If you hate having your valuable supplies eaten up by rats, pay attention. Because you're about to see a trap that'll make sure that doesn't happen again. Luckily this trap will help you get rid of these rodents or once and for all.
How to Make a Bucket Rat/Mouse Trap
Here’s what you’ll need…
One 5 gallon bucket
One unopened can of liquid
Ice pick, awl, or drill bit for making holes
Pliers
Wire
Bait – peanut butter
First Step
Drill two holes on opposite sides of the bucket about a half-inch below the rim. The hole diameter should be a little larger than the wire you’ve chosen to use.
Second Step
Remove the paper label. Use you’re ice pick or drill to bore a hole in the center of the can lid. If you plan to reuse the liquid, turn the can over and bore another hole in the bottom of the can over a container. This will vent the can and empty in a few minutes.
Third Step
Skewer the can with the wire. This took time and patience trying to thread the wire through the second hole blindly. You could use a clear water bottle with the cap on to make this easier.
Once the wire is through both ends, make sure the wire extends a few inches past the bucket on both edges. With the threaded can centered over the bucket, crimp the wire at both ends of the can. This will keep the can sliding to the edge of the bucket which would defeat the trap.
Once crimped, insert the wire into both holes. You will need to bend the second side of the wire to get it in the hole. Just straighten the wire after it’s through the hole. Center the can over the bucket opening and bend the spare wire on the outside of the bucket around the bucket rim to keep the can centered over the bucket.
Fourth Step
If you think you’ve got a rat to deal with, pour about 6 to 8 inches of water in the bucket.Big rats can jump. The water prevents the vermin from leaping to freedom. For mice, use less water. At least that’s the theory…
Fifth Step
Spread peanut butter over the surface of the can. When a mouse scurries up the ramp to eat, in theory, he will leap to the can for the bait, spin off the wheel and drown. I can’t see why this bucket mouse trap wouldn’t work on mice.
Not only will this trap help you save your valuable food stores, it will also be a far cry better than the traditional mouse/rat traps, which will sometimes fail to kill the rodent in question.
What you'll have then is an injured or dying rat which will then escape into your walls to die. Not a great smell. So do yourself a favor; before you reach for the spring-loaded traps, try throwing together one of these bad boys.
For more builds and awesome hack ideas, check out the original article at Survival Sherpa.
Featured Image via Survival Sherpa
Hey I got that
It works
Guaranteed results!
Made one yesterday- works great!!
Holly Kington
Yep. Keep them around my homestead. They’re incredibly effective.
I think I’ll build one or two. Btw, I hear that floating a layer of sunflower seeds works too. They jump in or fall in while sitting on the rim.
Rats are stupid, and tasty
In cold climates use antifreeze if used in unheated cabin, garage or shed.
I’ve built one. It’s crazy effective
gonna try it Veronica
Works every time.
Jeff Otte have you put yours out yet
,
Put mine out last week. Used a 20oz gatoraid bottle & peanut butter. Next day, peanut butter gone & nothing in the bucket. I’ll try again but if the squirrels get to it your done because they remember that a bucket means a meal and they can leap out of the water. Trail cam helps identify what’s going on.
Chris Rich
Careful this might work on some Blondes. haha
Piss on all that. I’m evil when I set up mouse or rat traps. I superglue the bait down so they have to tug on it. Works every time!
I practice my trap making skills. The Windless is my fav
Never worked for me
Another method that doesn’t use poisons is a mixture of quick oats with quick set drywall compound or plaster of paris in a gallon ice cream container. Place in a dry location only the rodents can get. Once they eat some it will plug them up.
But then they die and rot somewhere in your house…
FYI, Nick Greer — you may need to build this to get the last rat in the backyard!
Austin C Jordan – Yeh, that is a bit of a problem. I found that method from a farmer who was trying to get the rats in his barn not in his walls. I personally use a tradition rat trap found at the hardware store using peanut butter for bait or a muskrat single spring trap for the really big ones. I tried poison bait once, fine for mice, but rats have too much meat on them and smell awful for a couple weeks, not to mention the hundreds of flies that show up.