a tip for frozen/thawed....make sure it is not just thawed, but warmed up pretty good...not so much it will burn the snake, but put it in hot water for 5 minutes before attempting to feed. My BP acts like it doesn't even see the rat if it's not warm.
Secondly...get a set of forceps!....they will get the rat like 8 inches away from your hand, so you don't need to worry about getting tagged!