A Humane Rat Trap from a Bicycle Tube and a Jam Jar

Get rid of rats once and for all with our homemade humane rat trap that is baitless and rather clever in design. These rat traps really do work, and ideal if you have other animals around where you cannot put down poison.

I don't know one farm that hasn't had a rat or mice problem at some stage or the other. Barn mice and field mice live in cosy quarters and where there is livestock and grain you will always have mice. It's a free take-away service and they don't have to go too far to feed themselves.

This is why it is very important to make sure that any grain that is stored when raising chickens etc. is placed in bins that have tight fitting lids and cannot be chewed through by the rodents.

And sometimes, the mice are not just happy to look for grain, but they will also get into your vegetable garden and wreck havoc with your vegetables. They love tomatoes and pumpkins, corn ... well, let's just say there is not much they will leave unscathed.
   
However, when you have a farm or homestead, you often have cats and dogs and other animals so it becomes difficult to bait the rats with poison just in case your other farm animals end up ingesting the poison too. So catching mice and rats becomes a bit of dilemma, especially as I think the conventional rat traps are cruel. A humane rat trap is ideal.

 Well, I came across an idea the other day from a very old publication that showed a baitless trap that was rather novel, and so I am sharing it with you because it is a humane rat trap that can be easily made at home. This is also for those of you who have tried baiting rat traps with cheese, tomatoes, chocolate and the like without success!!! However, if you are looking for a bait to catch rats, a paste of corn meal and beaten egg works really well.

A piece of an old bicycle tire and a glass fruit jar are the only materials required for making this humane rat trap. Push one end of the tire into the hole, making sure that there is a space left at the end so that the mice can get in. Then bend the other end down into a fruit jar or other glass jar. Bait may be placed in the jar if desired, although this is not necessary.

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