beavers in my roof

[Zizzie]

I've got a humane trap with two compartments. One has an upward facing hole in, followed by a floor which drops under the rat's weight through which s/he has to get to reach the bait. I used half an eggshell filled with peanut butter as bait and put the eggshell right in the middle where it couldn't be reached without getting through the dividing wall.

I put it up on the roof and investigated it this morning. The entire eggshell and contents had disappeared, leaving no broken eggshell to suggest it might have been a bird or mouse. Needless to say no sign of a rat.

Clever buggers indeed.

I find the spring traps don't work at all. Mice eat the bait and the rats won't touch them. These barns used to be extensive piggeries and there were scores of rats when we arrived. I reckon they've passed rat folklore about traps down to each generation. Far too canny!

Ziz