Eric Vasilik

And Now for Something Completely Different.

Recently, during the winter months, we've had problems with rats crawling into our Toyota Highlander at night to take advantage of the warm engine. This, I don't mind. However, I did mind them gnawing the fuel injector lines which caused the engine to perform rather badly. At about $300 a pop to replace the lines, I was not amused.

So, this little guy is the fourth victim in my hunt to reduce the rat population around my house:



What's interesting about this common, however gruesome, scene is that this rat was caught by backing up into a trap.

My, patent not pending, device is two rat traps fixed to a board. It is common for the bait on the trigger to be licked clean by a rat without triggering the trap. By having two traps close together, one gets a better chance at getting a rat.

There are other advantages as well. The board adds mass to the whole configuration, so when a trap is triggered, instead of the trap getting flung about, it stays put. Also, because of the extra mass, the trap closes faster and twitches less before closing, giving the rat less notice of his impending doom. Also, setting the trap is easier and safer because one can hold the board instead of the trap itself.