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Legislation for rat traps


Daveo26
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I work in pest control, I know the best practice for using break back traps designed to kill rodents is to check them regularly

At least once a day has always been bounced about.

I don't dispute that.

However.

I can't find the correct piece of legislation where this is set out as law.

Iv looked at the wildlife and countryside act 1981

And various other bits of legislation.

No where can I find "you have committed an offence if you fail to check a trap every 24 hrs"

I'm talking purely about break back traps designed to kill rats and mice.

Not live traps.

Can anyone point me to the legislation that gives a specific time to check traps.

My thoughts are now, if I left a trap for 48 hrs and it caught nothing.

Iv committed no offence.

If I left a trap for 48 hrs and it killed a rat stone dead by crushing it's skull at any point in that 48 hrs

Iv committed no offence

If I left a trap for 48hrs and it caught a rat by its tail or limb at any point

Iv caused unnecessary suffering to that animal and have committed an offence.

I totally support the idea that as often as possible and at least once a day is best practice.

I'm not looking for a loop hole here, I just want to confirm what's a legal requirement.

Hope someone can help.

Cheers Dave

Edited by Daveo26
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I did my commensal rodent course last week and the instructor told me the check every 24hrs only applies to fenns etc. Apparently it doesn't apply to the giant mouse trap versions?

Yep, the break back (giant mouse traps) are the ones I'm talking about.

Also that type aren't subject to the same humaneness legislation that the like of fenn traps are.

Mind boggles, a fenn copy all metal made In China can't legally be used to kill a rat but a cheap plastic trap made in China can??

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You don't have to check humane lethal traps daily. That is just some BS that is being thrown about but a couple of mole trapping types. I leave rat traps and mouse traps down for a week at a time. There is also no legislation that I know of that says you need to check Fenns either. Live catch yes, but if it kills humanely....

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You don't have to check humane lethal traps daily. That is just some BS that is being thrown about but a couple of mole trapping types. I leave rat traps and mouse traps down for a week at a time. There is also no legislation that I know of that says you need to check Fenns either. Live catch yes, but if it kills humanely....

Correct, you do not need to check kill traps daily. I check and record mine every Monday, in the case that I do have an activation I need to check the activated trap for the following three days to ensure there is no infestation.

 

The more activation you have the more you need to check them, this is only to keep killing them and not to let any ones through due to the trap being out of use.

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Yep, the break back (giant mouse traps) are the ones I'm talking about.

Also that type aren't subject to the same humaneness legislation that the like of fenn traps are.

Mind boggles, a fenn copy all metal made In China can't legally be used to kill a rat but a cheap plastic trap made in China can??

The Spring Trap Approval Order applies to clones of approved traps so you can use copies mate. Edited by Prospero
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  • 2 weeks later...

The Spring Trap Approval Order applies to clones of approved traps so you can use copies mate.

 

In Sect 2,(1) (b) STAO states.....

any spring trap which is equivalent in all relevant respects to a spring trap of a type and

make specified in any entry in Column 1 of the Schedule.

 

The copies being sold DO NOT comply with this as they are not equivalent.

 

They may appear to be visually similar however they are not equivalent - particularly in spring force which influences the speed and force of impact. All the copies I have come across had much weaker springs. Another difference is the copies are not brass-on-brass triggers. Also the anchor chains are differnet.etc , etc

 

The key point is "all relevant respects" . Because they are not equivalent then they are illegal. Cheap maybe, but not cheerful and certainly not legal.

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So you are saying they are not legal because they are not strong enough in the springs? So that is a manufacturing defect... Original (ie not copies) would likewise be illegal if they didn't have strong enough springs, so it isn't the fact they are copies, its the fact they are defective... I have some copies of Fenn MkIV, and they are just as strong as originals, and have brass on brass triggers. But then that would make them legal wouldn't it??

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