Is it illegal to use rat snap traps in shed?

[blackcloud]

Hi all

I know it's illegal to set rat traps in the open in your gaeden but what about in your shed?

Thanks all

 

[cross thread]

Who is ever going to know if you did

 

[Notch7]

its fine until you walk on one

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

You can kill as many as you like, more will be along shortly.

Ours was full of rats, they'd chewed their way in through pretty solid wood. I knocked it down and built a brick one. The only real way to win against them.

 

[JBR]

its fine until you walk on one

I'd be pretty annoyed if one of our cats walked on one.
Which makes me think, if it was in a neighbour's garden would I be able to take them to court for injuring my cat?

 

[mattylad]

Hi all

I know it's illegal to set rat traps in the open in your gaeden but what about in your shed?

Thanks all

What law is that against then please?

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Presumably the obvious laws about having open traps that will injure any wildlife or pets that happen to wander that way.

A cat could enter a shed. As could a bird, weasel, small dog, child...

Besides the legality, I wouldn't fancy having dead rats to deal with.

How's this a plumbing question anyway?

 

[mattylad]

Presumably the obvious laws about having open traps that will injure any wildlife or pets that happen to wander that way.

A cat could enter a shed. As could a bird, weasel, small dog, child...

Besides the legality, I wouldn't fancy having dead rats to deal with.

How's this a plumbing question anyway?

What obvious laws?

I can find no obvious laws that prevent the use of a spring traps etc. when catching rats.
You can even use them outside as long as they are in a tunnel or something that prevents other animals going into them.

You can set the poison traps outside, the ones where they are a box with an entrance/exit either side, I see them all over the place.
You can certainly set traps inside a shed as long as other animals are prevented from going in there, perhaps put the trap in an upturned box with a 5cm square hole either side along the edge.

You can even use the humane traps, however then you have to get rid of the rats and the best way to do that would be to submerge them in water for an hour.

See https://www.gov.uk/pest-control-on-your-property

 

[Stivino]

You can even use the humane traps, however then you have to get rid of the rats and the best way to do that would be to submerge them in water for an hour

I think there's a bit of a contradiction there.

 

[318Mike]

Hi all

I know it's illegal to set rat traps in the open in your gaeden but what about in your shed?

Thanks all

There are Laws about type, setting and inspection of traps.

The Humane Trapping Standards Regulations 2019

These Regulations amend the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (c. 69) (“the Act”) in order to implement in Great Britain requirements contained in the Agreement on international humane trapping standards concluded between the European Community, the Government of Canada and the Government of the...

www.legislation.gov.uk

In short, the trap must be of an approved design.
The trap must be set inside a tunnel that does not permit entry to other animals. This applies even inside a building.
The trap must be inspected regularly.

I live on a wildlife corridor and rats are a regular occurrence. We saw a rat last week so my two traps are now running in the garden.
A FENN rat trap https://www.pestcontroldirect.co.uk/shop/most-common-pests/rodent-control/rats/fenn-trap-mk4/
The other is a DOC rat trap https://perdixwildlifesupplies.com/products/doc-150-spring-trap
Both traps are set inside boxes with limited entry.
The FENN in a run-through tunnel I made myself, The rat can look through the box, the trap is laid in the middle.
The DOC is inside DOC designed box that can be purchased with the trap and uses bait, Nuttella.
Both traps kill instanly. No messing!