The use of electric rat traps to control rodents

Many have heard about electric rat traps, but not everyone fully understands how these devices work, how effective they are, and when, in general, it makes sense to replace more traditional means with them. Well, we will talk more about these traps in more detail and consider a number of interesting nuances associated with their practical application.

As you can already guess from the name, the operation of the electric rat trap is directly related to the use of electric current. And we are talking about the destruction of animals, and not about their capture alive. An important question that should arise immediately: is this trap dangerous for other inhabitants of the house, including people? Still, electricity ... We will also talk about this later.

In general, it can be noted that in operation electronic rat traps are very simple and convenient, and the effectiveness of such devices is quite high - if used correctly, they can even destroy a large population of rats in a given territory ...

The principle of operation of electric rat traps

The operation of the electric rat trap is based on a simple principle: the animal, climbing into the rat trap and trying to pull the bait out of it, closes the electric circuit on itself. High voltage current passes through his body, which leads to almost instant death of the animal.

On a note

In some types of traps, contacts close on the claws of the animal when it climbs into the rat trap. In other devices, the rat receives an electric shock when it touches the feeder with a bait. Theoretically, in the first case, the rat has a chance to escape, but there is no practical difference in efficiency between devices with different circuits: rats are equally reliably destroyed by traps of both types.

It is clear that for reliable destruction of the pest, the voltage at the electrodes of the device must be sufficiently high. For this, voltage converters are often used, which allow you to translate the low voltage from the batteries into several thousand volts at the output. So, in some traps, a rat or mouse receives a shock with a voltage of up to 8000 V (although the voltage may be lower - a standard 220 V rat is also quite "enough").

Due to voltage converters, some electric traps are autonomous, operate on batteries or accumulators and do not require a network connection.

The main advantages of such devices

One of the main advantages of the electronic trap for rats is the “hygiene” of its use. In this way, it compares favorably with poisons that have to be laid out throughout the apartment (and then be afraid that neither the pets themselves nor the rats poisoned by the animals find them), as well as mechanical traps, which, when triggered, often leave dried blood stains on the floor.

In addition, electric shredders for the most part are very effective: in practice, with their help they often manage to get rid of even the most cautious rats (who are wise by experience and no longer touch the poison and bypass the usual trap-crush).

Other advantages of electric rat traps:

The compactness of the device, the ability to install it in fairly secluded and inaccessible places;
Humanity (compared with some other types of devices) - the animal dies in the trap almost instantly, without suffering from pain. This makes electric rat traps significantly different, for example, from glue traps in which a rat can die for several days;
Ease of use - the trap does not need to be prepared for a long time, and even the disposal of the corpse of the animal is very simple and takes less than a minute (you do not even have to touch the corpse of the animal).

Meanwhile, with all the above advantages, the electric rat trap has certain disadvantages ...

Disadvantages of Electronic Rat Traps

Like any electrical appliance, improper handling of electronic rat traps can be dangerous for pets and humans. However, in fairness, it must be said that many modern models of battery-operated electric rat traps, even with a gross violation of safety precautions during work (for example, if you put your fingers inside), are not ways to cause serious harm to human health.

On a note

The most dangerous to handle are do-it-yourself devices that are powered by a voltage of 220 V. Often, in the schemes of such home-made products, there is no protection - at best, a fuse that will not save from a life-threatening electric shock.

In general, simple mechanical rat traps with a powerful spring can be considered much more dangerous to handle than modern battery-operated electric rat traps. A trap can easily break a finger for a child or a cat’s paw, while the electronic exterminators of rats and mice are designed so that it’s impossible to reach the electrodes with your fingers (or paw).

And even in the worst case, for a person the discharge will be very unpleasant, but it will not be fatal (a person is about 100 times larger than a rat, and the discharge power of the battery-powered device is simply not enough to cause serious harm).

It is also useful to read: Poison Rat Death No. 1: instructions for use and reviews of the tool

These traps have other drawbacks:

High cost - prices for electronic shredders start at 2,500 rubles and go up to 10,000 rubles for the most modern models. For that kind of money, you can buy several dozens of ordinary mousetraps, or several tunnel traps that are safe for pets and are not inferior in effectiveness to electric traps;
Power Dependence. If the trap runs on batteries, they will have to be replaced periodically. If the device requires a connection to an outlet, then it cannot be used where there is no network;
The need to regularly check and free traps. If this is not done, then in a few days the rat will begin to decompose right in the device.

And yet, the main disadvantages of electric rat traps are the high cost and danger in humans and pets that are greatly exaggerated in the minds of the average man. This is what limits the popularity of these devices among the people.

Feedback

“When I was with my sister, I saw how they were fighting rats there. They have special electric rat traps for this. The rat gets inside for bread, and there it kills it with electric current. While we were staying for a week, they caught three rats in their cellar. It’s an excellent remedy, it doesn’t scatter any brains or blood, just took this trap, knocked it over, the rat fell into a bag - and that’s all ... "

Alina, Tver

Brands of Electric Rat Traps

Perhaps most of all, electric traps from Victor are known in Russia. There are several models that differ in design complexity and price:

The simplest Victor trap is network powered. After capturing the animal, it must be disconnected from the outlet and shake the prey in the trash. The price of this model is about 3300 rubles. Analogs are Sititek Antirats and EcoSniper GH-190;
Victor Rat Zapper Classic - kills up to 20 rats on a single battery charge and lasts up to a year in standby mode. The price is about 3500 rubles;
Victor Electronic Rat Trap is the most popular model killing up to 50 rodents on one set of batteries. The price is about 4,500 rubles;
Victor Rat Zapper Ultra - runs on batteries, kills a rat with a discharge of 8000 V. Equipped with an indicator that shows that the dead animal is trapped. On one set of batteries, the device can kill up to 60 rats; in standby mode, it can work up to two years. The price of the model is about 5500 rubles;
Victor Multi Kill Electronic Mouse Trap - the most modern model of the company. It provides for the automatic movement of the corpse of the pest into the storage chamber, accommodating up to 10 rodents. Electric shock occurs in a special cone-shaped compartment, from which the rat cannot jump out even with a quick reaction. In the same model, a reliable security system is implemented: a special fuse and a tunnel-shaped circuit do not allow a child or pet to touch dangerous elements of the trap with his fingers or paw. This model costs about 8500 rubles.

You can also find on sale imported electronic rat traps Rat Killer Yutec and Rat Zapper 2000 - analogues of Victor Rat Zapper Classic and Victor Electronic Rat Trap, respectively.

Buy Victor traps today is easily possible in online stores, with delivery throughout Russia. Occasionally, imported electronic rat traps can be found in physical retail outlets.

Feedback

“I bought myself in Moscow such a bomb thing - an electric rat trap. The device is not cheap, I was a little worried that the money was wasted and there would be no effect. But no, in three days already he killed two rats ... "

Rinat, Almaty

Rules of use and safety measures

Electric rat traps are quite easy to use. To catch a rat you need:

Place the bait in the device - for this there is a special feeder on the inside of the rear wall of the device;
Connect the rat trap to the network or insert batteries into it - depending on the model;
Install the device where a rat or mouse, attracted by the smell of bait, can easily reach it. It is advisable to choose a place for installing the trap where the pests are most often (where they leave their traces);
From time to time (but at least once a day) check the indicator signals in the rat trap. Each model has its own indicator mode, described in detail in the instructions;
After catching the rat, the trap can be simply tilted so that the animal falls out of it. If the corpse needs to be removed from the device by hand, the power is turned off in it first. In a model with a storage camera, only the camera itself is cleared.

On a note

The Victor Rat Zapper Ultra trap is sold complete with a remote indicator that can be placed in an easily accessible and visible place. This is very convenient: a rat trap can stand somewhere in the pantry behind a box of potatoes, and it will be difficult to look there regularly. It is enough to put the indicator in a room on a shelf and check only it. It will be necessary to get the Pied Piper only when the corresponding light comes on, indicating the capture of the rodent.

For rats, minced meat with onions, smoked sausage, seared lard or bread, slightly moistened with vegetable oil, are well suited.

It is also useful to read: The best types of rat traps for rodent control

Electric rat traps should only be used in rooms with no children or pets. The exception is the Victor Multi Kill Electronic Mouse Trap, which is well protected and safe from pets and humans.

Also, do not use electric traps outdoors in the open air. Here harmless, and sometimes very useful animals - shrews, birds, hedgehogs, lizards and snakes can climb into them and die. In such cases, there will be more harm to the site than the benefits of the destruction of pests by the trap.

Can I make an electronic rat trap with my own hands?

It’s easy to make an electronic rat trap yourself from completely available radio components. An important task in this case is to find a reliable housing in which, in fact, all elements will be placed and which will serve as the trap itself. The easiest way to do this is to use a regular food container in which a hole with a diameter of 6-7 cm is cut out for the animal to penetrate.

Next, two metal plates are laid on the bottom of the container so that the distance between them is more than 1 cm (greater than the length of the rat's paw).This will avoid the situation when only one paw is “closed” in the animal, it will be burned, but will not die and will run away. If on one plate there will be one or several paws, and on the other - the other, then the current will go through the body of the animal, which will lead to death.

On a note

A variant is possible when the power is supplied to one contact at the bottom of the rat trap and to the hook on which the bait hangs. In this case, the probability of death of the rodent when the trap is triggered will be even higher.

The drawing below shows one of the variants of the electrical circuit of the device:

Such a trap is installed where the rat is likely to find it. After the capture of the animal, the rat trap must be disconnected from the outlet, the capacitors discharged with a conductive object (isolated from the hands), after which the carcass of the animal should be removed.

It should be understood that the danger of such a home-made device for humans and pets is incomparably higher than in the case of using a factory-built battery-powered device.

Feedback

“We bought an electric rat trap Victor, it looks solid, just for the money. They put it for the night in the nightstand under the sink, in which the garbage bucket stands, and began to wait. Nothing in the morning. In the evening, too, nothing, but no one climbed into the bucket either. After a day in the morning I open the nightstand - the tail sticks out of the trap. He took it, turned it over, the rat fell out. Everything is fine, without blood. Good rat trap, it works. ”

Pavel, St. Petersburg

Options for replacing an electric rat trap with other types of traps

No matter how simple and convenient electric rat traps may be, in many cases, one or another of their shortcomings does not allow home owners to use them.

In such cases, with the same reliability, you can use more traditional means:

Conventional mechanical traps - they are much cheaper and about the same simple and effective in use. Being installed in a special bait house, they will not harm anyone. If it is not a problem for you to remove a rat with a broken spine or a crushed skull from a trap, then such devices can be used;
Tunnel traps-stranglers are completely safe, but they work well mainly only for catching mice;
Live traps - these devices are suitable for situations when pets or children live in the house, and you do not want to risk their health at all. They are good if you do not want to kill a rat or a mouse, but plan to catch it, take it out of the house and let it out;
Glue from rodents and glue traps based on it - perhaps the most undesirable and inhumane means of combating rats. Adhered rodents will die for a long time on an adhesive surface, or they will have to be finished on their own.

A good option (with proper and accurate use) is poison for rats and mice. They are very inexpensive, effective, and if they are laid out in bait houses, they are quite safe - neither children nor pets will get them.

If you have personal experience using electric rat traps, be sure to share the information by leaving your review at the bottom of this page.