Rat Trapping Stools (7/12)
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 Platform is 5 1/2" x 8" with 3" side rails. Stake is a 1x2 furring strip Bait holder is made from 1" white PVC and is 2 " long. Bait holder has a 1/2" wide slot cut in it so you can snap it on to the 1x2.
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 Rear view of attachment system A friend of mine laser cut and formed the channels for me. They aren't for sale. |
Left to right 1/4" wing nut 1/4" cap screw mounting channel two drywall screws to mount channel to platform. bait clip with 2" screw to hold bait. |
 Platform is 5 1/2" x 8" with 3" sides. Stake is 1/2" ID electrical conduit. Bait holder is a 2" segment of white PVC. Stake to platform attachment is a conduit hanger
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 Side view |
 1/4" nut 1/4" flat washer 1/4" lock washer 1" x 1/4" hex head bolt 1/2 " conduit hanger: You can buy these hangers for around 35 cents each. They also come with the bolts and nuts. Get the ones that have a carriage bolt system then you don't need to hold back on the bolt. They also make them threaded so you don't have to deal with nuts. But if you do get the carriage bolt system, toss the nut and replace it with a wing nut, it's so much easier to tighten with gloves. Also peen over the thread end of the bolt so it can't be removed and lost. 2" segment of 1" PVC. By screwing the bait screw in or out you can adjust it so it will tighten up on the stake and it will slide up and down to the desired height.
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I used both 1" sides and 3" sides on my stools and I really see no difference in the catch ratio. But, I do believe that the smaller your stool is the better your catch will be. I set stools under water, I set them above the water, and can really see no difference in the catch rate.
Bait will differ. I used apples, carrots, and even chunks of poplar and willow, all worked. I also used cotton soaked in lure and just shoved it in the bait holder and caught rats. Lure was Dobbin's rat lure and Lennon's rat lure. I saw no difference between the two.
If you use the PVC conduit system make sure you use some expanding foam and inject it into the bottom end of your conduit. This will keep mud from filling up the end.
Wood is a bit more stable then the PVC stakes but PVC will last for ever and cost about 50 cents per 5' section.