out.  Rat got caught in one overnight, chewed his leg off to get out of it, then bled all over the house before dying.  So if you go that route, you might want to glue the traps to the floor.  It's time to get medieval on these bastards, and out-smart them!

Yes, you may want to secure the glue traps....these minions of evil might try to slap them on your head while you sleep

can you make a collapsable glue trap so that as the rat thrashes around trying to get free it just becomes wrapped up in it like a mummy?

then you will have the pleasure of the rat knowing it has been caught when you walk up and laugh evilly.

You know this is a damn serious problem of great concern when the thread goes on for 16 pages!! I'm thinking nuke the house from orbit and be done with it.

All or most glue traps turn into a rectangular box...  if you get the big ones something like 12" x6" it heavy and they can't wrangle it off..  

Be sure to have pellet gun handy to target practice when they stick