I’ve been concerned for sometime that when inserting ALPs into the A24 the lure often squirts out and lands on the trigger. Wiping excess off before inserting the ALP and even after inserting (prior to gassing the trap) can help mitigate this during installation. However, I have found when servicing traps that it is not uncommon for lure to harden and congeal on the trigger. I don’t have proof, but I suspect this contributes to the gas often being lost without many strikes recorded. As a result I have been toying around with a screen to fit in the ALPs mouth that splits the lure around the trigger. My first attempt is use the Goodnature screens out of the old lure bottles (pre-ALP) with a small rectangular plastic inserted inside it to block a cm wide area across the mouth of the ALP. I’ve not tried in the field yet but at home this seemed to avoid the lure dropping directly on the trigger and the ALP was still able to dispense the lure. Anyone else experimented with this? The ALPs have other problems (ie. I’ve only ever had around 50% of the lure dispensed before the ALPs stop working) but if perservering with them this seems to be an issue that is worth addressing.
I’ve never had that problem. Have you e-mailed Goodnature about it?
A minor problem I have with my A24’s, is that mice can eat the vast majority of the exposed lure without triggering the trap. I think that a screen of 6.25mm “vermin-proof” metal mesh blocking access to the ALP should solve the problem.
I hope that your experiment works. If so, please write a follow-up that includes photos.
No I want to test the approach first and sound out other to ensue I’m not designing something for a problem that does not exist. I’ve lost quite a few gas canisters when reluring because of this issue even after careful removal of excess. It could be an easy fix in the manufacture of the ALPs to have a splitter in the mouth, so long as it does not get in the way of getting the lure in the pouch. Yep I’m sure mice get their fair share of free lure, although I tend to find heaps underneath the trap that no animal is that interested in. I’ll post any follow-up.
I have also suspected that dripping lure sometimes triggers the A24 - this is especially likely when the temperatures rise and the lure becomes more liquid.
We often find that the lure has been eaten by little earwigs and slugs. At $10 per lure pump the cost for our neighbourhood project is getting out of hand. We would really like to find a cheaper alternative to the lure pumps, it seems like GN is charging way too much for a tablespoon of goo.
I have constructed a container out of small polyethylene bottle and fit it with Nutella. I think I have put up pictures somewhere if you are interested. Very cheap and seems to work OK. Let me know if you want me to dig it out.
Found it…Mouldy bait? Potassium sorbate
Ive also tried dehy rabbit with a spray of cider viengar with pretty good results. Makes you wonder why the commercial product does not already have preservative in it given its intended usage. My trial of a lure splitter did not work well as the ALP pressure pushed the screen out quite a distance which in turn would have placed the lure too close to the trigger.
Try using a couple of pieces of Erayz inside the bait cap for a change of lure.
Thanks Dan, that looks perfect for us. Can you please describe exactly what the bottle is that you use, and how do you attach the screw
Hey Jackie,
I have searched my records for the sales order, but no good so far. I will need to describe it instead.
60 ml (2 oz) HDPE Nalgene bottle from Stowers, Lower Hutt 04 570 0905
Could be cat number 3079549, but your need to check. They are pretty cheap (a few bucks each).
The diameter of the neck of the bottle is 1 inch, and the thread fits the A24 perfectly. Sorry I don’t know the exact spec for the thread, but Stowers will know which bottle I am talking about. I cut the bottle in half so that the original bottom half of the bottle is re-used as the cap and the threaded neck is screwed into the A24. I can’t remember whether I stretched the cap to fit, but if I did, then I probably soaked it in boiling water for a few seconds before stretching. This allows access for filling and shortens the bottle to fit under the black A24 cover.
A wet day inside project - rethinking the congealed lure on trigger issue. I am still not convinced its a cause of loss of gas in A24 but I am looking to eliminate causes. This simple mod uses a SS bike spoke through existing holes in A24 shroud. The spoke crosses just under the trigger. The idea being downward pressure can no longer trigger the trap, but animal pushing up to access the lure will still trigger the trap without the spoke getting in the way. Any thoughts on the pitfalls of this before i attempt on a useable trap? The one pictured was “modified” by some very hungry mice. The ALP was also completely eaten, possibly battery magnet and all the foil.
Sounds like a good thing to try. I also have a couple of A24s. I think I may put them on Trade Me at some point. I don’t recall, but does the trigger move vertically, horizontally, or in both directions? I always test fire the trap by moving the trigger in a horizontal direction (i.e. a plane parallel to the ground). If it doesn’t trigger by moving the bar in the vertical direction then there would be no point in making this mod.
The trigger moves in 360 degree plane which I take to mean it triggers if pushed or pulled in any direction. I can’t say i have tested that theory though, as most times I test with a stick from below also on the horizontal plane. I have removed the shroud to look at the trigger and kill bolt and the trigger definitely moves in all directions. Next step is to test a canister in it.
Good stuff. Hope it works! You have inspired me to attack the problem from a different angle. In a previous post on this thread I mentioned that I used a cut down bottle as feeder for my nutella mix. I have decided to trial two modifications: 1. Use a large rat truffle instead of the liquid nutella (see my thread on rat truffles), and 2. use a terracotta plate soaked in Connovation chocolate lure. I have found both these lures to work very well in my Victor tunnel traps over several years. Both lures are long-life, and the terracotta never goes mouldy. They are also solid so they will not drip. I will let you know what happens.
Sorry, one other question. Have you ever thought of removing most of the black plastic entrance tunnel/shroud and replacing with a wire mesh? My thinking is that, given it is quite well established that rats and mice tend to prefer entering spaces that are not entirely enclosed, perhaps the hit rate could be improved. Even drilling the shroud out might work. I hate to think what Goodnature would make of our meddling, but perhaps it is time they revised their design. I don’t concur with the observation that “the mice/rats are all taken away, so your don’t see them under an A24”. The dead rats and mice I dump by all my other traps don’t generally “go” anywhere - they just rot! Perhaps the rat grim reaper only visits the A24 on a regular basis.
Not a bad idea. Given i have a knackered shroud which cannot be individually replaced from GN, it may be time to experiment. Although i presume i will need a fair bit of shroud to enable the kill bolt and animal head to press up against to remain effective. I dont want to compromise animal welfare so hole drilling might be the way to go rather than wholesale replacment with a wire cage.