Rugged RanchRatinator Indoor or Outdoor Multi-Catch Rat Trap - Humane Live Cage Catcher, Rodent Control for Homes, Barns, Attics, Garages, Sheds, Gardens and Farms

I chose this trap partly because I had tried every other method and trap, with only occasional success. I did see positive reviews of this before purchase and fortunately they turned out to be true in my use case. ​Functionality:​Why did you pick this product vs others?:I have tried practically every method there is to trap rats. This Ratinator is the only way that has worked consistently. I have caught dozens of rats in my back yard with this trap. Sometimes just one at a time, and on the best days up to three or four or five in a single night. I just bait it with the rats normal diet which in my backyard is the birdseed that falls out of our bird feeders. Some rats do seem to be smart enough to avoid the trap, but unlike every other trap that I have used, these are the exceptions and not the most common outcome. After using the trap consistently in my small backyard for a while I will have caught most of the rats and gradually the remainder seem to learn the danger and stay away. At that point I wire up the trap door so that it cannot close and use the trap as a rat feeder for a week or so with the door wired open so that I can get the rats accustomed to entering it again. I then remove the wire I used to hold the trap door locked open and let it begin trapping again. Rats are definitely smart foragers. Ease of use:The trap is super easy to use. Easy to bait. Easy to remove the rats after they have been caught. Easy to hose off and clean.Build quality:Build quality is fine. The construction is solid, and there are no gaps that even juvenile rats can use to escape.Durability:Durability is great. It has held up to all weather and the finish has held up fine. In other words the paint is still protecting the metal from rusting. I live in Southern California so that is more mild conditions than many live with, but nevertheless if has held up very well. The trap door still pivots freely. The doors that are secured with springs still work as they should. Safety:Part of the reason I was willing to try this trap is that it is safe to use around my dog and cat. No worries about them getting injured in any way by the trap. I judged it safe around the other wildlife that comes into my yard such as birds and raccoons and opossums and coyotes.

Works great. It catches one squirrel at a time. For the best result make sure there is a hard surface under the trap. One can put a piece of plywood and such. If the trap is on a soft ground animals tend to dig around to get to the food and may not go in.The trap needs to be checked often as a prolong sitting in the trap cause a big stress to squirrels. Do not leave overnight as food will attract mice that can easily get in and out of the trap stealing the food.In my case the squirrel population around my house in suburb area has grown out of control. It got to the point that squirrels would totally decimated my small garden (0.15 acres) and chewed a soffit to get access to my attic for nesting.I bought this and in one summer I was able to catch and relocate 55 squirrels using this trap. It put the situation to a tolerable level, and it's been such for the last couple of years. I find no need to use the trap again at least for for now.

I first heard about this trap on Tuesday ... ordered this model on Amazon on Wednesday ... received it by noon on Thursday ... and set/baited it in place (SO easy) that afternoon. When I first checked it at 7:45AM Friday morning I already had my first Squirrel.I released it (see below) far from my house Thursday late afternoon and reset/baited it the Squirrelinator trap back to its original location.This morning (Saturday) it was still empty when I got up. But after a quick shower I looked again. I had gotten another and there was a 3rd Squirrel roaming around the trap very interested. That squirrel seemed to love eating one of the oranges off my tree right in front of #2. But after a bit more picking up scattered pieces of bait, he left.I had breakfast and pointed out the trap to my wife, making sure she could see it from our kitchen. And guess what? Another squirrel was roaming about it. Candidly it's FAR more fun than watching TV car chases! Just as I got my binoculars totally zeroed in ... #3 gave into the Squirrelinator's temptations.Talk about quick, easy, and efficient! So right now it cost me just over $25 per squirrel ($70 divided by 3) to get rid of them. I'd certainly have willingly paid that much for a Professional Trapper. So this device is a good value AND investment. And I fully expect to catch more and very quickly.Fyi, I've read a number of reviews that talk about what type of bait to use, its cost, and blah-blah-de-blah. I first threw a small handful of nuts into it. Then, given the fact that the squirrels were feasting on my citrus, I decided to go a little bit off their comfort zone. I added a small handful of Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal, scattering a few flakes around both of the trap's 2 entries.They LOVE it. And it is really fun watching one squirrel in the trap inadvertently kick a flake or two outside of it to the next victim. So try using Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal as bait. I figured they might like it as much as me and they DO !!A final note: While Squirrels are cute they are anything but nice. Watch some of the posted videos and you will witness very mean, dangerous animals that like to bite however "cute" you may think they are. Then think about YOUR kids or grandkids being out there wanting to "play" with or pet them. NOT A GOOD IDEA.I even read that "relocated" squirrels (up to 3 miles away) can find their way back. And those that don't return only continue causing the same problems for their new neighbors as they did for you. So I thought about what I should do.So I prayed on how I should remove them (permanently) from my yard. I sought the advise of my local clergy who suggested praying for their both our souls. And in the end he even baptized them for me. Whatever you choose to do, do the right thing for everyone.Suggestion: Try to find a Squirrelinator that has a "basin". Mine did not have one but not a big deal all things considered. But the basin allows you an easy way to relocate your nasty squirrels however you choose without having a big mess in your car or pickup that is not easy to clean up. The empty shipping box is a good alternative.I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Squirrelinator !! Good luck.UPDATE AFTER TWO WEEKS:22 Squirrels ... but I repositioned the trap at the corner of my driveway trying to catch a couple of them at the front of my house. The trap was on hard cement. And I got one. But after about 3 hours in the trap he was able to escape! I think it was because it was on that hard surface and the squirrel was able to get its paw under the entry and pry it open.But I stand firm on how I rated it. 22 Squirrels in 2 weeks? WOW !!! I am So impressed !!!!! And they still love Honey Bunches of Oats for bait.