My neighbour has a massive macadamia tree. The tree provides a ready supply of rat food which means a ready supply of rats. The rats nest in my shed, my garden and anywhere else they feel like. At night they make a terrible noise while they eat the fruit and veggies growing in my garden. They have destroyed a lot of stuff and make a lot of stinky mess so they have to go. Removing the main food source (the macadamia tree) is not an option as it does not belong to me. So sadly it is time to set traps and lay baits.
I did not want other animals to eat the baits and I did not want to spend a lot of money on a commercial solution (where is the fun in that) so I designed my own bait holder made of junk.
The idea is to make the bait inaccessible to animals that are not rats, but still make it easy to for me to inspect and change baits.

Step 1: Tools and Materials

The tools:
- Screwdriver (ar an electric drill)
- A marking pen
- A pair of scissors
- A craft knife

The materials:
- 600 mm length of ag pipe (flexible drainage pipe)
- A plastic jar with a screwtop lid (must be wider than the diameter of the pipe)
- A bit of wood longer than the pipe
- 2 screws that are long enough to fix the top of the pipe to the wooden base
- 1 shorter screw to attach the bait to the wooden base

Step 2: Cut a Window in the Pipe

Measure 1/2 way along the pipe. Using the scissors and the knife cut out a section of the pipe. I cut it down half way. It is importandt that the cut out is smaller than the width of the jar.

Step 3: Cut a Hole in the Jar

Trace around the end of the pipe so that you have a circle on the side of the jar, near the base. Now do this again on the opposite side. Carefully cut out the circles with the knife or scissors.
I found it easiest to drill a hole to act as a starting place for the scissors.

Step 4: Push the Pipe Through the Jar

Push the pipe through the jar.
Twist the pipe so the cut out window is facing up towards the jar lid opening.

Step 5: Screw Down the Ends

Use the 2 long screws to attach the ends of the pipe to the bit of wood. The long screw has the double function of halving the size of the opening making it harder for larger animals to crawl through.

Step 6: Screw Down the Bait

The bait goes inside the jar, in the window that you cut in the pipe.
Use the shorter screw to fasten the bait through the pipe and the base of the jar into to the timber.
This will stop the bait falling out and will stop the rats running away with it.

Step 7: Put the Lid on the Jar

Tightly screw the lid on the jar and place the whole lot where you know the rats are. Make sure that it is out of reach of curious children and animals.