How to Trap a Squirrel
How To Trap Squirrels - Squirrels are a pest that can cause serious problems that range from transmitting disease and affecting domesticated animals and livestock through to causing chaos in an attic or loft space. This means that over the years there have been plenty of different ways devised to catch and get rid of these pesky rodents, and make watching those bushy tails disappearing up into the trees a thing of the past. There are a range of different types of traps available, and their success rate and practicality will vary depending on finding the right location and making sure that the squirrels are active enough in that area to be caught by the trap.
These are usually best used in a situation where there are multiple squirrels found in a building or property, and are mounted over or near an entry hole, with wire mesh around it to ensure the squirrels have no option but to enter the trap. These are strong and can hold several squirrels, and when an animal removal expert uses this kind of trap, they will combine it with an attempt to block up all of the exit points within that property, so that the squirrels who want to get outside have no option but to go into the trap. This is often effective when used correctly, and makes relocating the squirrels easy, as they will all be located within the one trap.
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Single Catch Cage Traps
This type of trap is something that many people will already have around the house, as they can be used to catch all types of small animals, ranging from feral cats to raccoons and other animals. The difficulty with using this type of trap is that squirrels will often understand that it doesn't fit in their surroundings and will bypass it, or they will go in and steal any bait without triggering the trap. If you want to use this type of trap, ensure it is large enough to get the whole squirrel, including the tail into the cage, and that the trigger is sensitive enough to be triggered by the squirrel.
While the first two types of trap are used for live trapping the squirrels, tunnel traps will usually have a lethal trap inside the tunnel to kill the squirrel, as does the bird box style trap. The tunnel is a long tube which can be mounted between two branches the squirrel regularly uses to get from tree to tree, or it can be set on a beam over the entrance that the squirrel uses to get into an attic or loft space. As these traps will only really kill the one squirrel, if your problem is being caused by multiple animals, you may have to reset it several times in order to resolve the problem.
Bird Box Traps
If your squirrel problem is to do with the squirrels in the trees rather than squirrels coming to a particular part of your property, this type of trap can be mounted on a tree in order to kill the squirrel. The box is easy to mount and can be baited using nuts or peanut butter, and when the squirrel dips their head into the trap, they will need to go far enough in to trigger the trap in order to get to the squirrel bait. This is also a single kill trap, so once it has been triggered, you will need to deal with the carcass and reset the trap before it can deal with other squirrels.
Choosing A Location For A Squirrel Trap
Like most traps, the best locations for squirrel traps will be those that are in regular use by the animal, and make it impossible or very difficult for the squirrel to pass by without going into the trap. Identifying these locations within an attic or loft space involves checking the area for feces and signs of regular transit, but outside it can be a little more difficult. If you observe the squirrels regularly, you may see the animals come down from some individual trees or are particularly fond of a certain area, which will naturally make sense as a location for a bird box style trap.
What To Do With The Animal Once You Have Caught It
If you are catching the squirrel alive with the intention to relocate the animal, it is important that you check on the local regulations to make sure you can relocate the animal, and there are no restrictions insisting the squirrel is humanely disposed of. Once you have checked that you can relocate, look to take the squirrel well away from your property, with a distance of at least ten miles recommended, and look to release the animal in a wooded area away from any other domestic properties. When dealing with an animal carcasses, make sure you take precautions not to touch the animal, and double bag the carcass before placing it in the garbage.
Go back to the main Squirrel Removal page for more information about squirrel trapping and information about how to catch a squirrel in a cage trap.
