An electronic rat trap comprising: a trap body including an upper wall assembly and a floor spaced from one another and joined by a left side and a right side, the trap body having an open entrance end to provide rats with access to an interior of the rat trap and a closed baited end opposite the entrance end,; and a high voltage killing circuit characterized in that the high voltage killing circuit includes at least three killing plates (34, 36, 38) positioned on the floor in spaced relationship to create a pathway for a rat from the entrance end to the baited end, said plates including a first plate nearest the baited end, a second plate nearest the entrance end, and a center plate positioned between the first and second plates (34, 38), the first and center plates (34, 36) being the active plates which, when connected through contact with both by a known impedance such as a rat, initiate activation of the high voltage output circuit, said second plate being electrically connected to the first plate and automatically going to the voltage level of the first plate when the circuit is activated; and that the upper wall assembly forms a fixed ceiling for the trap body and a barrier extends downwardly from the trap ceiling into the trap interior, a bottom edge (46, 146) of said barrier being positioned above the center plate and the barrier is a planar baffle wall (30, 130) with a vertical distance between the bottom edge of the baffle wall (30, 130) and the center plate being between about 1,0 inch (2.54 cm) and about 2,5 inch (6.35 cm), said barrier serving to restrict a height of the trap interior to prevent upward movement of the rat at the point of the barrier and the fixed nature of the trap ceiling rendering the trap impervious to any upward pressure the rat may apply to the barrier in attempting to escape. a trap body including an upper wall assembly and a floor spaced from one another and joined by a left side and a right side, the trap body having an open entrance end to provide rats with access to an interior of the rat trap and a closed baited end opposite the entrance end,; and a high voltage killing circuit characterized in that the high voltage killing circuit includes at least three killing plates (34, 36, 38) positioned on the floor in spaced relationship to create a pathway for a rat from the entrance end to the baited end, said plates including a first plate nearest the baited end, a second plate nearest the entrance end, and a center plate positioned between the first and second plates (34, 38), the first and center plates (34, 36) being the active plates which, when connected through contact with both by a known impedance such as a rat, initiate activation of the high voltage output circuit, said second plate being electrically connected to the first plate and automatically going to the voltage level of the first plate when the circuit is activated; and that the upper wall assembly forms a fixed ceiling for the trap body and a barrier extends downwardly from the trap ceiling into the trap interior, a bottom edge (46, 146) of said barrier being positioned above the center plate and the barrier is a planar baffle wall (30, 130) with a vertical distance between the bottom edge of the baffle wall (30, 130) and the center plate being between about 1,0 inch (2.54 cm) and about 2,5 inch (6.35 cm), said barrier serving to restrict a height of the trap interior to prevent upward movement of the rat at the point of the barrier and the fixed nature of the trap ceiling rendering the trap impervious to any upward pressure the rat may apply to the barrier in attempting to escape.