Mine never take rats that I didn't thaw by taking them straight out of the freezer and running them under hot water until they were warm through and through (meaning I squished them to check). I also like to hold the 1st half of the body under a heat lamp and then I dangle the rat in front of the snake (this is why I use feeding tubs). Enticing usually does the trick.

I prefer to use hot water to thaw out my rats thanks to a food handlers class I took. Leaving meat out (on the counter, back porch, whereever) to thaw invites all kinds of nasty bacteria to start growing on it. When human food items are thawed that way they usually get cooked and thus the bacteria die - unless the meat is rare (then you get food poisoning). Thawing it under hot water minimizes meat to air contact and also the amount of time between the fridge (where bacteria growth is slowed/halted) and the heat of being cooked (bacteria die). Ignorance is bliss - I couldn't eat meat for about a month after that class because of all fun stuff I learned about bacteria and meat products!
Snakes don't get cooked food though, and their bodies aren't evolved to handle decomposing flesh (rats left out overnight). Sooo...I use hot water to thaw my rodents Mebbe it's overkill, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Just something to consider!

~jenny
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1.2 normal ball pythons (Cindy, Darwin, and Periscope)
0.2 rescue chinese water dragons (Yoni and Linga)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Lizard
1.0 rex rat (Scurvy)
1.0 gerbil (Yerbul)
0.1 mice (Cute Girl Mousy)
0.1 bunny (Spazz)
1.1 betta fishes (Vicious and Killer)
2.2 great danes (Shasta, Odysseus, Merlot, and Watson)
1.0 fat fuzzy mutt (Smokey)
1.1 cats (Thidwick and Turtle)
3.0 horses (Buddy, Sam, and Scout)
1.0 goat (Billy Jack)
0.0.1 chupacabra (it ate our chickens)

jenny.thegreenes.org

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