THE BROWN RAT 63 



fresh liver, raw meat, apples, carrots, corn, and sunflower or pump- 

 kin seeds. In winter fresh vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes 

 and egg-plant make excellent baits. Such baits may be placed upon 

 the trigger plate, or the trigger wire may be bent outward and the 

 bait placed under it. If a guillotine trap with a wooden base is 

 used oatmeal has been found to be a most excellent bait. A num- 

 ber of such traps of small size thus baited will be found effective in 

 ridding a dwelling of mice. Good results should not be expected 

 with a small number of traps, but in an ordinary house or barn 

 several dozen should be used. 



If considerable numbers of rats are present in a buildiilg the 

 large wnre cage traps may be used effectively; but care should be 



r 



^rass^sWHimi' 



Fig. 14. — Guillotine trap with wooden base and trig'ger plate. (From U. S. De- 

 partment of Agriculture, Bureau of Biological Survey.) 



taken in purchasing such traps to see that the wires are of suf- 

 ficient w^eight so as not to be bent by the confined rats. Such traps 

 should be partly concealed, carelessly, and without obvious at- 

 tempt. A board placed over the trap and an old cloth or sack or 

 a bunch of straw loosely thrown over it will answer very well. 

 Sometimes gocd results are obtained by placing the entrance of the 

 trap opposite a rat hole, fitting it closely so that the rats in order 

 to leave the hole must enter the trap. These cage traps may also be 

 baited and left for several nights until the rats become accustomed 

 to enter them when they should be freshly baited and closed. If 

 a single rat is caught it may serve as a decoy to attract others. 

 Cage traps are most effective in securing young rats, for after a 

 little time the adult animals become suspicious of the trap and 

 will not enter. The traps should be handled as little as possible; 

 and some trappers make a practice of sub.iecting the trap, whether 

 cage, gaiillotine, or steel, to the smoke of a fire and then of placing it 



