DC circuit for rat killer

[BackYarder]

could someone please tell me where I can get my hands on a simple circuit diagram for a rat zapper? (not the brand name trap; the DIY circuit) I want to make my own. Just don't know how. I've looked & can't find it anywhere. Thanks ahead of time. Elliott
PS we live in Baltimore, maryland the blasted rat capital of the US.

 

[Externet]

You could use the 'flyback' high voltage transformer from a discarded monitor or television, driven by an oscillator.

 

[crutschow]

You could use the 'flyback' high voltage transformer from a discarded monitor or television, driven by an oscillator.

Not sure there's enough current from such a transfomer to kill a rat although it would certainly give them a nasty jolt. Perhaps an old neon sign transformer which can put out a significant current at a high voltage would be better.

WARNING: Any jolt that can kill a rat, can likely also kill you.
______________
Long live dB

 

[Mikebits]

**broken link removed**

Sorry, I could not resist

 

[audioguru]

What is wrong in your neighbourhood that attracts rats? A ghetto? Garbage all over the place?

I have never seen a rat and I am not far from you.
I have plenty of wild squirrels, rabbits, racoons and the occasional skunk, fox and deer.
I have seen a few mouse droppings on the floor of my garage but no mice.

 

[Torben]

Out here on Vancouver Island we had an unusually long and cold winter and spring, resulting in quite a surge in the number of rats moving into warm basements and garages. So far this year I've trapped six. They appear to like old Balderson cheese.

I also managed to get two rats in one trap. I have been trapping mice and rats my whole life and have never seen this happen before.

We also have 4 cats and every morning there are at least a couple of dead mice and voles out on the lawn. At least the cats have stopped bringing them inside and putting them in our shoes.

Torben

 

[Mikebits]

If you have to ask, you never been to Baltimore. Bulletproof vest are optional.

**broken link removed**

 

[HarveyH42]

A couple of months ago, I started this exact same thread...

None of my homemade solutions actually killed any rats. The classic Victor snap trap works well, but seem to be single use. The best and reusable is the Victor electronic rat trap, killed 19 with the same trap, about three months now. They don't like getting wet, but work fine after letting them dry out. On my second set of batteries, working on a solar charger for them. Haven't had much interest past couple of weeks, no kills, no sightings (night vision camera + strong IR illuminator).

A few things have changed since the infestation took over my life... First, the crazy cat-man's woman booted him out of the house. Greatly reduced the free meals to the local wildlife.

I cleared a lawnmower width path a long the fence, around the house, and concrete slab in my backyard.

Flooded some burroughs (holes going under the slab) with water.

Since ratman's departure, I've been using the poison blocks a long the back of my property. I already had them, but stopped using them because I was a little worried about the cats, squirrels, and of course the smell of rotting rat on my roof. Decide to use the up after rats damaged my house. and made me replace the hose on my washer machine.

No longer consider myself infested, but will give it some time before I believe I got them all.

The flash circuit from a disposable camera did seem to work as deterrent on my back porch. Never saw one getting zapped on the monitor, but did notice they avoided the areas with the stainless wires. Eats batteries, changed to a solar charged pair of 'C' batteries in parallel.

Used a transformer I suspect was a igniter for gas heater, no kills, no bait taken when plugged in.

Dug out a pair of neon sign transformers, 7.5 kV @ 30mA. Never got around to wiring them up. Not real comfortable with stuff running 110 or more, outdoors. And I have a 14 month old Lab puppy to worry about.

Anyway, the electronic rat traps work, and the rat doesn't get a chance to snack on the bait. I've been using pepperoni dog treats, only had to replace twice. The first one I bought was under $30 at Home Depot. Went back a month later, $39.95. The second one hasn't kill a rat, but the bait remains. Not sure if it's defective, has the same lights and sound when arming it. Maybe I'll hook a neon lamp to the next dead rat, and shove it in there... Thought about it last couple, but couldn't think of a safe means of delivering the rat, without risking getting myself zapped. Thinking twist ties and a long screwdriver...

 

[audioguru]

Even the rats in America are armed.

 

[Mikebits]

Even the rats in America are armed.

They still have a mandatory 30 day waiting period for their permit
Any rats that have a prior record of felony cheese hiest are excluded from getting the permit.

 

[HarveyH42]

They still have a mandatory 30 day waiting period for their permit
Any rats that have a prior record of felony cheese hiest are excluded from getting the permit.

I don't think the rats with guns are concerned about permits or waiting periods. Probably more worried about how many rats got shot with it, before their crack dealer sold it cheap. Gun laws don't prevent rats from obtain guns, just brand new shiny ones, with a clean history...

 

[Mikebits]

I was framed I tell ya...

**broken link removed**

 

[Boncuk]

The most effective and cheap way to get rid of rats:

Catch a rat alife, poor gasoline over it and touch it off. The rat will scream and run for cover. (Close the barn before doing that.) All the other rats will hear the noise and be scared away for at least one month.

Make sure to catch one rat per month.

Another way: purchase one of my catsnakes I'm breeding.

 

[BackYarder]

Not a ghetto, yet.

Well, when any below surface construction, we see them. We are above an underground stream, too. Hmm. Can't forget the neighbor who puts out a garbage can lid filled with catfood for feral cats. Love those supprises in the mulch! Lots of neighbors with overgrown weeds & ivy. I put in a set of wood barn doors in the garage. Nice & toasty in there for wintering. They are destroying the doors. I put in a 7" base of crusher run for a brick patio. Two sunkin in places where they have a tunnel. And we have cairn terreisr. Not a ghetto. Yet.

What is wrong in your neighbourhood that attracts rats? A ghetto? Garbage all over the place?

 

[audioguru]

The neighbour who feeds the stray cats is attracting the rats.

 

[crutschow]

Even the rats in America are armed.

Especially the rats.

 

[BackYarder]

What a hoot!

Thanks Mikebits. I love it! That's my city! I prefer the City Paper map "Murder Ink". our area NE, only has a few murders. Ha!

https://www.citypaper.com/news/mi_map.asp

If you have to ask, you never been to Baltimore. Bulletproof vest are optional.

 

[BackYarder]

Torbin
I need a few traps just like that one Ha!

 

[Hero999]

Use a microwave oven transformer with a heater in series to limit the current - that should be enough to kill a rat.

 

[HarveyH42]

The neighbour who feeds the stray cats is attracting the rats.

Yep, when the cat-man's woman gave him the boot, there was a sharp decline a couple of weeks later. Only one rat in the past three weeks. Might be the stray cats needed to start working for a change, although I haven't see a lot of cats either...



You have to eliminate or restrict access to the rat's basic needs. Seems your rats have easy access to food and water, and you're probably stuck with dry safe shelter, like I was.

Get an electronic trap or live trap (kill them yourself), but you need unmarked dead rats. Place them with the neighbor's cat food. Either the neighbor will get the idea that he is feeding the rats, or the cats will get a taste for fresh rat meat. I couldn't reason with my neighbor about how bad it was to feed the stray cats, he also put out food daily for squirrels and birds. The stray cats only multiply, and need a fresh place to crap, and privacy to raise the baby strays, which creates problems for the whole neighborhood. I chucked my dead rats over the fence, into the back alley. Figured Cat-man would see them, or the owner's of the small businesses that share the alley, and they would also set some traps.

Anyway, it'll be an ongoing problem, it's an ideal environment for them, and they breed quick, something like every three months.

There was a water-pit trap, using a 5 gallon bucket I saw on the web. If I remember how I found the site, I'll post the link. Didn't try it, but thought about it (dog would probably eat the bait). Basically, you put a free spinning rod across the top, couple of inches down. The rod also passes through a corncob or small wooden platform. The rat will jump on the corncob/platform to feed on the bait, but will always wind up hanging upside down, as it will rotate. He can orient himself to climb or jump out, eventually drops into the bucket, about a 3rd full of water, and drowns. Bucket needs to be buried most the way to the top. Seemed like it would work, and repeatable, least until the bait runs out, or until the bucket has enough dead rats, that the rest can climb out off the dead the ones.

I searched and search, never found a homemade electric rat trap, other than wiring them up to the mains.

Here's my thread, which details much of what I found and tried, pictures included...
https://www.electro-tech-online.com/threads/rat-zapper.38448/#post304825