Rugged Ranch Ratinator Large Dual Door Live Rat & Mouse Trap Metal Cage

I saw this trap on one of the chicken facebook groups that i follow and found the link for this in the comments. The post i found it on caught waaay more than i did for their post but i dont care because i finally caught something in a trap! I'M THRILLED SO HERE'S MY REVIEW! 🥳🥳🥳 Ive been hearing these pests going about the undercarriage of my RV and have been being kept awake because i cant turn off my brain once i hear the skittering. Ive been finding nests in places like in my engine bay, generator compartment, and spare tire compartment, under my coop, ect. I dont have issues with rodents inside because i have cats but the cats only have inside and the catio i built them, so limited pest deterant there. (Also my family has one outdoor cat thats old and insists on being outside but still mouses so i cant poison, but i knew these rodents were too big for the old girl to catch) Glue traps sometimes worked but i figured that i must have had BIG and SMART ones remaining because they were triggering my Victor snap rat traps and either getting free or not getting caught. (They also weren't falling for other traps in my chicken coop so this is going in there next!) This trap recomends baiting it with the door stuck open for a little bit, to which i used a little bit of bent wire and i left the door a little loose, because i wanted to be sure the rats were fine with the door moving while they got used to the trap. I baited with wet cat food for the smell and appeal of it, splattering it on the edges and gate and left it for a few days. (I didnt mean to leave it for a few days but life happened and i was unwell enough i wasnt doing chores, but i could see the bait being messed with so i left it). I also made sure i barley touched the trap so that my scent wasnt on it much. (Besides the lil video i took when i got it because the pictures online make it a little hard to tell the shapes in the trap). Last night i baited with more wet cat food all over and took out the wire. To be honest, i forgot about checking the trap till well past noon but the little pests were still stuck within, something i worried about because the door just flops up and down from the weight of it, but the little tunnel keeps them from going straight back to the door. (Set on a flat surface to make sure the door works right). I took a video of the rats running around within but im only allowed to upload one vid per review apparently. It was sooooo easy to set up, the only thing id say to watch out for is to not clip the bait door over the handle you need to pick it up later with. I didnt realize i had done because it was dark when i rebaited the trap. (I could have opened the bait door to fix that without them escaping throughit because its enclosed but the critters were launching themselves around when i approached it so i opted not to, so that the entrance door didnt accidentally flop down) The tub that it comes with makes it easier to 'take care' of the pests with a deep 'bath' and the door to remove them worked well to take the tool grips i had and pulled them out. Make your life easier than i did and grab disposable gloves for this process before you start it. (Im not relocating a pest, esp not a smart one. I dont want it and so i dont want to drop it off somewhere to be someone elses problem, id hate if someone did that to me. They have caused me soooo much money in damages from wires to insulation and more.) When i recieved the trap i did notice and take pictures of some damage on one of the corners, like it had been dropped before being packaged, because the box was fine and so was the plastic tub it came within in the box. The damage did not effect usability, thankfully, since this wasnt cheap. Ill say it again, it wasnt cheap, BUT, it was WORTH IT. The size will limit small spaces i may want to use this in (like my generator bay or engine bay of my parked RV) but it will still fit easily under quite a few things like cars and cabinet edges, withing sheds and so on. Its also CHICKEN SAFE! I dont have to worry about triggering snap traps before letting my flock into their run or worry about my birds standing on it. And since im baiting with cat food i dont have to worry about if my birds eat the bait too. Or anything else for that matter, like you have to worry about with other poisons. If you've gotten this far into reading my review, thanks for your time and i hope this helps you decide how to get rid of your pest problem! Have a great day!

If you have a rat problem this is your answer. It’s worth every penny! I seldom give anything 5 Stars. I’ve spent much more than the cost of this trap in the past trying to trap/kill rats in my chicken coop. It works better than anything I’ve bought. They get immune to rat poison and if you have other animals it can be dangerously. Follow the directions, wire it open until the rats get use to it (about 3 or 4 days), bait it with good stuff you know they’re eating. Bait the outside around the trap door. I’ve caught 6 total to date, 3 at one time. It seems like as soon as you get rid of one bunch the next bunch moves in. There are videos on YouTube.

This thing is awesome. As long as you use it right? I can only deal with them on the weekends so I let them eat out of it all week long with a door zip tied open then's Friday night. I clipped the zip tie since they're now comfortable eating inside and Saturday morning I get rid of the rats inside works like a charm. Usually get about 10 to 12 rats every Saturday. Numbers are starting to drop finally.. Just fill the black tub it comes with water drop the cage in.. then empty dead rats out of cage. Dump out water. Refill it. Dawn dish soap in let it soak. Leave it in the sun for a couple hours, then start the process over again. Do not use bleach. They can smell it and won't go in. Been using chicken food and a little stick with peanut butter on it in the middle

This newer version does not work nearly as well as the model from years back. I have been using the Ratinator for years to GREAT success but my rectangular water bucket eventually cracked, the old trap was getting rusty and the trap door clips were starting to weaken -so I splurged on a new Ratinator. What a dang disappointment! I have only caught one rat near my chicken coops with this new Ratinator trap after two months. The rats easily go in and out of the trap without any hesitation. The trap door rests in a way that there is a visible escape route. This trap actually increases the population by tricking you into feeding freely, then allowing them to easily exit and procreate, then come back for a delightful after dinner. It’s quite frustrating because this trap is pricey and the original versions worked great! The original (older) Ratinator traps were worth every penny. I’m going back to my rusty old Ratinator trap to fix the clips, wishing I would have saved the packaging box for this trap so that I could return it. I do NOT recommend this trap until they remedy the situation and list a revised model. This one looks super nice, but is essentially a feeding station equivalent to a Rat Fast Food Station -in & out for a meal lickety splits! Do yourselves a favor, and seek a used older variation of the Ratinator, or look for a new go to trap. This was a waste of money, time, and feed. But the Rats absolutely LOVE IT 😍 and hope that it sticks around.

Rat trap. OOps, 5 stars doesn't apply. It gets scored one star for passable quality construction, a critique which amazon then hides from you on page two. It is a poor choice for large ear Norway rats like the one shown in the photo. Minus two stars for being easily escaped. Minus one star because I got no catches when others worked. Minus two stars for being over priced. I should have read the critical reviews but amazon hides them on page two. Rats scent mark the door in passing through. The trap has a floppy trap door that does not lock shut and can be pulled open. Lightly built: I think a big racoon, or a large dog, could mangle it. Smart rats can discover how to escape this trap if given enough time. Rats have route memory and know where the door is. Too dearly priced, the same as buying four live catch traps or five cases of snap traps. Check out YouTube's night cams for Ratinator escape action. -

As silly as it sounds, try avoid ordering this in manufacturing package. The extra Amazon box will help keep it safe during shipping. The manufacturer’s box is flimsy and the first trap arrived with a cracked plastic bin (perfect fit for the trap and holds water so you don’t want it cracked). The next one received came undamaged but you can see it’s not level. I used rocks to ensure it didn’t shake and scare off the rats who may be trying to explore it. After a few days of baiting I caught 13! The next day none (they’re smart) so I moved the trap and baited with the door open for a couple days. Closed the trap door and 9 more. I absolutely recommend this trap but for the price I wish the quality was better.

I live in the suburbs and our entire cul de sac was infested with rats after some recent construction. We all hired an exterminator who put out plastic traps and bait boxes, and I got some trail cameras to monitor the rat activity in our yard. Good thing I did because I caught the rats sitting on top of the bait boxes but never eating the bait. Since getting the Ratinator, I’ve caught 6 rats! I set up the trap near their usual route, which I identified using the trail cameras. I followed the box instructions and recommendations in the reviews - The trap must be set on top of some pavers or plywood, as the rats will burrow under it to get the food bait and the trap door can get stuck if there is any dirt or debris in the way. I zip tied the trap door open and placed some tasty food inside. It took a couple days the figure out what the rats wanted - pumpkin seeds were a big hit. After a few days of leaving it open and baited with seeds and seeing the rats enter and exit on the cameras, I removed the zip tie and heavily baited the trap with seeds and immediately caught one rat that night and three more by morning. I was worried the rats would figure out how to open the entrance door, but they didn’t. I did zip tie the exit/removal door in case they tried to pry it open. Rats are a big vector for ticks and Lyme disease, so I filled the plastic tub it came with for quick extermination. And I always used gloves when touching the trap and bait to avoid getting my human scent on it. I definitely recommend this for effective and quick rat extermination!

**Update: lowered to three stars bwcshee rhe rats learned how to get In and out after a couple of weeks. The door needs a weight or spring-activated version that makes it more difficult. It’s pretty easy for them to just pull the door down and get or or rush a rat coming in and all get out. The death toll is into the 40s though so it’s still a decent trap for as long as it works. I’ve just had to modify it a lot. I added a spring to the door which worked a little bit. Now I’m going to move it and retrain the rats by leaving it open again** Researched a lot of styles of traps. The important qualities for me were: as humane as possible, ability to catch more than 1 rat per setting, only affects the rats/safe for other animals on our property (domestic and wild), as cheap as possible. This trap is definitely the best possible combination of those things. I trained the rats to go to one spot for a couple of weeks before using it because I want to get a lot of them. I used another carabiner to hold the door open and fed them in the trap. I don’t think the bait area is necessary. I spread the food outside the bait area where they can actually eat it. I wanted them going in reliably and eating for a few days first. Then I caught 10 rats in less than 12 hrs the first time I set it. It comes with the drowning tub. They died within 30 seconds or less and no poisons, dangerous/gory traps, had to be used. Emptying it wasn’t not nearly as traumatizing as emptying the snap traps. So, for all those reasons, it gets a high rating. The reasons for not getting five stars are: 1. The trap doors might need to be reinforced to ensure the rats can’t force their way out once in. (I used small carabiners) 2. The rats might be able to bail themselves out if they have enough time to figure out how to pull down the repeating door or rush a rat that’s entering the trap. They likely will not go in again if they manage to escape. 3. The bottom is wire with big enough bars that the rats can dig under it and eat the food without going in the trap. (We put a board under it) 4. The drowning tub is a little small -I had to fill it all the way and still had to squish the trap down a little to finish the job. 5. Emptying the trap after is somewhat awkward but still not too bad compared to the snap traps. It’s a good trap but I think the price is a little high overall. Ultimately, it’s just a wire box with a weighted wire door. And I had to buy carabiners to reinforce it… I would’ve liked to be able to get two traps and 1 tub for about this price and that would feel just right.

I am so happy I purchased this trap and highly recommend it. Well made, simple to use, lightweight and easy for a 68 yr old woman to manage. We wanted a humane trap and once the rats are in the trap I would put the trap inside the plastic bin it came with it, throw a towel over top so no one is freaking out and squealing, grab the trap under one arm and walk it down my street to a forested area where they are released. We had a terrible rat infestation under our cement patio for the first time in 16 years. During the daytime you could easily spot up to 12 rats walking around on our lawn. Our home is located in a residential area with greenbelt behind and beside us. We have always had bird feeders up for 16 years and never a problem until 2 months ago. The first thing we did was purchase a large bird seed catcher tray to hang under the bird feeder and cut off any food supply. Then we placed the trap onto a piece of thick artificial grass beside the hole in the patio, put bird seed in the trap and tied the door open so they got used to going in and out of the trap. After 3 days we untied the door and have successfully trapped a total of 47 rats which is rather horrifying. The hole under the patio was sealed up but we left a very small opening which the trap door is blocking. No more rats! This trap was definitely a great investment.

I'd probably rate this item a 3.5/5 but I rounded it up to a 4. I highly regret not watching some YouTube videos for the modifications beforehand as the giant rat that I've been trying to catch for months escaped easily from the back latch. I fed it for a few days to let it get comfortable and finally set the trap. It just rammed through the back door and out it went the first night. Then the second night, it just waltzed out the way it came in after eating all the food inside. It has flaws right out of the box! So there is a video on YouTube that explains adding a mesh panel under the entrance. I did that and caught 2 medium sized rats. The large rat is too smart and won't even go near it now nor the previous traps. At this rate, I may just need to get the electric rat traps. Modifications you need to do: 1. Tie up the back door with zipties or wires 2. Add a mesh lever under the main entrance 3. Elevate the front(entrance) slightly so the door will close properly. 4. Don't buy this and stick to snap traps/electric rat traps Although this trap focuses on humane trapping, the black box that it comes with fits the cage perfectly and that means the cage can be submerged perfectly into the water. Take the rats for a once in a lifetime diving session.

If I could give it 1000 stars I would. It’s so rare for something to do exactly what it’s advertised to do, to the letter. Had massive rat problem in and around chicken coop. So many, it was drawing in foxes and feral cats, but with no success as the rats would hide in the coop. Tried bucket traps etc, but nothing worked. Took a shot on this and did as instructed. Tied the trap door open for a few days and baited with some cattle grain. Cut the string and by that evening, one or two were caught. By the next day, 17 were in the trap. Dunked and discarded them for the critters. Super easy to use and to clean out, which I had been worried about, given how small the exit hatch is. Not a problem at all. One tip I saw online was to place the trap on a board, so that they couldn’t tunnel under to eat the bait. Did that from the start. It 100% works. There’s so many BS claims about diff traps on the market, but this one is for real. I know it’s expensive, I had a hard time with the price too, but it’s going to last through my grandkid’s lifetimes and is built really well. If you have a rat problem, this is the solution. Any cheaper thing you buy is just going to be a waste of the money you could have spent on this. UPDATE: put the empty trap back in the chicken coop, in the same spot. Went out today to put some bait in, and it was already full of rats again. At least another 15.. with no bait! Greatest rat trap of all time. Feels like I should buy a pet python or something now since feeding it would be free.

Caught squat