HarveyH42

A few days ago, my dog found a rat living on our back porch. I shot at it with an airsoft gun (only thing I had handy), it took off and the dog chased it over onto the cat-dude's property (yeah, I'm a really good neighbor). Sprayed some ammonia around to discourage it's return. Well, it was back this morning, shot at it some more, but need a more permanent solution.

I don't want to use poisons, well yeah I do, but it wouldn't be the best idea in this situation. It's outside, so there's the potential for it getting scattered about, dog might get in it. Neighbor's cat (you'd figure one of those mangy little bastards would take care of business, he currently has 11 cats). I like the squirrels, they help keep the oak scrub under control. Spring trap wouldn't be much better. Which only leaves live traps, which would most likely just be another piece of junk to join my clutter, besides, I don't want a live rat, which I'll have to kill anyway, what's the point.

Being I spend a great deal of my spare time tinkering with electronics, this would be the natural choice for taking care of the rat. First, I was thinking a disposable camera flash board, and just soldering some leads to the capacitor. Figure on around 250 volts, but not sure if that would be enough to actually kill a rat, maybe enough incentive to find a new home. Battery life, might not be so great, figure a 'D' cell instead of a AA might last a couple of nights. Thought about hooking through a solar yard light instead, since it only need be active at night, little bit safer for dog and squirrels (cats are just a bonus). Still I wonder if there will be a heavy draw on the battery after the capacitor is charged, or very little (won't be triggering the flash).

Failing that, could use an ignition coil solution, a little bit more construction time, although a good use for the 12 volt SLA that should be here Friday.

Also have 15 large 95 volt capacitors (bigger then 16 oz beer can), but don't have a charging circuit.

Figure on running some 24 gauge stainless steel wire over some aluminum plate in the area I saw the rat. Figure it won't be able to avoid contacting both, and reasonably out of reach of the dog.

mister_e

i used ignition coils myself for some rats & skunk... works pretty well

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audioguru

I have never seen a rat. There are squirels, rabbits, racoons and skunks in my neighbourhood. Closeby there are deer and foxes.

Stop feeding the rat then it will go away to another place where it is fed.

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Uncle $crooge

killivolt

Train the rat to recover objects from the neighbor's house.

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mneary

The rat is at your house because he doesn't like cats. So borrow some cats and bless your other neighbors with the rat.

Seriously, anything dangerous to the rat will also pose a hazard to the squirrels.

If you trap a live rat, you don't need to kill it; just release it somewhere more appropriate.

highveelocity

If you want to buy it retail, there already is a product called the Rat Zapper. I have 2 of them myself, but it eats batteries, so I stopped using them. I guess I could hook up an AC adapter for them.

nickelflippr

There was a feller that ran a Circuit Cellar article about trapping rats at his place of work. Really involved network, with leds and such to know if a trap had been sprung. He live trapped them, so maybe no help. Would not want to be accidently bit by one of your beer can capacitors.....Yipes!

HarveyH42

The neighbor with all the cats, is the food source. He feeds everything, birds, squirrels, stray cats... Surprising this wasn't a problem sooner. His house is up for sale, so maybe that will end. There are two other properties that aren't in use. One is being worked on (been a couple of years), huge piles of construction crap, probable the breeding grounds. Maybe I should just get some traps. So far it's just been the one rat... Going to wire something up this weekend. Kind of like to the solar powered idea, since it'll only be active at night, and safer for everything else.

killivolt

Get a night vision camera and catch it on film. The send it to funniest home video's. Who knows maybe you'll get some cash back for all your trouble.

Watch out for those (Protective Animal People) they might put a contract hit on you.

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Pommie

Just get some traps and put them where the dog can't get them. If you get the humane traps then just drop them in a bucket of water - 5 seconds later no problem. Easiest is an air rifle.

Mike.

HarveyH42

I just got through stringing the stainless wire, going to hook up a camera flash later. Figure I'll just power it up when get up to walk the dog before work. Got a hunch a lizard or two will get zapped, already climbing on it. If I can find my tripod, maybe I'll setup the digital camera and shoot some video. Have checked to see if its IR sensitive enough though.

Was going to shoot at it with a little pistol crossbow, but fortunately the string broke. Would have been a bad idea, if it bounced back at me.

Anyway, the wire is up, so I can hookup anything to it. If the camera flash is too weak, likely go with the ignition coil, have several circuits. Would like to find an easy way to drop the 110 VAC down to 70-80 volts DC to charge up one of those big capacitors. Kind of curious to see what it would do to a beer can, when I need to discharge it.

Nigel Goodwin

You're in America! - the gun capital of the world - airsoft guns are no use, get a decent air rifle, that will kill a rat no problem.

Or (as you're in Florida) get an Uzi and use that! - I've seen CSI Miami

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audioguru

Never mind a machine gun. Use grenades to "remove" the rat.

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Uncle $crooge

RODALCO

I have killed mice but it should work with a rat as well.

Mains voltage 230 Volts. limited via a 25 watt lamp and rectified to DC via a bridge rectifier. DC is more effective.

Use a dry wooden plank or pvc and put copper strips on it.

Bait in the moddle on a pin (cheese, meat)

Phase to lamp and rectifier, than + strip, -ve, next + strip, -ve, next + strip.

Rat will eat food. ZZZZAAAAPPPP rat dead and lamp on dimly, and smell of dead rat. It works.


SAFETY!! This is mains voltage and will kill. so the RAT trap should be in a safe location away from children, cats etc. Put a heavy crate over it with a hole just big enough for the rat to fit through.

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Electricity, Electric clocks, Meters and Trains are great.

xl5

A decent airgun will dispense with the bugger but maybe your just a bad shot.

On reflection get yourself a Thompson SMG can't miss with it. Aim just before the rat or cat's paws as

a SMG will on firing start to rise whether you want it that way or not

if you want to get the cat as well as the rat... the sound from this gun goes like this!

Rat-atat-cat,! problems solved.