An apparatus for baiting and/or feeding target animals comprises: a trough to contain bait and/or feed; and a closure which can be urged by at least one said target animal so as to move from a closed position, in which it precludes access to the bait and/or feed by the target animal(s), to an open position, which is such that said access is enabled, the apparatus being configured such that the closure offers a resistance to being moved which is sufficient that it cannot be urged by another animal to move from the closed position to the open position.

This disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods associated with pest (e.g., rodent) management. An example of a pest-management apparatus includes a detector device having a housing, a magnetic switch coupled to the housing, and circuitry disposed within a cavity of the housing. The detector device is configured to be coupled to a trap having a base and a capture element pivotally coupled to the base such a portion of the capture element is biased toward a capture portion of the base. The circuitry is configured to detect operation of the trap based on a change in state of the magnetic switch responsive to a magnet coupled to the trap. In a particular implementation, the detector device is coupled to the trap via a platform. In another particular implementation, the detector device includes multiple magnetic switches and is configured to concurrently be coupled to multiple traps.

A rodent bait station has an electronic sensor module protected within a sealed receptacle beneath a tray bottom wall. A threshold is defined by walls on the upper side of the tray. A rodent must pass over the threshold to reading a feeding portion of the tray which supports rodent bait. The sensor module has a capacitance sensor urged against the bottom wall of the tray and which detects the passing of a rodent into the feeding area. The incidence of the rodent is logged and made available to a device exterior of the tray.

A bait station and an associated insert are provided. The bait station includes a housing that incorporates a floor member with a plurality of openings in the same that allow pieces of bait and other debris to fall through the openings of the floor member. The insert includes a tray and the floor member which together may be inserted as a unit into the housing of the bait station.

The invention relates to methods of trapping a pest, said method comprising providing ferromagnetic particles for ingestion by the pest, and trapping the pest using one or more magnets, wherein a trapped pest has ingested and internally accumulated an amount of the ferromagnetic particles sufficient to permit immobilization of the pest using said one or more magnets. Devices for use with the methods of the instant invention are also disclosed.

An apparatus for holding bait for rodents that includes a housing that can be inserted into a manhole, the housing having one or more bait platform, a passage through the housing for rodents to access the bait platform, and optionally a mechanism to prohibit exposure of bait on the bait platform to the environment containing the housing.

A pest control device may include a bait support system. The bait support system may include a bait bar having a first end and a second end. An aperture in the pest control device may receive at least a portion of the first end of the bait bar. A locking mechanism may secure the second end so as to lock the bait bar to the pest control device. The bait bar may be locked to the pest control device when a lid of the pest control device is in an open configuration.

The present invention relates generally to rodent traps that use food and/or poison to entice the rodent to the trap. This invention uses heat and/or cool air to entice the rodent to the trap. During the cool weather season heat is used to entice the rodent. During the warm weather season cooling is used to entice the rodent. This method can be used for non-kill type rodent traps or kill type rodent traps. This device can also be used to catch other pests such as snakes, squirrels, foxeswhatever animal, pest or rodent is attracted to temperatures to warm up or cool down.

A bait station including a first bait station subassembly and a second bait station subassembly removably-secured to the first bait station subassembly. The first bait station subassembly includes a housing, at least one panel-engaging member and a lid member. The housing has a body defining an axial passage and at least one radial passage in fluid communication with the axial passage. The lid member is hingedly-connected to the housing. The lid member defines a passage. The second bait station subassembly includes a bait spike and a bait spike retainer. The bait spike retainer defines an axial bait spike passage. The bait spike is movably-disposed within the axial bait spike passage of the bait spike retainer and the passage of the lid member. A portion of a bait station is also disclosed. A bait spike assembly is also disclosed. A method is also disclosed.

A system (10) for remote detection of pests, in this case as applied to a domestic dwelling (11) where a base station (12) communicates with eight detector or monitor units (13). The dotted (lines (14) indicate wired or wireless communication between the units (13) and the base station (12). As used herein the expressions monitor and detector are used interchangeably or where the detector is used as part of a box or cartridge where the detector is part (and may be reusable and separable) the whole unit including the detector part may be referred to as a monitor.