Home / Vulcan on Shark Tank
The Shark Tank Rat Trap
INSERT IMAGE HERE
Hero: Ian Fleming standing behind a table in a clean, dark studio, one hand on the Vulcan trap mounted on a 5-gallon bucket. Confident, serious expression, lit like a TV set. Leave space top-right for a network-approved Shark Tank badge if licensing allows.
vulcan-shark-tank-rat-trap-ian-fleming.jpg | alt="Vulcan Pest founder Ian Fleming with the Shark Tank rat trap"
The Rat Trap That Made Its Way onto Shark Tank
Vulcan is the self-resetting bucket rat trap from founder Ian Fleming. It trains rats to trust it first, then catches up to 30 of them from a single setup, with no poison and nothing to touch.
Watch Vulcan Pest on Shark Tank Wednesday Oct 28, 10pm ET/PT on ABC, stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+
Can it really catch 30 at once?
Yes! Snap traps, glue traps, etc. must be re-set every time they're used, but the Vulcan Trap keeps on catching. So long as your bucket has room, you can keep collecting rodents. Just don't forget to empty it once in a while to avoid bacteria sitting.
Oh, so many reasons. Having to reset after each catch, bacteria, safety for kids and pets, buying them every year, rats can escape, and many more. The Vulcan trap catches multiple at a time, lasts a lifetime, and is safe for your whole household.
Does it work on mice?
The Vulcan trap is not intended for mice. We've had customers use it to some success, but the trap door is held by our patented magnet strip, which most mice aren't heavy enough to trigger. Contact us if you have questions about this!
What do I do with caught rodents?
The Vulcan trap captures rodents inside a standard 5- or 7-gallon bucket (not included). Some customers add water to the bucket before setting the trap. Methods for handling captured rodents vary based on your goals, the species involved, and local regulations. Always follow applicable state and local laws when handling captured animals.
The Vulcan Shark Tank Bundle: 2 Traps for $150
Shark Tank Special!
2 Traps
Save 25%
$74.99
/trap
$89.99
/trap
In stock: FREE US SHIPPING from Atlanta, GA
Can it really catch 30 at once?
Yes! Snap traps, glue traps, etc. must be re-set every time they're used, but the Vulcan Trap keeps on catching. So long as your bucket has room, you can keep collecting rodents. Just don't forget to empty it once in a while to avoid bacteria sitting.
Why not just use a snap trap?
Oh, so many reasons. Having to reset after each catch, bacteria, safety for kids and pets, buying them every year, rats can escape, and many more. The Vulcan trap catches multiple at a time, lasts a lifetime, and is safe for your whole household.
Does it work on mice?
The Vulcan trap is not intended for mice. We've had customers use it to some success, but the trap door is held by our patented magnet strip, which most mice aren't heavy enough to trigger. Contact us if you have questions about this!
What do I do with caught rodents?
The Vulcan trap captures rodents inside a standard 5- or 7-gallon bucket (not included). Some customers add water to the bucket before setting the trap. Methods for handling captured rodents vary based on your goals, the species involved, and local regulations. Always follow applicable state and local laws when handling captured animals.
The rat trap from Shark Tank
What is the Vulcan rat trap?
The Vulcan Multi-Rodent Catcher is a reusable bucket rat trap that sits on top of a standard hardware store bucket. Instead of fighting how rats behave, trains them: rats feed safely from it for a few days until they trust it, then you pull the pin and start catching!
Every time a rodent drops into the bucket, the plank resets itself, ready for the next one. One setup can catch up to 30 rodents. There's no poison to worry about, no snap trap to re-bait, and no dead rodents to pick up by hand.
This is the invention that founder Ian Fleming took into the Shark Tank, and it's built for rats, squirrels, and chipmunks in homes, garages, barns, coops, and sheds.
Meet the founder
Why Ian Fleming built a better rat trap
Rats got into Ian's home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, so he did what most people do: he went to the hardware store.
The small snap traps were too small. Big rats could overpower them and walk away. A larger snap trap caught one rat, and after that the rest wouldn't go near it. Poison was out of the question with two outdoor cats and an outdoor dog, and a poisoned rat can crawl off and die inside a wall.
So Ian studied how rats actually behave. Rats are cautious and avoid anything new for days. Vulcan is designed around that: let them get used to it first, then catch them one by one. That idea took him all the way to the Shark Tank stage.
How it works
How the Shark Tank rat trap works
Rats avoid new objects for days. Vulcan's two modes turn that caution into an advantage.
1
Build trust in Training Mode
Rats avoid anything new for days, so Vulcan starts out as a safe place to eat. Set it on a bucket wherever you've seen signs of rats, bait the top of the ramp, and slide in the locking pin so the plank can't move. Rats climb up, eat, and leave unharmed.
Keep re-baiting for several days in a row. Rats learn from each other where the food is, so more of them get comfortable crossing the plank.
2
Switch to Trapping Mode
Once the bait has been taken several days in a row, pull the pin. The next rat walks confidently across the plank it already trusts and drops into the bucket. The plank resets itself, and the rest follow one by one. Up to 30 rodents from one setup.
3
Live catch or lethal: your choice
For live catch, use only a shallow layer of water so rats stay alive in the bucket until you deal with them (check your local rules before relocating any animal). For a lethal setup, follow the included instructions. Either way, the trap does the work and you never touch a dead rat.
Keep any bucket of water out of reach of children and pets.
Compare
Vulcan vs. snap traps and rat poison
Most rat traps catch one rat and then need you. Vulcan keeps working on its own.
Vulcan
Snap traps
Rat poison
Rats caught per setup
Up to 30
One, then reset by hand
Unknown
Resets itself
Yes
No
Not applicable
Works with rats' caution around new objects
Yes, Training Mode
No
No
Poison
None
None
Yes, a risk to pets
Touching dead rats
Never
Every catch
If you can find them
You know where the rat ended up
In the bucket
In the trap
Often inside a wall
Reusable
Yes, for years
Often thrown away
No
At a glance
Shark Tank rat trap features
Self-resetting plank
Training Mode and Trapping Mode
Up to 30 rodents per setup
No poison, no handling
Fits a standard 5-gallon bucket (7-gallon recommended for live-catch squirrels)
Works with rats' natural caution, not against it
For rats, squirrels, and chipmunks
Reusable for years
Live-catch or lethal setup
For homes, garages, barns, coops, and sheds
Keep out of reach of children. A bucket with water is a drowning hazard.
Trusted by homeowners and farmers
15,000+
homes have bought Vulcan to deal with their rats.
Shark Tank Bundle
Two Shark Tank rat traps, one price
$150
for 2 traps | save over 15%
Rats rarely stick to one spot. Set one Vulcan in the house and one in the garage, or cover both ends of the barn. Each trap resets itself, catches up to 30 rodents per setup, and is built to stay where rats keep coming back, for years.
FAQ
Vulcan on Shark Tank: common questions
What rat trap is on Shark Tank?
Vulcan Pest's Multi-Rodent Catcher. Founder Ian Fleming pitches the self-resetting bucket rat trap to the Sharks. Watch Vulcan Pest on Shark Tank Wednesday Oct 28, 10pm ET/PT on ABC, stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
When and where can I watch Vulcan Pest on Shark Tank?
Watch Vulcan Pest on Shark Tank Wednesday Oct 28, 10pm ET/PT on ABC, stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
Did Vulcan get a deal on Shark Tank?
Tune in on Wednesday Oct 28 to see how Ian's pitch goes.
How does the Shark Tank rat trap work?
Vulcan sits on a standard 5-gallon bucket. In Training Mode, a locking pin holds the plank in place, so rats climb up, eat the bait, and leave. Once they've been taking the bait for several days in a row, you pull the pin to switch to Trapping Mode. The plank tips, the rat drops into the bucket, and the trap resets itself for the next one.
How many rats can Vulcan catch?
Up to 30 rodents per setup, depending on the bucket size.
What's in the Shark Tank Bundle?
Two Vulcan traps for $150, a savings of over 15% compared with buying them separately. Two traps let you cover two problem areas at once, like the house and the garage.
Does the Vulcan rat trap use poison?
No. Vulcan uses no poison, so there's no risk of a poisoned rat dying inside your walls or being found by a pet, and you never have to touch a dead rat.
Is it a live-catch or a kill trap?
Either. For live catch, use only a shallow layer of water in the bucket. For a lethal setup, follow the included instructions. Keep any bucket of water out of reach of children and pets.
Does Vulcan work on mice?
Vulcan is built for rats, squirrels, and chipmunks. It is not designed for house mice.
Why do rats avoid regular traps?
Rats are cautious and avoid new objects for days, and a rat that escapes a trap gets harder to catch. Vulcan's Training Mode lets rats eat from it safely first, so by the time you set it, they already trust it.
What bucket do I need?
A standard 5-gallon bucket. For live-catching squirrels, a 7-gallon bucket is recommended.
See the Shark Tank rat trap in action
Watch Vulcan Pest on Shark Tank Wednesday Oct 28, 10pm ET/PT on ABC, stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+
[Shark Tank trademark notice and network disclaimer, per production brand guidelines]