Repeating bait trap question.

Welcome to the internet's gathering place for Purple Martin enthusiasts
Post Reply
brent
Posts: 1280
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:43 pm
Location: Raceland, Louisiana

Hi all. Almost embarrassed to ask on this forum but I’ll give it a shot. I have a fig tree and a rat or rats are eating all my figs. I’ve tried so many different things. I don’t use poison because of my concern for other animals and birds so I’ve been trying to trap them the traditional way using the snap but nothing. I used plastic cups that I cut and hung around the figs but it just tears them down. I placed foil around the tree trunk and it still makes it up. I’ve mixed peanut butter and baking soda but it hasn’t eaten any (not a poison, it just disrupts their digestion). I thought about using the repeating bait trap used to catch sparrows. I could bait it with a nice ripe fig. Has any one ever caught a rat or mouse in one before? What do you think? Thanks, Brent
Brent
C.C.Martins
Posts: 3368
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
Location: Corpus Christi Tx
Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair. 185 fledged
2025- 40 pair. 181 fledged
HOSP:
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.

Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 49 PMCA excluder gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair, 181 fledged
2025: 51 pair, 216 fledged
PMCA member

Don't be embarrassed Brent! Heck i caught a toad in ours once, no clue how he got up 2 feet and into the trap but there he was.
You'd have to devise a way to keep him off the tree and need to go to the trap...sure can do it and get it, that trap will do it.
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
brent
Posts: 1280
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:43 pm
Location: Raceland, Louisiana

LOL! I’ll give it a try!! Thanks, Brent
Brent
Bird Brain
Posts: 327
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2016 9:22 am
Location: Highland Village, TX
Martin Colony History: 2022-visitors, 2023-visitors, 2024-1 pair, fledged 4, 2025-10 pair, fledged 42

You might try mounting glue traps around the trunk of the tree. When the rat tries to climb, it'll get stuck in the glue trap.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rat+glue+tra ... 2_0_recent

You can use Gorilla mounting putty to mount the glue traps.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=gorilla+putt ... eshed_1_12

You may have to dispatch the rat whenever you find him stuck to the glue trap. Some say these traps are inhumane. I personally don't care because I hate rats that much. Happy hunting.
brent
Posts: 1280
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:43 pm
Location: Raceland, Louisiana

Thanks Bird Brain. I’m at a point where I’ll try anything. Going to Tractor Supply later today and will check out what’s available! Thanks, Brent
Brent
[email protected]
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2024 4:59 pm
Location: Nebraska

I catch mice in mine all the time
charlesgremillion
Posts: 33
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2020 6:56 pm
Location: Southaven MS
Martin Colony History: 2020 - 6 pairs 13 fledged
2021 - 0
2022 - 5 pairs 9 fledged
2023- 9 pairs 22 fledged
2024 -12 pairs 31 fledged
2025 - 14 pairs 38 fledged
PMCA member

Brent, I use a live animal trap that I purchased from Tractor Supply. I have caught a number of rats using roasted peanuts as bait. The only drawback for some is that you have to dispatch them after capture, considering how much i hate rats it’s not a problem for me.
Post Reply