How to Make a Homemade Humane Rat Trap with a Bucket

You've seen the droppings. You've heard the scratching. And late one night, you saw its beady eyes staring you down when you went to the kitchen for a midnight snack. A rat's taken up residence in your home and you want it out. If you want the vermin disposed, but you don't want to kill it, you can catch the rat by making a human rat trap out of common household items.

Here's what you'll need:
Large, tall bucket or old household garbage can
Piece of scrap lumber or any wooden board
Dog food, peanut butter, or meat
Work gloves

Make a Homemade Humane Rat Trap Step 1: Determine where the rat has been. Look for rat droppings, chewed up food boxes, gnawed linens, and trails of food.

Make a Homemade Humane Rat Trap Step 2: Set up the trap: Place the bucket near the area to increase your chances of catching the rat. Make sure the bucket is tall enough (at least a gallon size) so the rat won't be able to escape. Set the bucket up against a wall or something sturdy so it won't tip over. Use the scrap lumber piece as a ramp for the rat to walk into the bucket.

Make a Homemade Humane Rat Trap Step 3: Place bait in the bucket: Dog food, peanut butter, or raw meat can be used as bait. Place the food in the bottom of the bucket.

Make a Homemade Humane Rat Trap Step 3: Remove all food sources from the area, other than the bait. The rat was attracted to this area of your home because of the plentiful food. When the rat's main food sources are cut off, it will look for anything else it can eat. The bait placed in the trap becomes more and more appetizing to the rat. Eventually, the rat will succumb to the smell of the delicious dog food or peanut butter, walk up the ramp, and plunge into the bucket.

Make a Homemade Humane Rat Trap Step 4: Remove the rat: Now that you've caught the rat in the cage, you'll need to set him free. Bring along your heavy work gloves and drive to a wooded area or field. Tip the bucket away from your body near the ground, and set the rat free. The rat will be very scared and scratter away quickly. Or you can simply set the rat free in your own backyard.

Make a Homemade Humane Rat Trap Step 5: Clean the bucket: After releasing the rat, scrub the bucket clean with hot, soapy water. This is especially important if you're planning on using the same bucket to catch more rats. Other rats will pick up the smell of the disposed rat and avoid your trap.

See, there's no need to whip out flashbang grenades to catch vermin. Catching pesky rats can be done humanely and cheaply with items already in your home. Good luck rat catching!