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Hedgehog behind bars-caught in a humane rat trap unharmed and well fed! “Get me out of here”!
I feed the birds in my garden. This has attracted wild wood mice who are very cute. But when I saw a rat running around the garden and digging holes, well enough is enough. Not wishing to poison them or harm them, I bought a humane rat trap. This catches them alive in the cage, fighting fit I soon found !
After baiting the trap, and placing it overnight along one of the rat runs, early the next morning the peanut butter and brazil nuts had gone. The trap door had been sprung. I baited it again and watched. Then along came a cute wood mouse and starting to eat the bait inside the trap, quite nonchalantly! It then slipped out between the bars with a small peanut!!
I baited it again, adding some porridge oats and firmly tied the bait to the food platform, (which if moved, springs the door closed), with thin wire. The next thing that happened was that a blackbird entered the trap, ate some food and sprung the door closed! Out I go to release it, unharmed just a little indignant as it flew away! Reset the trap and soon afterwards, no less than a robin inside setting the trap door closed. Wont use porridge oats again! Out I go again and take the trap away. Unless you are there to release non intended wildlife captured, Its obvious that these humane traps should only be baited and left out after dark. Otherwise your garden birds could get trapped inside all day. If you are out all day, they could well suffer in the heat of the day.
Set the trap up again, baited it with a fig, peanut butter and a little piece of kipper and set it up in the dark. Checked before I went to bed. All quiet. Next morning out I go to see no bait left, with a hedgehog sleeping in the trap, full and satisfied after its hearty meal. It was released none the worse for its slight inconvenience!
After a hearty feast, a heavy sleep….zzzzzz
Rolls up into ball after release from trap, still sleepy!
Well I’m on my way, thanks for the food, pity about the bed though!!
Later that night, I finally caught the ‘guest’ that the trap was designed for…..a rat!!
Rat caught unharmed inside baited humane trap “Get me out of here”!
I just want to get out of here!
Rat chewing on metal bars of trap , desperate to get out
If anything, this was so anxious to escape that I feel the carrying handle should be made a little longer as it tried to gnaw its way through the metal cage, just inches from my hand! They always seem larger when they are desperately trying to chew their way out ! It was released onto farmland not too far from where I live. I was determined not to kill it or use poison. It was an interesting exercise to do and made me realise that other creatures could easily be trapped, unharmed and alive in these humane traps. Fine if you are there to release them. The lesson I learnt? Use them at night only. Check them regularly, particularly dawn and dusk times. If you have other wildlife in the garden try to bait them with nothing that would attract birds or other non target species.
For other humane traps manufactured in the UK visit…..http://www.trapman.co.uk/rat-traps.htm
Hi George, talk to Ray he catches birds hedgehogs and rats he picks his traps up with the garden fork and takes them to brian woodward who kills them for him cos he is a scaredycat.
I expect Marie that it was done with the best intentions though eh?
I dont understand why you would release it – they are aggressive filthy creatures and there are far too many of them (much like man I suppose) but anyway they carry any number of diseases – a local council says this: “For example, Weil’s disease (or leptospirosis) which is transferred from the urine of infected rats, and can start as a flu-like illness. This disease is often caught from water contaminated with rat’s urine. Salmonellosis, a type of food poisoning, with symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting can also be associated with rats. Parasites that live off rats can present a further hazard to humans. Gnawing is part of the natural behaviour of rats and can lead to damage to electrical cables, pipes and wooden fittings. They can undermine foundations and damage drains and sewers. Rats also damage stored food because of contamination by droppings, urine and hairs.”
If they were relatively benign and harmless like hedgies I could understand this attitude but they are a public health hazard and cause damage wherever they crop up – I borrow my father-in-law’s trap (just like yours) when we see one near us and find that pineapple is the best bait – we then drown them in the trap and incinerate the body – never pick up a trap with an ungloved hand as the risk of a bite is high
Circumstances at time!
Good morning, I accidentally caught a hedgehog in my humane rat trap!! I moved him into a cardboard box lined with cut grass and put some more over him, with the intention of releasing him this evening at dusk. Is that the best thing to do? Advice please?
I would release it at dusk.
By the way I put food out for him every evening.
Good, they need all the help they can get.