News & Updates
Shark Tank October 28 Preview: “I Smell A Rat”
Shark Tank returns October 28 with I Smell A Rat. Meet Vulcan Pest, the auto-resetting rodent trap announced for Season 18, Episode 5.
If you’re looking for a new Shark Tank on Wednesday, October 21, there’s a week’s wait. ABC’s Dolly Parton special runs from 9–11 p.m. EDT that night. The next episode, Season 18 Episode 5, “I Smell A Rat,” is listed for Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
One business to watch is Vulcan Pest. Founder Ian Oki Fleming announced his October 28 appearance at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, with the episode streaming on Hulu afterward.
What is Vulcan Pest?
Vulcan Pest makes an auto-reset bucket-lid trap designed for rats and midsized rodents. A rodent follows a ramp toward bait and steps onto a pivoting plank above the bucket. The plank tips, dropping the animal into the bucket, then returns to its starting position.
Vulcan offers live and lethal configurations. The Vulcan Pest store shows the product and the different setups.
A project five years in the making
Fleming says he began working on Vulcan in 2021, developing it at night and on weekends. In January, he left Silicon Valley to work on the business full time.
Before the October 28 broadcast, catch up with the businesses from the first four episodes in our Shark Tank Season 18 guide.