How to Use Your T-Rex Rat Trap

Hey Tamahere! Thanks for picking up a T-Rex rat trap. Here’s a quick guide to help you set it up and tackle those pesky rats.

Setting Up Your Trap

Location: Set up your trap inside its tunnel box near walls, fences, or areas with rat activity such as compost bins, chicken coops, or woodpiles. Ensure the area is flat and the tunnel box is stable—if it wobbles too much, rats may avoid it. If you’re not catching anything after 3-4 weeks, try moving the trap a few meters to a new location.

Tunnel box positioned by the garden shed—perfect spot for catching rats looking for shelter Image: J Morgan

Set-up: Open the mesh back door of the tunnel box, remove the trap, and bait it with peanut butter or a similar option. Then, place the trap back inside with the open jaws facing the front entrance. Keep the trap towards the back of the tunnel to prevent pets or kids reaching in. Scuff the ground in front of the entrance to attract rats.

Bait: Peanut butter is your best choice—it's tasty and long-lasting. Other good options include Nutella or mayonnaise. Avoid cheese and meat as they spoil quickly. For extra lure, place some bait outside the tunnel and at the tunnel entrance. If you catch a rat, use its body to rub scent over the tunnel to attract more.

Checking Your Trap: Check the trap weekly. Replace the bait if it’s gone or if it’s mouldy to keep it appealing. Slugs and mice might steal bait, so consider adding a mouse trap at the back of the tunnel if needed.

Catching Rats

What to Do with Catches: Dispose of carcasses by burying them or wrapping them in newspaper and putting them in the rubbish. On a farm, you can leave them out for hawks to scavenge.

Safety Tip: Always wear gloves when handling traps and carcasses, and wash your hands thoroughly afterward.

Recording Catches: Log your catches in the Trap.NZ app under the Predator Free Tamahere project. This helps us see what’s working and where. To get started, visit Trap.NZ, sign up, and join our Predator Free Tamahere project.

Need more info? Just reach out. Happy trapping!