Target predators: rats
We recommend watching this video from our friend Darren from Zealandia. He gives a step-by-step guide to setting a Victor Professional trap and instructions on using the tunnels. The only difference between a regular tunnel and the weka proof one is that the latter is slightly longer.
Darren’s top tips
- Make sure you always wear gloves when handling your trap or catches.
- Before opening the tunnel give the trap a shake to disable the trap inside (if there is one inside).
- Bait your trap before you set it.
- Only hold the trap from the back (the part with the big red V).
- Use your thumbs to pull back the kill-bar to avoid accidents.
- If your trap is on unstable ground, set your trap to “firm” rather than “sensitive”.
- When putting your trap into the tunnel, place it in bait-end first.
- Slide in the trap until it’s just inside the tunnel.
- To remove predators from the trap, hold the trap over a bag or bin and pull up the kill bar so the pest drops out.
What should I use as bait?
Rats love peanut butter! So serve it up, and refresh it often.
Where should I put my rat trap?
If trapping around the home, place 2 – 3 traps (inside tunnels) on a flat surface near walls, compost, or under cover. If you’re not getting results, try a different spot.
If you’re trapping in the bush, then set your traps on lines 100m apart, with a trap every 50m (100m x 50m). We recommend putting a number on each trap to keep track of how many you have set, when and where.
How often should I check my traps?
To start with you will need to check your traps daily. When your catch rate goes down you can start checking every 2-3 weeks. The more rats in the area, the more checks you will need to do.
Download our quick trapping guide
We summarised all of this information into a one pager called ‘How to trap and kill rats‘ that you can print out.
Buy one now and get trapping!
Buy one from our online store here and get it delivered to your door.