Frequently Asked Questions
The key to having consistent, successful results is location & placement, before you even use the trap; clear up competing food sources in your area. Pre-bait the site with the chocolate formula and use the detector cards. Rats communicate through their breath and whiskers, if a good head of rats in your area feel safe to feed on the chocolate gel, they will pass this on and actively seek out the food. Look to place the traps nearer where the rats are living, in a safe place out of sight of avian and ground predators. Don’t be tempted to put it where you saw one running down the side of a building, this is not a feeding spot. They will not have the confidence to stop and feed here.
Once they have taken all the free offerings, set the trap in an area that is away from disturbance; place in a box or under shelter at a 45′ angle as this will help hugely! The detector cards will tell you if they feel safe to feed there.
It will take a few days for the rats to overcome their initial fear of it, then you should start seeing results. Don’t be afraid to continue offering freebies of the chocolate formula, this will help vastly! Check out our easy lure pouches, they are perfect for the job. The big thing with our traps is finding where the rats will interact comfortably, you may feel like you’re having a slow start, trust us when we say that the more time you put in getting it right initially; the less time you will put in later.
To get the best results from your A24 rat traps ensure you use Goodnature Rodent Detector Cards to find suitable sites for the traps. Not every trap site is equal, and the detector cards will quickly reveal the better sites.
Rather than setting your trap near an existing food source for pests, install the traps away from food competition for better results.
If your trap is already installed near a compost site or other excellent food source you may have to remove the food source or restrict the pests’ access to that site. If pests are in the habit of accessing a regular source of food you may have to break that pattern to get them interested in the lure within the trap.
Pre-feeding with the lure pouch will dramatically increase catch rates, give it a go!
If you need extra assistance give Goodnature a call!
Food-rich areas are complex rat trapping sites and may require extra effort to achieve success. Locations where you see rats or signs of rats are not necessarily spots where they will trigger the trap. Use Rodent Detectors to determine the best place to set a trap. You may have to disrupt the rats’ routine by moving or reducing access to the food-rich source, if possible, forcing them to look elsewhere for food.
The general rule of thumb is two per acre (spaced 40m apart). If you have a large area for conservation or a complex site such as an orchard, then please call us.
While our lures are long life, they will eventually tire and diminish in scent when exposed to air. At least once a month, remove the shroud cap and take the long life lure bottle out, tap it against the tree trunk so the tired lure is dabbed out as a pre-feed to attract pests. Wipe all excess lure away from the bite block, or mouth of the lure bottle, and return to the trap. See the Success Guides for more information.
We usually establish a landscape/grid operation where it is not critical that all animals are affected immediately, only that they are attracted to the trap by the formula; and it is ‘armed’ when they interact with it. This may happen on the first night, or after many nights; when they are in this area of their home range. Timing is not critical since control is achieved over a period of weeks, and then maintained over longer periods.
Goodnature’s long life rodent formula is not attractive to cats. The shroud entrance is also too narrow for a cat to fit its head into, and the trap is installed 12 inches off the ground to further prevent a cat interrogating the trap. It is extremely unlikely that a cat will trigger an A24 rat trap. Neighbourhood cats, however, are likely to remove dead rats and from below the trap. You may also purchase an extender tunnel to add a third layer of security.
Use target specific Goodnature stoat formula in the A24 Rat & Stoat Trap. Set the trap near the edge of a stream/waterway, on a ridge, track, or on a crop margin/hedge line. Ensure the trap is set away from houses and other food sources such as chicken coops that can act as a competing food source for the lure.
Be aware of hedgehogs, these are a protected species in decline. A well-placed A24 set at 12-15 inches above the ground will make it difficult for entry. Hedgehogs may scale log piles but they are not built to climb vertically. If your detector cards show hedgehog activity in your area, it is important to do 
everything you can to stop interaction with the trap. This can be achieved with our UK specific formula for rats, building up around the entrance of the tunnel to restrict access, or used in conjunction with the excluder tunnel we sell you can help protect this species.
If you have any more concerns over hedgehogs in your area, please get in touch. We would be happy to offer support on how to carry out a safe trapping regime that will help to protect hedgehogs in your area. Check your garden doesn’t hold these hazards that threaten our prickly friends.
A responsible, well thought out trapping regime will actually benefit hedgehogs by stopping food competition and predation of their young.
Have a look here on how to create a safer more enriched sanctuary for them in your garden.
Many insects can make their way into our homes, but here is a list of some of the most common intruders –
- Moths
- Wasps
- Flies
- Bed Bugs
- Ants
- Cockroaches
- Spiders
- Woodworm
There are many insects in the UK that will bite or sting for a number of different reasons. Insects bites and stings are all very similar, and it can be hard to identify the species without seeing it. The most common symptoms of a bite or sting are a small red area on the skin that can be itchy or painful. Depending on the species, the size of the redness can be a small dot or a larger patch covering the skin. The size of the red patch is normally relative to the size of the insect. Small fleas will normally leave multiple red dots on an area of skin, where as a hornet can leave a large inflamed red patch covering a few inches.
The amount of bites can also be a good indication of the species. Multiple bites lean towards a small insect/group of insects that go unnoticed such as mites, fleas, or bedbugs. One large bite/sting suggests a larger insect such as a wasp, horse fly, or a spider.
All bites can be painful and irritable for a few hours to days, but will normally heal by themselves. If you have any severe reactions or persistent symptoms then seek medical advice.
Keeping insects out of your home can be tricky task, especially when some are barely visible to the naked eye. Here are a few ways that insects make their way into your home.
- Door & Window Seals – Door & window seals that don’t seal properly, or are damaged, are the easiest way for insects to enter your home. Keeping your seals tight and replacing any that aren’t working properly will keep the bugs at bay.
- Cracks in the brick work – Cracks in & around the brick work of your home are an open invitation for pests to enter. Making sure that all the gaps around cable, pipes, and vents are properly sealed is essential if you want to live in a pest free home.
- Chimneys – Chimneys obviously can’t be made air tight, but there are ways of keeping the bugs out. Always do your research to find out which is the safest method for your home.
The short answer is yes, unless you take the correct steps to prevent a re-invasion. Unless proper prevention methods are installed then insects will continue to enter your home and you will always have a problem.
The best way to control insects is by using exclusion methods, but we do offer non-toxic methods of control. Find out more in our insect control section.
Flies can be a real pain when they’re in the house, and they seem impossible to catch! With flies, prevention really is better than cure, and there’s a few simple ways to keep them at bay. Much like rats, flies will only enter if you’re offering them something, and in this case it’s normally food. Keeping your home and kitchen clear of clutter and food is always the best start. Keeping food covered and stored correctly means there’s nothing for the flies to eat, so there’s no reason for them to be there.
In the summer we all like to let the fresh air in and often leave our windows and doors open. This is an open invitation for flies even if you’re house is spotless. If you know you’re going to leave your windows open then it’s certainly worth investing in some fitted fly screens.
Burning citronella candles will also help to keep flies away, but this won’t keep every single fly away, and Citronella isn’t everyone’s favorite smell.
The best indicator to tell if you have rats or mice is the size of the animal. Mice are small and are normally no bigger than 3 to 4 inches long in the body. Rats on the other hand are large and can measure up to 11 inches.
You won’t always see rats and mice so the next best indicator is their droppings. Rat droppings are the larger of the two, and are normally rounded at the ends. They are similar in size to a standard paracetamol tablet. Mouse dropping are a lot smaller in size and are comparable to a grain of rice with pointed ends.
You may also come across teeth marks where the rodents have been chewing. Mice leave small marks and often chew multiple times creating a rough surface. Rats leave larger teeth marks and are capable of chewing through wood and other tough materials.
Rodents themselves can only give a small bite if you were unlucky enough to corner one. The real danger comes from what they leave behind in the form of urine and feces. Rats carry many diseases that can be deadly to humans such as Leptospirosis. This is why it is essential that rodents are kept out of your home, and if they do enter to get rid of them immediately and disinfect anywhere they may have touched.
In the wild it would be rare for a mouse to live longer than a year, but in a home environment they have been known to live up to three years.
Rats are extremely clever animals and can be hard to trap without some thought. If you’re using a food driven trap then it is essential that you remove any food competition. You can then place your trap where the food used to be. In this situation the best bait is the same food that the rats are used to eating as they are already conditioned to it. Try to offer the trap some shelter as rats are prey animals and will always feel more comfortable tucked out of they way from any predators.
Mice are incredibly good at breeding, and a single female can have up to ten litters of five to six young a year. Each offspring is able to reproduce with in six weeks. The rate of reproduction means things can soon get out of hand!
The main two reasons rats & mice will enter your home is either food, shelter, or both. The first step to keeping rodents out is making sure they can’t get in. Mice can squeeze through the smallest of gaps so it can be extremely difficult to completely proof the whole house.
Being clean outside of the house always helps to keep rodents away. Overflowing bins, untidy gardens and piles of garden waste are all havens for rodents, and once they’re in your garden, the next step is your house.
Rats, like mice breed extremely quickly. A single female usually has six litters a year averaging 5-10 young per litter. Each young rats becomes sexually mature after nine weeks.
Rats and Mice can come into your house at anytime. However, the most common times of year are in the autumn and winter. This is because food and shelter becomes more scarce and the rodents travel to find it.