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Step 1
Place the trap in a place that you see the rat most often. They tend to have a particular route they take and leave evidence with trails of fecal matter and chewed items. Put the trap where you notice the most activity.
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Step 2
Determine what kind of bait you want to use. Peanut butter can be a good choice since it is sticky and will remain fresh for several days. You can try something hard such as apple or nuts, but it can become old within a day and may not be as enticing to the rat to eat. You can also try using a string wrapped around the trigger of the trap with a few drops of vanilla extract on it. The smell may bring the rat toward the trap and the string is something they may see as something to chew on.
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Step 3
Position the bait in the trap. For cage traps you will want to use a strong-smelling food onto the trigger to encourage the rat to actually walk into the cage. Peanut butter will be the best choice for this type of trap. For snap traps you can use a harder type of food, but you will need to use a small string to tie it on so that it stays in position on the trap. If you choose to use peanut butter you won't need the string.
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Step 4
Test the trap. You don't have to set the trigger just yet. Place bait out for the rat to eat to make sure that it will take the food. If it becomes more familiar with the trap sitting out it will increase your chances of trapping the rat.
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Step 5
Set the trap. Once you tested the trap to make sure that the rat will eat the food then you can set it to trap the rat. Pull the trigger back and set the bait where it needs to go so that it will snap when the food it removed.
