HOUSEHOLD TRAPS.
[Illustration: F]or the most effectual domestic trap on record
see our page title to this section. There are several others also
which have done good service in many households, and for the sake
of pestered housekeepers generally, we devote a corner of our volume
for their especial benefit.
Foremost in the list of domestic pests the rat stands pre-eminent,
and his proverbial shrewdness and cunning render his capture often
a very difficult, if not an impossible task. We subjoin, however,
a few hints and suggestions of practical value, together with some
perfected ideas in the shape of traps, by which the average rat
may be easily outwitted and led to his destruction.
First on the list is
THE BARREL TRAP.
This most ingenious device possesses great advantages in its
capabilities of securing an almost unlimited number of the vermin
in quick succession. It also takes care of itself, requires no
re-baiting or setting after once put in working order, and is sure
death to its prisoners.
A water-tight barrel is the first thing required. Into this pour
water to the depth of a foot. Next dampen a piece of very thick
paper, and stretch it over the top of the barrel, tying it securely
below the upper hoops. When the paper dries it will become thoroughly
flat and tightened. Its surface should then be strewn with bits
of cheese, etc., and the barrel so placed
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that the rats may jump upon it from some neighboring surface. As
soon as the bait is gone, a fresh supply should be spread on the
paper and the same operation repeated for several days, until the
rats get accustomed to visit the place for their regular rations,
fearlessly and without suspicion. This is "half the battle," and
the capture of the greedy victims of misplaced confidence is now
an easy matter. The bait should again be spread as before and a
few pieces of the cheese should be attached to the paper with gum.
It is a good plan to smear parts of the paper with gum arabic,
sprinkling the bait upon it. When dry, cut a cross in the middle
of the paper, as seen in the illustration, and leave the barrel
to take care of itself and the rats. The first one comes along,
spies the tempting morsels, and with his accustomed confidence,
jumps upon the paper. He suddenly finds himself in the water at
the bottom of the barrel, and the paper above has closed and is
ready to practice its deception on the next comer. There is not
long to wait. A second victim soon tumbles in to keep company with
the first. A third and a fourth soon follow, and a dozen or more
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are sometimes thus entrapped in a very short space of time. It is a
most excellent and simple trap, and if properly managed, will most
effectually curtail the number of rats in any pestered neighborhood.
[Illustration]
By some, it is considered an improvement to place in the bottom
of the barrel a large stone, which shall project above the water
sufficiently to offer a foothold for one rat. The first victim,
of course, takes possession of this retreat and on the precipitate
arrival of the second a contest ensues for its occupancy. The hubbub
which follows is said to attract all the rats in the neighborhood
to the spot, and many are thus captured.
We can hardly recommend the addition of the stone as being an
improvement. The rat is a most notoriously shrewd and cunning animal,
and the despairing cries of his comrades must rather tend to excite
his caution and suspicion. By the first method the drowning is soon
accomplished and the rat utters no sound whereby to attract and
warn his fellows. This contrivance has been thoroughly tested and
has proved its efficacy in many households by completely ridding
the premises of the vermin.
Another excellent form of Barrel Trap is that embodying the principle
described in page (131). A circular platform should be first constructed
and hinged in the opening of the barrel This may be done by driving
a couple of small nails through the sides of the barrel into a
couple of staples inserted near the opposite edges of the platform.
The latter should be delicately weighted, as described on the above
mentioned page, and previously to setting, should be baited in a
stationary position for several days to gain the confidence of
the rats. The bait should at last be secured to the platform with
gum, and the bottom of the barrel of course filled with water, as
already described. This trap possesses the same advantages as the
foregoing. It is _self-setting_, and unfailing in its action.
Another method consists in half-filling the barrel with oats, and
allowing the rats to enjoy their repast there for several days.
When thus attracted to the spot, remove the oats, and pour the same
bulk of water into the barrel, sprinkling the surface thickly with
the grain. The delusion is almost perfect, as will be effectually
proven when the first rat visits the spot for his accustomed free
lunch. Down he goes with a splash, is soon drowned, and sinks to
the bottom. The next shares the same fate, and several more are
likely to be added to the list of misguided victims.
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Many of the devices described throughout this work may be adapted
for domestic use to good purpose. The box-trap page 103, box-snare,
page 55, figure-four, page 107, are all suitable for the capture
of the rat; also, the examples given on pages 106, 109, 110, and
129.
The steel-trap is often used, but should always be concealed from
view. It is a good plan to set it in a pan covered with meal, and
placed in the haunts of the rats. The trap may also be set at the
mouth of the rats' hole, and covered with a piece of dark-colored
cloth or paper. The runways between boxes, boards, and the like
offer excellent situations for the trap, which should be covered,
as before directed.
Without one precaution, however, the trap may be set in vain. Much
of the so-called shrewdness of the rat is nothing more than an
instinctive caution, through the acute sense of smell which the
animal possesses; and a trap which has secured one victim will
seldom extend its list, unless all traces of its first occupant
are thoroughly eradicated. This may be accomplished by smoking
the trap over burning paper, hens' feathers or chips, taking care
to avoid a heat so extreme as to affect the temper of the steel
springs. All rat-traps should be treated the same way, in order to
insure success, and the position and localities of setting should
be frequently changed.
THE BOX DEAD-FALL.
[Illustration]
This trap is an old invention, simplified by the author, and for
the capture of rats and mice will prove very effectual. It consists
of a box, constructed of four slabs of 3-4 inch boarding, and open
at both ends. The two side boards should be 10 x 18 inches; top
and bottom boards, 6 x 18 inches. For the centre of the latter,
a square piece should be removed by the aid of the saw. The width
of this piece should be four inches, and the length eight inches.
Before nailing the boards together, the holes thus left in the
bottom board should be supplied with a treadle platform, working
on central side pivots. The board for this treadle should be much
thinner and lighter than the rest of the trap, and should fit loosely
in place, its surface being slightly below the level of the bottom
board. This is shown in the interior of the trap. The pivots should
be inserted in the exact centre of the sides, through holes made
in the edge of the bottom board. These holes may be bored with
a gimlet or burned with a red-hot wire. The pivots may
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consist of stout brass or iron wire; and the end of one should
be flattened with the hammer, as seen in (_a_). This pivot should
project an inch from the wood, and should be _firmly_ inserted
in the treadle-piece. The platform being thus arranged, proceed
to fasten the boards together, as shown in the illustration, the
top and bottom boards overlapping the others. We will now give
our attention to the stick shown at (_b_). This should be whittled
from a piece of hard wood, its length being three inches, and its
upper end pointed as seen. The lower end should be pierced with a
crevice, which should then be forced over the flattened extremity
of the point (_a_) as shown at (_c_), pointed end uppermost. The
weight (_d_) is next in order. This should consist of a heavy oak
plank two inches in thickness, and of such other dimensions as will
allow it to fit loosely in the box, and fall from top to bottom
therein without catching between two sides. A stout staple should
be driven in the centre of its upper face, and from this a stout
string should be passed upward through a hole in the centre of
the box. We are now ready for the spindle (_e_). This should be
about three inches in length, and bluntly pointed
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at each end, a notch being made to secure it at a point five inches
above the pivot (_c_). To set the trap, raise the weight, as seen
in the illustration; draw down the string to the point (_e_), and
attach it to the spindle one-half an inch from its upper end, which
should then be inserted in the notch, the lower end being caught
against the extremity of the pivot stick. The parts are now adjusted,
and even in the present state the trap is almost sure to spring at
the slightest touch on the treadle-piece. An additional precaution
is advisable, however. Two small wooden pegs (_f_) should be driven,
one on each side of the spindle, thus preventing any side-movement
of the latter. It will now be readily seen that the slightest weight
on either end of the treadle-piece within the trap must tilt it
to one side, thus throwing the pivot-piece from its bearing on
the spindle; and the latter being released, lets fall the weight
with crushing effect upon the back of its hapless victim.
The trap is very effective, and is easily constructed. The bait
should be rested in the centre of the treadle platform. Built on
a larger scale, this device may be successfully adapted to the
capture of the mink, martien, and many other varieties of game.
THE BOARD-FLAP.
[Illustration]
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For the capture of mice this is both a simple and effective contrivance,
and it may be enlarged so as to be of good service for larger animals.
Procure two boards, one foot square and one inch thick, and secure
them together by two hinges, as in the illustration. Assuming one
as the upper board, proceed to bore a gimlet hole three inches
from the hinges. This is for the reception of the bait stick, and
should be cut away on the inside, as seen in the section (_a_),
thus allowing a free play for the stick. Directly beneath this
aperture, and in the lower board, a large auger hole should be made.
A stout bit of iron wire, ten inches in length, is now required.
This should be inserted perpendicularly in the further end of the
lower slab, being bent into a curve which shall slide easily through
a gimlet hole in the edge of the upper board. This portion is very
important, and should be carefully constructed. The bait stick
should be not more than three inches in length, supplied with a
notch in its upper end, and secured in the aperture in the board by
the aid of a pivot and staples, as is clearly shown in our drawing.
The spindle is next in order. It should consist of a light piece
of pine eight and a half inches in length, and brought to an edge
at each end. A tack should now be driven at the further edge of
the upper board on a line with the aperture through which the wire
passes. Our illustration represents the trap as it appears when
set. The upper band is raised to the full limit of the wire. One
end of the spindle is now adjusted beneath the head of the tack,
and the other in the notch in the bait stick. The wire thus supports
the suspended board by sustaining the spindle, which is held in
equilibrium. A slight touch on the bait stick soon destroys this
equilibrium: a flap ensues, and a dead mouse is the result. The
object of the auger hole in the lower board consists in affording a
receptacle for the bait when the boards come together, as otherwise
it would defeat its object, by offering an obstruction to the fall
of the board, and thus allow its little mouse to escape.
It is, therefore, an essential part of the trap, and should be carefully
tested before being finally set.
THE BOX PIT-FALL.
We now come to a variety of trap which differs in its construction
from any previously described. It secures its victims alive, and
without harm, and, when well made, is very successful.
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It may be set for squirrels, chipmunks, rats, mice, and the like,
and on a large scale for muskrats and mink.
[Illustration]
The trap is very easily made, and is represented in section in
our illustration, showing the height and interior of the box. For
ordinary purposes the box should be about twelve or fourteen inches
square, with a depth of about eighteen inches. A platform consisting
of a piece of tin should then be procured. This should be just
large enough to fit nicely to the outline of the interior of the
box without catching. On two opposite sides of this piece of tin,
and at the middle of each of those sides, a small strip of the
same material should be wired, or soldered in the form of a loop,
as shown in the separate diagram at (_b_). These loops should be
only large enough to admit the end of a shingle-nail. A scratch
should now be made across the tin from loop to loop, and on the
centre of this scratch another and larger strip of tin should be
fastened in a similar manner as shown in our diagram, at (_a_),
this being for the balance weight. The
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latter may consist of a small stone, piece of lead, or the like,
and should be suspended by means of a wire bent around it, and
secured in a hole in the tin by a bend or knot in the other extremity.
Further explanations are almost superfluous, as our main illustration
fully explains itself.
[Illustration]
After the weight is attached, the platform should be secured in
its place, about five inches from the top of the box. To accomplish
this and form the hinges, two shingle-nails should be driven through
the side of the box into the tin loops prepared for them. To do
this nicely requires some considerable accuracy and care, and it
should be so done that the platform will swing with perfect freedom
and ease, the weight below bringing it to a horizontal poise after
a few vibrations. Care should be taken that the weight is not too
heavy, as, in such a case, the platform will not be sensitive on its
balance, and, consequently, would not work so quickly and surely.
The weight should be _just heavy enough_ to restore the platform
to its perfect poise, and no more. This can be easily regulated
by experiment. The bait should then be strewn on both sides of the
platform, when the trap is set, and the luckless animal, jumping
after the bait, feels his footing give way, and suddenly finds
himself in the bottom of a dark box, from which it is impossible
for him to escape except by gnawing his way out. To prevent this,
the interior of the box may be lined with tin.
By _fastening_ the bait--a small lump or piece--on each side of
the tin, the trap will continually reset itself, and, in this way,
two or three individuals may be taken, one after the other. Muskrats
are frequently caught in this trap, it being generally buried in
the ground so that its top is on a level with the surface. In this
case it is necessary to arrange the platform lower down in the
box, and the latter should be of much larger dimensions than the
one we have described.
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For ordinary purposes the box should either be set in the ground or
placed near some neighboring object which will afford easy access
to it. No less than a dozen rats have been caught in a trap of
this kind in a single night.
CAGE TRAP.
[Illustration]
The common cage trap is well known to most of our readers, and for
the capture of rats and mice, it is one of the most efficacious
devices in existence. The construction of one of these traps is
quite a difficult operation, and we would hesitate before advising
our inventive reader to exercise his patience and ingenuity in the
manufacture of an article which can be bought for such a small
price, and which, after all, is only a mouse trap. If it were a
device for the capture of the _mink_ or _otter_, it might then be
well worth the trouble, and would be likely to repay the time and
labor expended upon it. We imagine that few would care to exercise
their skill over a trap of such complicated structure, while our
pages are filled with other simpler and equally effective examples.
For the benefit, however, of such as are of an inventive turn of
mind, we subjoin an illustration of the trap to serve as a guide.
The principle upon which it works is very simple. The bait is
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strewn inside the cage, and the rats or mice find their only access
to it through the hole at the top. The wires here converge at the
bottom, and are pointed at the ends. The passage downwards is an
easy matter, but to _escape_ through the same opening is impossible,
as the pointed ends of the wires effectually prevent the ascent.
It is a notable fact, however, that the efforts to escape through
this opening are very seldom made. The mode of entering seems to
be absolutely forgotten by the captive animals, and they rush
frantically about the cage, prying between all the wires in their
wild endeavors, never seeming to notice the central opening by which
they entered. This is easily explained by the fact that the open
grating admits the light from all sides, and the enclosed victims
are thus attracted to no one spot in particular, and naturally rush
to the extreme edges of the trap, in the hope of finding an exit.
If a thick cloth be placed over the cage, leaving the opening at
the top uncovered, the confined creatures are soon attracted by
the light, and lose no time in rushing towards it, where their
endeavors to ascend are effectually checked by the pointed wires.
Profiting by this experiment, the author once improvised a simple
trap on the same principle, which proved very effectual. We will
call it
THE JAR TRAP.
In place of the wire cage, a glass preserve-jar was substituted.
A few bits of cheese were then dropped inside, and the top of a
funnel inserted into the opening above. This completed the trap,
and it was set on the floor near the flour barrel. On the following
morning the jar was occupied by a little mouse, and each successive
night for a week added one to the list of victims. A stiff piece
of tin, bent into the required shape, may be substituted for the
funnel top, or even a very heavy piece of pasteboard might answer.
BOWL TRAPS.
Very effective extempore traps may be set up in a few minutes by
the use of a few bowls. There are two methods commonly employed.
One consists of the bowl and a knife-blade. An ordinary tableknife
is used and a piece of cheese is firmly forced on to the end of
the blade, the bowl is then balanced on the edge, allowing the
bait to project about an inch and a half beneath the bowl. The odor
of cheese will attract a mouse almost anywhere, and he soon finds
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his way to the tempting morsel in this case. A very slight nibble
is sufficient to tilt the blade and the bowl falls over its prisoner.
In the second method a thimble is used in place of the knife. The
cheese is forced into its interior, and the open end of the thimble
inserted far beneath the bowl, allowing about half its length to
project outward.
The mouse is thus obliged to pass under the bowl in order to reach
the bait, and in his efforts to grasp the morsel, the thimble is
dislodged and the captive secured beneath the vessel. Where a small
thimble is used, it becomes necessary to place a bit of pasteboard
or flat chip beneath it, in order to raise it sufficiently to afford
an easy passage for the mouse. Both of these devices are said to
work excellently.
FLY PAPER.
A sheet of common paper, smeared with a mixture composed of molasses
one part, and bird-lime six parts (see page 97), will be found to
attract large numbers of flies and hold them prisoners upon its
surface.
Spruce gum, warmed on the fire, and mixed with a little linseed
oil, is also excellent. For a genuine fly trap, the following stands
unrivalled.
FLY TRAP.
Take a tumbler, and half-fill it with strong soap suds. Cut a circle
of stiff paper which will exactly fit into the top of the glass.
In the centre of the paper cut a hole half an inch in diameter,
or, better still, a slice of bread may be placed on the glass.
Smear one side of the disc with molasses, and insert it in the
tumbler with this side downward. Swarms of flies soon surround
it, and one by one find their way downward through the hole. Once
below the paper, and their doom is sealed. For a short time the
molasses absorbs their attention, and they, in turn, absorb the
molasses.
In their efforts to escape, they one by one precipitate themselves
in the soap suds below, where they speedily perish. The tumbler
is soon half-filled with the dead insects, and where a number of
the traps are set in a single room, the apartment is soon ridden
of the pests.
[Illustration: STEEL TRAPS AND THE ART OF TRAPPING.]
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