Ah. Well, that's a good way for preventing that problem, but the danger is that the rat will die somewhere the dogs can get at them.....

One useful trick. Rats are very sensitive to the smell of humans, and I was taught to smear HP sauce or it's equivalent on the traps to kill the smell.

They LOVE HP.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. At the moment I’ve only got an electronic beam thing under the bonnet, but I’m not hopeful. Starting on Monday, I’m going to put the IBY STOP under the car as well as some conventional traps, after the dogs are locked in for the night. I’ll have to buy some HP sauce too.

I’m going to pin a giant notice on the inside of the front door to remind us not to let the dogs out in the morning until after I’ve removed the traps.

I’m an animal lover, but the car’s electrics are already playing up, when I switch on the ignition the warning lights start to flash and my dashboard looks like something on a spaceship. There will be two buckets of water on the ready on Monday too.

Best of luck. Like you, I am not keen on killing indiscriminately, but when vermin does damage, that's another matter.

Bill, HBG,

I too, am a passionate animal lover, but, after suffering the lack of headlights, failure of my ABS whilst driving one night and a small electronic fire under the bonnet due to the nibbling of wiring looms I had to take preventative action.
BTW, I would never dream of using poison, when the vermin dies in the campo other animals/predators even pets " that do not chew vehicle wiring " may attack and eat it would also possibly be poisoned by the carcass.

Yeah, quite understand that. My motto always is with wildlife. 'You take the piss, you die.'

You should reward her for that!

CAUTION: May be illegal to use.


http://www.amazing1.com/shocking_electric_modules.htm

I will.....when she catches the mouse that disappeared behind my kitchen units yesterday!

Angiescarr has 4 kittens for re homeing , they will keep your place clear for sure, for the price of a couple of tins of cat food a day.

But it's my cat bringing them in!

Seems a bit drastic, but maybe as a last resort?

My progress so far: I put an electronic beam device under the bonnet for 36 hours over the weekend and on checking only found a tiny snail shell as evidence of a visit, not the usual food store among the engine parts. And the terrier dog has checked under the car as usual, but hasn’t barked once.

Last night, feeling like a murderer, I put down four snap traps laden with cheese and two large tiles with breakfast cereal in the centre and the strong glue all around. When I checked this morning, the cheese has gone from the snap traps but they have not been activated and the glue-surrounded breakfast cereal hasn’t been touched. Nor is anything sticking to the glue.

I’m going to repeat the exercise tonight, maybe the traps need oiling.

Try heating the bait spike with a match and welding a bit of chocolate on, or using peanut butter.

The problem with small mice, is that they remove the bait piecemeal and don't trigger it. I like the mousetraps that have a split pad so that when the mouse leans on that the trap goes.

:curse: I had one of those set last night...the mouse took the cheese without setting off the trap. :curse:
I've got four of them set now to catch the little blighter.....while my cat has a good nights sleep.

Well, if you use a split pad with that end against the wall, if the mouse just walks across it it's dead.

GOT IT!
While my cat was out in the field looking for more.