I am trying to trap rats in ditches and they are iced over with like half an inch and the water is only like 5 inches to 8 inches deep. Will 110s and 160s break through the ice and catch the rat? I checked on my sets a few hours later and they weren’t iced over too bad. I have some sets under the water so it shouldn’t affect those too much but is there anything I can do to prevent freezing?

Find the bubble trails/runs and set those as the rats will need deep enough water to swim in. Do this fast as if the water is that shallow the rats will freeze out quickly as the ice thickens. The traps need to below the ice as that is where the rats will be too.

Bryce

X2

I set where the air bubbles were. Thanks for the tips, the temps are goin to go back In the 40s after this week

Can you use colony traps?

If the run is super active they'll keep it open, but they will move to deeper water at some point. I've set in runs I knew to be very active, and I've checked on my out after making a few more sets and already had rats in conibears that were only in the water 10 minutes, I even had one get caught while I was still holding the 110 and trying to put in a stabilizer stick, that startled me a bit.

I have one set but yes I can

That is crazy, they are active for sure but not super crazy active, will a 160 break through light ice?

lol had a beaver do that to me.Jumps yeah

I don't use 160's so I have no idea. I try not to set in a manner that they can freeze in, but I can't say I've never had to chop a 330 out of the ice when I made an error in judgement

Bodygrips do not break through much. An 1/8th" around the jaws will make it inoperable. They might fire through skim ice, like the amount that forms after chopping a hole that skims over before you leave the set and head to the next. If you cant drag your finger through it to break it, your trap probably wont fire through it either. The spring eye can have a little ice build up and still function but like most have said, try and keep the trap below the ice and the amount that may form overnight.

This.

K will do

if the trap is below the ice
once set let the ice form and put some leaves on top for insulation, 1 inch of leaves protects till WC goes to -15f

Take you foot and dig out some mud so the trap is below the ice. They will follow the run bottom. That is why there is a run. fun your foot in the tun for two to three feet and set more then one 110 in that area.

X2 or dig out with your hand deep enough to buy you a few hours of productivity.