I don't know if this is a home repair problem or not but we've had Rats in
our basement for a while now. I managed to trap and kill a couple but I'm
sure there are more around.
I don't want to use poison cause I have a dog . I've been using the
conventional Rat Trap type of spring trap but the buggers seem to be able
to
eat the bait right off the trap without triggering it sometimes. I need
this problem gone before it gets out of hand.

A number of years ago, rats made their way into our home. Since it was the
first time I had dealt with rodents, I did not realize they were here at
all. When I did, I picked up a HavAHeart (yeah, I was much more kinder and
gentler back then). This went on for a few weeks.

After catching and releasing the 3rd one, I decided there might be a problem
(I released them a few miles away). So, I picked the good ole Victor snap
traps -- baited them with Peanut Butter and put them out. After clearing
the 70th dead rat from the trap I called a family friend who happens to be a
professional exterminator.

He used a variety of bait blocks that I *THINK* is only available to the
pros. We put them in the basement (dogs cannot access this area) and a
couple of select holes outdoors. He left the bucket with those that
remained and I just set them on the basement floor, open.

It's been over 5 years now and wouldn't you know it -- I just found another
old rat carcass down there that I missed. All told, we killed close to 100
of the things in the end. My 3 dogs all survived just fine -- one chewed a
little bait off when we were setting it out but not enough to get sick. The
antidote is commonly vitamin K for this particular bait.

The moral of the story: Don't mess around with this one; they already
outnumber you, probably 10 to 1 or more. Use the bait, use bait rigs that
prevent animals from getting to them, and/or use a professional exterminator
to get the job done.

James