3 Key Tips That Caught 58 Really Smart Squirrels - Tutorial
2020 ж. 16 Мау.
442 653 Рет қаралды
Here are the factors between success and failure in humanely capturing any critter with a popular and easy to find Havahart 1025 trap. As of Jan 10 2021 we've caught and released over 58 very crafty squirrels, 7 birds, and way too many chipmunks. This is not a sponsored video.
Here is the trap used in the video to catch all the squirrels.
Havahart 1025: www.homedepot.com/p/Havahart-...
#nature #stayhome #outdoors
Music: Ride of the Valkyries (by Wagner) can be found here:
kzhead.info...
We have had a very SMART large squirrel that would eat peanuts, peanut butter & apple pieces out of our trap, every time... along with several of our Tulip bulbs in our garden. So exasperating! We just tried your method with the weights and some bait in the back of the trap. Holy Cow! FIVE MINUTES!! No joke! Thank you very much!!!!
Patty, you're welcome. Glad to hear this worked for you. No matter how strong their tails they can't hold up the door with the extra weight, catches them completely off guard, every time.
I used the one door trap . I set the bait in a cup and tied it down like you said to do. It worked! I caught the nuisance in one day. Thanks for the tip. Just caught #2 squirrel. Great 👍
Thanks Mary, glad to hear my tips helped you out.
I bought the trap yesterday. My husband did the mods this morning. 4 red squirrels, and 2 chipmunks so far. First day. Thank you for the great tips. Our wild birds thank you as well!
Tracey, glad to hear the trap mods worked for you. Thanks for sharing.
What bait do you use that are not also catching wayyyy too many birds ? Traps with balance plates in the middle of 2 doors are very easily triggered by birds and there is no easy way to "correct" that problem.
@@ccdogpark peanut butter. We caught about 2 dozen squirrels/chipmonks and zero birds.
I hope you are not feeding the birds. If so then you are actually feeding the squirrels and contributing to the problem. No one should be feeding any wild animal of any kind. It always creates an imbalance to nature with unintended results.
Hello there..... I just got that same trap at a thrift store. Paid only $5. Then went on youtube to see how people set the traps up... and I am SO HAPPY I came across your video first. So, I will definitely be using your techniques and added alterations.... to be successful the first time. THANKS again, so much, for posting your video! :-)
Tom N, wow, that's a great deal. I need to find a thrift store like that! Let me know how you do.
Thanks for posting up tricks for catching. I have a neighbor with a wildlife rehab certificate who released dozens of red and gray squirrels in our back yards which I knot is not legal however problem is thousands of dollars in damages to my garage, lift of my trailer home and tool shed damages and cleaned out all insulation making nests. A real Spring horror show when I opens garage this Spring to get something from loft… the squirrel hunt is on
yeah, squirrels did over $10,000 damage to my neighbors attic that's why I put this trap in place.
UPDATE … Hello Sir! I just want to tell you I did exactly what you said and sure enough today when I modified the cage just like yours I not only got him but watched him actually go in and BOOM! it slams down and it’s curtains for him. so it really does work. So yeah! I used a Metal magnet clip with a larger rocked and put the cap with the zip ties at the other end and with nuts with that end closed and it just works! Thank you so much …
Glad to hear, thanks for sharing your success so others can realize this might also work for them!
I wanted to thank you so much for this! I've had 5 pesky squirrels that chase the birds away from the feeder, eat my plant bulbs and chew on the garden hose. I'd set the trap and they would stick one back leg way out and get out every single time. I used a heavy rock and duct tape. I caught all 5 within a week. That weight on the door made a huge difference. Thanks again!
You're welcome, tails and legs are no match for a heavy rock.
As long as you have a bird feeder you are going to get squirrels forever plus mice and rats GUARANTEED!
Works great. Thanks for the tips. I'm now 3 squirrels with 3 settings since I started using the single door setup with a zip tied bait tray in the back. Also added a few ounces of lead weight with double stick foam pads to the open door. Dropped the squirrels off 7 miles away and am curious to see if they will find their way back. We were OK with them scavenging the ground seeds from the bird feeder but when they started climbing the side of the house and knocking the hummingbird feeders off of the window, it was off to Home Depot for a trap.
Dana, glad to hear the tips are working for you.
Yup ones I have guava tree they picked them all took a few bite then threw away then another and another...evil little furry terrors
All the add-ons in the video to make the trap work are great. I had to do these otherwise the squirrels can easily defeat the traps.
nadirkh, thanks for the feedback. Since this video I've made another setup for my dad and between the two of us we've caught and released around 40 squirrels this summer. Crazy...
You demonstrated the trigger system and you pointed out it can be set "light". I wanted to be sure to include with the zip tied bait tray and weight on the traps door, it is possible to set that trigger very sensitive. It may take a few trys, but it can be done. Great video!
Phillip, yes, I where the two pieces of metal meet on the "trigger" don't line them up completely just go half way or less on both. Thanks for your question.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow UPDATE: Figured out using a light piece of cardboard over the trigger ramp before I set halfway sensitivity helps catch those smart ones. After 2 weeks , I finally nabbed the one I'm guessing knew the trigger was the metal grey ramp...His hole now remains covered up! Thanks for the great video!
@@gerrybuffett770 interesting tip about the cardboard, will have to try it sometime.
Your tip about just using one side of trap worked. Made bait with molasses and crushed peanuts. Tks.
Aidan Reed, glad to hear. Interesting bait combo, I might have to try it. Thanks for sharing your comment with the group, always appreciated.
Yeah that's probably another reason why the 1-door Havahart # 1083 EZ-Set trap is so popular. These "balanced plate" traps are wayyy too tedious to set.
I just bought one of these traps and have had 3 unsuccessful catches. After watching your video I get it now - great suggestions. I can see now how the trap was sprung without a successful catch. I'm going to try your recommendations today. Thank you
Chuck, you're welcome. Good luck! Let me know how it goes.
My wife didn't trust me to find a good home for a squirrel I trapped so I brought her along. Found a nice pasture and trees in the middle of nowhere. She approved. Pulled over. No other cars in miles. Dropped the tailgate. Pulled the trap back where it was on the open tailgate. Opened it up and it would not leave. Walked over to the fence line and found a stick to poke it to leave. It sees me with a stick and takes off. Jumps down and heads the other way, across the road just as a 1 ton with a cattle trailer turned him into stew meat not 10 feet from my now horrified spouse. There is a God and we both hate squirrels. Wife doesn't jump in by business near as much either.
bull frogger, interesting story, thanks for sharing.
Always look both ways before releasing squirrels and chipmunks.
Hoot!
This spreads disease to squirrels and also trees. Pests should be dispatched humanely not trucked into another environment and released.
Should have done that yourself in your own back yard and saved the trip. Reality over feefees: squirrels are terrorists and should be dealt with accordingly. Wahmerns and soy boys have all kinds of “creative” and “humane” ways of dealing with these stupid, destructive, and evil little fvkcers- squirrels too, not just Democrats! Lmao But when they destroy everything, it’s ultimately up to us to fix it. So I will also decide how to deal with that “little” buck-toothed problem before it becomes a big one.
Thank you for going into great detail about the adjustments. I have a squirrel that is very smart too. Good video.
energyeye, good luck in your quest in defeating smart squirrels. Let me know how it goes.
We had a mango tree that the squirrels just love to take one bite out of the fruit and then go to the next one. I found you need a larger trap to get those suckers. The one you have is too small. Also It's a good idea to put a block on top and around the outside lever so they can't accidentally trigger the trap. For bait I used peanuts. They love 'em. Just put some inside at the back of the trap and some on the trigger plate and a couple just outside of the trap. Works every time. I must have caught over a 100 of them.
TH, this system works fine for trapping squirrels. I have added rocks to the side and to the top, thanks for your tips, always appreciated.
Between my cherry tree and apricots tree last year's harvest was ZERO.
I have the same trap and went through a learning curve also. I polish the trigger tips with steel wool and apply some Vaseline to them. I also use a vinyl-coated 2-Lb scuba weight to set on the door. It stopped the squirrels that kept getting out. So far I've trapped over 100 squirrels and caried them off to an uninhabited area across the interstate/ They're not coming back, so no need for dayglo-orange squirrels running around. The best bait I've found is raw peanuts in the shell. The rodents cannot resist them.
Hey man, I just trapped and released one that was about to send me to the looney bin from all the scratching and clawing. It's the first one I've caught and now I'm worried that I didn't take him far enough away..... as I'm now reading comments about the distances they'll travel to get home (should've looked this up first). The place I took him was probably only about 3 miles as the crow flies, but it'd also require an interstate crossing on a busy stretch. Do I need to worry?
Not really, I'm familiar with search and rescue for humans and even when they're close they're sometimes hard to find. Not sure any squirrel has the motivation or the skill to setup the type of search grid or pattern to get back to where you trapped them. Next time I'll give I trap a map and see if they find their way home. I'm up to around +60 squirrels and none have ever returned. I drop them off to greener woods you might say.
Barry, thanks for your comments and suggestions. I'm always amazed how many people think squirrels come back. More likely is nearby squirrels wander into a now vacant territory, our backyards, once the current squirrels are relocated.
Great video. A little less of what doesn't work and a little more of what does. Thanks!
Glad you liked it, thanks for leaving a comment.
I designed my own trap but made it much longer so squirrels have to go all the way in to get nuts and trip entrance. Made it out of 3/4" oak pallet wood. Very good design and traps squirrels well. I can carry it without them trying to bite me through the sides. Made an 1/8" grate at one end so they can see out the end. They try to chew through it but it's not happening. Maybe pine wood but not oak. Best part it was free.
Dennis, sounds line your design works well. How light is it. I've never had the squirrels try to bite me. I guess I'm lucky.
I can carry it with one hand wrapped over the top. To let squirrel go roll trap over on to top and door will open and squirrel will run out. I then remove top to clean out and reload with bait etc. Don't have to reach in and fumble around.
@@denniskazich7559 sounds like a great design. I'm working on a one of my own, we'll see how it turns out.
It's humbling that a squirrel with a brain the size of a pea can outsmart us so many times. Ours have been avoiding our traps for quite a while. Thanks for the advice
Let me know if these ideas help you you. I've been foiling squirrels all over the country for the past 3 years... Agree though, squirrels are very smart, their survival depends on it...
Zero humble pie for me. Pellet gun equals = winning. Playing around with toy cages and then dumping off problem squirrels into other neighborhoods = stupidity
Thanks to your instructions and doing what you said, first attempt two traps and two squirrels, they are now off in the woods on natural habitant away from my house and believe me one of them was very destructive. Thanks for your help.
Donald, thanks for the feedback. Glad the trap mods are working for you.
Heh, heh! I especially liked viewing the slow motion escapes! Glad to hear about your triumphs over squirreldom!
Thanks SeattlePioneer.
Thanks for the tips I’ve been going mad trying to catch the squirrels that insist on destroying my container of potato plants on the patio- when we live in a rural area and have literally acres of land around us that they could be predating on. And many bleeping neighbors who insist on having unsecured birdfeeders that also encourage these pests and the chipmunks. (and if it’s an invasive species in your area than fish and game actually wants you to kill it) …as it’s true of English sparrows which actually murder bluebirds in their own nest and songbirds… look it up I couldn’t believe it either but I’ll be trapping sparrows as well.
Wow, thanks for the nature lesson, very interesting...
Cowbirds are the same way, except they kill and toss young birds and eggs out the door and lay their own eggs in there and let mom and dad sparrow take care of them. But since my birdhouses were built for wrens, the tree rats chewed the holes bigger and the sparrows moved in. One day I couldn't figure out why even the sparrows were not using them anymore. So, I took the house down and opened the cleanout door, and lo and behold a dead young cowbird fell out, it grew too big to get out of the hole and died inside.
I've had one of these traps for many years. Caught 13 fox squirrels one summer. They are not native to our mountain area, but have made their way up the mountains and take habitat away from our native Abert's squirrels and the little pine squirrels. They are, as you say, VERY destructive and, I have to say, smarter than any of the others. I'm going to adapt mine to your specs since most of the squirrels I've tried to trap recently are too smart to get....so far! Another problem I have is that the chipmunks are small enough to get through the mesh and eat all the bait, setting off the trap and then getting out. So it is a constant battle to keep it baited and reset. I like the idea of the bait tray at the back! Trying to get my arm in far enough to bait the trap while holding the trigger mechanism in the other hand is not easy to do. I'll keep trying, with your adaptations. Thanks! Really enjoyed the video.
Heather, good luck, I've gotten chimpmunks and small birds which are very lightweight, these trap upgrades have done the trick for me in both cases. BTW I release both the birds and chipmunks back into the yard since neither are very destructive.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow Yes, the biggest problem I have is either birds or chipmunks getting into the trap and eating all the bait. I let the birds out and the chipmunks come and go as they please through the wire. To bring up to date, I added magnets on the door (I had to try out several combinations before I found the right weight to use) and did a few other tips that I got from a few videos. Since this is a two-door trap, I put a lid at the one end of the trap and covered that end with a small towel to keep the critters from coming in there. Then I put the cage close to the bottom of the tree that they use most often, dug a small hole underneath where the trip bar would be, baited the hole with sunflower seeds, put almond butter on the trip bar (these squirrels have ignored peanut butter), and put some seeds around the outside of the entrance. I made sure that the trip bar was directly above the hole with the bait in it. I've been trying to trap these squirrels (at least two or more!) for weeks now with no success. But when I combined all these things, I finally caught one almost immediately! YIPPEE!! Now a trip of 10 miles, then back to set it up again. Thanks for your tips. One more thing that I do is to tape both doors down with some good duct tape until I am able to take the squirrel 10 miles away. I have lost at least one that was able to knock the trap over and get out. This way, I don't have to worry about that.
They make a smaller' version also. " Haveahart" traps !
Great tips. I have a similar trap but used field corn on the cob with some luck after securing the cob to the trap. Peanut butter trick looks more effective and easier. Will try it thanks.
Old School, have the peanuts worked for you?
put the peanut butter on the bottom of the trigger plate !
Best solution by far is the Squirrelinator! I purchased two and have caught six in the last 18 hours using walnuts. I tried the Have a Heart traps with ceramic magnets to no avail. Squirrelinator has no parts/things to set and you just sprinkle food on the floor. It is crazy simple and I wish I would have tried it first.
thanks for the info, I might have to test this one out.
Most people don't have 6 squirrels in their yard in a month, let alone 18 hours. I've disposed of 430+ grey squirrels in the last 5 years but I have NEVER caught more than 3 squirrels in the same day. That squirrelinator is for someone with a farm and/or an orchard who has a lot of land and doesn't have the time to check on the trap every couple of hours. Advising the average homeowner to buy that huge trap is ridiculous. The best trap for squirrels is the Havahart 1083 EZ-Set trap. It takes less than 10 seconds to set. It costs approx. $35 and you have to buy it online. The box stores don't sell them.
@@ccdogpark I'll have to checkout the 1083, thanks for the suggestion.
@@ccdogpark Tried 1083 EZ-Set, useless. Didn't work. I used different baits, didn't work. It is too familiar too them. They leave their tail on the door and they're able to get out when the door dropss.
@@secedenis777 I have caught caught over 430 squirrels with 2 of the 1030 traps and never had that problem. If you put the bait at the far end of the trap it is much less likely that a tail could keep the trap open, than the trap you use in which the bait is put in the middle of the trap. Common sense would tell you that. You have to put the bait behind the trigger plate. There is no reason to place the bait directly on the trigger plate. The only problem I have ever had is light weight birds taking the bait without setting the trap off. But I figured out a reliable solution to that.
Dispose of them! There are MILLIONS of them EVERYWHERE!
Chandra, true, there are many. And certainly not enough snakes, and foxes around here to take care of them...
I have the same double door live trap. Something was tripping the latch, so I built a hinged, thin gauge sheet steel cover over the mechanism, including sides. It pulled the sheet open and tripped the trap. It's a game to the animals. I've cought some.
Senator, the game is what makes it fun, no?
May I introduce you to the Conibear 110... gets them every time!
People think they can just buy stuff and plop it on the ground, but you are hunting literally need to outsmart the other guy to win. Good tips. I found putting bait under the the trip plate also works pretty well
husher5142, great suggestion, thanks for sharing.
I know someone that catch one and spray paint his tail with orange paint, when an relocated 10 mills away. Tuck about 3 weeks and the same squirrel was back. 1- squirrel are very territorial 2- way do you want to live the problem to someone else 3- squirrels are considered a pest. In my opinion if you don’t want to kill him. Call animal or fish control. Ask advice. Good look!
Weronika DEL SOL, thanks for your comment. Our animal control doesn't care about my squirrel problem. One person's pest is another person's pet. There are so many better options for them between where I release them and my house that in my case they don't return. But every person's situation is different.
California ground squirrels are an invasive species that causes countless amounts amounts of damage to structures and causes soil erosion that destroys pristine waterways. They should be shot, snared, trapped and drowned, trapped and shot, trapped and fed to pet snakes, anything but released.
This trap is too short for gray squirrel. That is why it does not work well. It was designed for other smaller squirrels. You need one with more space between trigger and door. Studies show that a squirrel can find its way back to a former nesting ground from as far away as 15 miles. Mark their tail with spray paint to make sure you are not capturing same guy over and over again :)) Also, in California it is illegal to release squirrels away from the place where you catch them. You have to kill them. Because if you move them away they don't know where is a food and water and will die anyway. And California is too democratic to let them die this cruel way 😁
Alex G, interesting tip about the spray paint and the distance. But the trap with modifications works. We caught over 40 squirrels this season and our neighbors caught over 20 before that with the same trap no modifications. And those squirrels were being transferred 40 miles away. Doubt they were the same squirrels because there were about 6 major developments and at least two highways from the parks where I released them and our house. We went weeks without seeing a single squirrel. Now you have me curious about a bigger trap though, maybe in the spring a new video. Thanks.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow I've had the same experience as Alex G. they got away with the bait and the door was shut. I think the bushy tail squirrels keep it open with their tails. I replaced it with a Harbor Freight trap that's much larger (could probably fit a house cat) and caught a squirrel in it on day 3. Drove it 12 miles away for good measure, and trimmed the tree that it uses to climb up to the roof. The next week, I see another squirrel walking the power line like a tightrope. Sigh... Set the trap again but nothing for a week, but no noises in the attic either so maybe he flew the coop.
@@randomname931 The key is to put enough weigh on the trap door. Once I did that, no more squirrels escaped after they entered the bait end.
How do you mark there tail - spray paint through the trap ?
@@tinkergene I take a picture of them kind of like the FBI most wanted... Painting them seems a bit gruel and they move around quite a bit in the trap. All the squirrels have something unique about them and the pictures seem to work. One didn't have a tail so he was easy to confirm that he didn't return.
great tip about magnet. I had a squirrel caught and he was shaking the cage so much, the trip lock lifted ang out he ran. Thanks.
Pam, glad to hear the magnet approach worked for you. thanks for your comment.
thanks for sharing...good workable idea. i have a squirrel chewing up my garage doors, i've tried peppermint, deer off and plantskydd (blood) in front on the ground, each working for various time frames...the deer off seemed to work best, i've caught chipmunks and rabbits chewing...after the deer off, those stayed away, but not that 1 grey squirrel. I'll use your idea with a have-a-heart trap if I need to, but in NYS there are laws about catch and release squirrels on other lands, we only have 5 acres and I read that squirrels can have a territory of 25 acres, ( I don't want to kill the thing), I'm trying bitter apple on the doors to see if that will help...i didn't want to put hot pepper down because I have a dog...we'll see what happens.
Wow, the wld animals in your area must be really hungry to go for garage doors. Are they made out of special wood? Not sure why they would eat metal. Let me know how the trap works for you.
__ I have a trap like yours but single door. Last year 2021, I caught 34 squirrels in just over 4 weeks. Some days none others 5. That meant several trips to a long lake that has a well tree'd beach. On the other side of the parking lot is a moat (swamp) and I'm 6 miles from that beach. NONE returned. __ Now the bait. I first used peanut butter but after catching a possum I went with a 1/4 slice of bread. But I didn't place it inside the trap, too easily taken out, it was placed under the trap and under the trigger plate. Said squirrel had to step completely over the plate which they did gingerly then turn around & had lunch. __ HERE'S THE KICKER... if you watched squirrels eat, now & then they will put their front paws on 'X' in front of them. Whether it resting or what, I don't know. So I watched a few & seen this and very easily that trigger plate got depressed. Other times the squirrel felt comfy enough they simply hop right on that plate - SLAM! __ *BOY DO THEY GET MAD!!! SEVERAL GROWLED LOUDLY* at me when I picked up that trap. Never though they made any other sound than 'squirrrrk' & squeeeel.
bread sounds interesting, I'll have to try it sometime. They can get angry for sure...
Heh, heh! You are a great hunter!
I have 2 traps just like his. I have one with both trap doors wired open (permanently). I put out unshelled unsalted peanuts in both traps. They never have a problem stealing peanuts from one trap, so they become less wary about the other one. Eventually they get caught. Their own determination does them in. It's important to scatter some peanuts outside the cage. You want them to taste how good those peanuts are. It makes them crave them all the more. (Peanuts are better than most things because they don't attract ants or roaches.) Check your trap often, you don't want to have a poor squirrel die a long and terrible death by thirst / hunger or exposure to heat / cold.
Johnny, great advice, thanks for sharing. I too place peanuts just out side the cage, sometimes even peanuts shell work great, but squirrels seem to have sensitive noses.
Use salted in the shell peanuts! They go crazy for the salt! I use one ended trap, place bait on closed end, where I wrapped the trap with 1/2 inch square mesh so the squirrels can not reach in and grab the peanuts! After the trap is set I wrap a dark piece of plastic around the trap leaving the ends open so it was like a tunnel. Place peanuts outside to lure them to the trap! Works every time, you can also provide a mixture of cornmeal and baking soda, 50/50 in a tray which will kill the squirrel so you may dispose of them in the garbage!
Use salted in the shell peanuts! They go crazy for the salt! I use one ended trap, place bait on closed end, where I wrapped the trap with 1/2 inch square mesh so the squirrels can not reach in and grab the peanuts! After the trap is set I wrap a dark piece of plastic around the trap leaving the ends open so it was like a tunnel. Place peanuts outside to lure them to the trap! Works every time, you can also provide a mixture of cornmeal and baking soda, 50/50 in a tray which will kill the squirrel so you may dispose of them in the garbage!
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the tip I didn't have to put on the weight, but I did set it one way since it's a small trap and tied up a small container on the end of the trap, iam in my 4th squirrel 👍
Raul Montes, congrats, still good to know you have another trick in reserve if they get smarter...
I really don't understand people, who catch squirrels to keep them from destroying their stuff, then release them someplace else so they can destroy other people's stuff. Be a man and dispatch those you catch.
DrReason, these squirrels are released so far from other people's stuff that it is unlikely an issue. I live about 5 miles from Fox country and rolling hills, go another 5 miles into the rolling hills to release them. Appreciate your point though.
I release pests 8 miles away into a thousands of acres state owned forest.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow Yes but you are encouraging people to drop them off "at the park" or whatever, the average Joe isn't going to drive 5 miles into the Country if there is even a place that's good enough. So I had a co worker who released his caught squirrels at the City Park... That I lived next to! The squirrels were raiding me like no other. It's an ongoing battle to this day. Those traps are perfect for either "dipping", or a head shot with a pellet gun. Do it. They are pests!
My neighbours always caught and released them at the other end of town. They just kept coming back. Then when they started chewing holes in my shed, I started trapping and dispatching them with an airpistol. There havent been any around since. Catch and release isn't 100% effective. You have to kill them! They're just a glorified rat of the outdoors.
Wow - thank you for these tips!! I’m going to put them to test this weekend 😃
You're welcome, let me know how it works out for you.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow will do!! I think the part I was missing is the weight on the trap door. Thank you!!
we have a standing offer for anyone who traps squirrels in our area that they are welcome to release them in our woods. It's so enjoyable to walk in the woods and watch all their clowning around. I do, however realize that they can be very destructive and I applaud you and your neighbor for not killing them. Although we have lots of squirrels in our woods, thanks to the three barn cats that are constantly patrolling our farm, we don't have any problem with them coming around the house.
Have you seen any squirrel on squirrel violence some mention in my comments old versus new neighbors?
When a squirrel is released in a new location it is placed in other squirrels habitat. It will have to compete with those squirrels who have a territory for food and shelter already established. He will have to fight or die for the same resources. Even if it wins the fight he is simply replacing the loser. While it makes one feel better, it is not good for the squirrel. Although relocating the squirrel is the easiest method, it may not be the most humane. Studies have shown that most squirrels relocated after being trapped die soon after their relocation because they are not familiar enough with the area to survive.
James, your thoughts are good ones. Where I send these squirrels there's an abundance of resources. Until I started relocating them there were dozens around my house, so to your point they were all competing for already very limited resources.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow I just kill them. A $15 dollar trap and an air rifle does the trick. Or you can save the $15 dollars and get really good at shooting. :-D
It's a squirrel.
Good! Let them die
NEW ADD ON TO THE TRAP. READ CAREFULLY. you need to use a thin stone of the correct thickness. from the open end you push the stone along the floor to under the trigger. this makes the animal have to go past the center of the lever trigger deeper into the trap. this helps get the animal farther into the trap. it works like a charm. i also use a very heavy stone to lower the trap door. but make them go deeper into the trap before the door falls down. this makes it an equivalent longer trap. try it out. you like love it. when you set the trap always make sure the trigger is resting on the stone. solidly on the stone. I use small pat of peanut butter on top of a stone deep into the trap. it makes it look like there is more peanut butter than there is. and it lifts the peanut butter up into the air so it is more dominant to look at and uses less peanut butter. the most difficult to trap for me has always been the groundhog.
These are brilliant ideas. Make the trap only trigger towards the closed end, so the squirrel has a chance to get deep in there. For groundhogs, the Gopher Hawk trap is excellent but only while you have one digging up mounds. They hate fresh air in their tunnels and will always come back to replug a mound. Find the hole in the mound, open it a bit, and run a half gallon of water down the hole to really open it up. Then dig and place the Hawk along the tunnel leading to the mound, about 6-12 inches away. You'll be pulling up critters, but not the live kind.
Like your idea but don’t understand just where to put the rock. Isn’t the lever or trigger on the outside? Are you talking about the lever tray? Please help me understand. Sounds like a great method.
Priceless tips!
Thanks Levi, appreciate your comment.
This man's magnet trick works! That's all I'll say. Just make sure to place the magnet/rock combination above the door locking bar so it forces the bar into place immediately.
Thanks for the feedback. The great thing about the magnet is you can move it around to fine tune your setup.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow What I found out the first time with doing just one door open is the momentum of the locking bar coming down was not strong enough to completely lock into place. But once I put the magnet/rock right behind it that drove the bar into place. First time without it he got away with the nuts. Second time, no luck Chuck. He was ready to be shipped out!
They are great in a chicken stew BTW.
JC, good to know, thanks.
Take grass put on bottom of trap animals dont like walking on the metal then after you do that take some black plastic and put over the top of the Trap and put any grass or natural debris over the top make it a little Den and that's how you outsmart? Squirrel and use gloves when setting the Trap
Ray, great suggestions I'll have to try these out and see if they improve my odds. Although the squirrels in the burbs where I live seem fearless, they're sit on the railing of our deck while we're watching and eat our ripe tomatoes. They've also pushed over a trap to disable the mechanism and go inside to get the nuts.
Thank you so much. Red squirrels are running amok in my garden, eating everything and anything
Squirrels act like the own the place for sure.
Excellent Advice made simple!! Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Those cute little Tree Rats eat my figs , tomatoes and delicious Persimmons . They are really good in Gumbo .
Barry, sounds like you've figured out an interesting solution to a pesky problem,
One might think that someone who makes videos on how to catch squirrels would know that when you relocate squirrels into an area where there is already a population of resident squirrels that you are dooming the relocated squirrels to a horrible death by being attacked to death by the territorial residents. But then, maybe you just don't care because you don't have to see it. There is only one way to deal with captured squirrels, put them down.
Mark, interesting point, I guess I would have seen a squirrel fight club I'd take that into consideration. Dozens of squirrels live behind my hous in any given year and I have yet to see a squirrel death match. Also in the area where I releasee there there is 100s of acres of woods for them to carve pout some territory. Now I have keep an eye out for that fight club...
Wish I had seen your video a long time ago. Independently, I came up with the same solution. For weights, I use several of the Neodymium magnets, positioned on the very end of the trap door.
Bob J, that works, particularly if the squirrels eat metal...
thanks for all your help! and I love your release videos they made me LOL.
Shelley, you're welcome. Spite what folks say they don't come back. Otherwise the forest service would use squirrels for search and rescue missions...
Fill 45 gallon barrel and teach squirrel scuba diving
BriDogman, you could for sure. But getting them to put on the gear is problematic. Found one in a rainbarrel once, was kind of a pain to pull out and dispose of..
The old fashioned 2 door "balance plate" Havahart # 1025 you are using is a piece of junk but not for the reasons you think it is. I have one of those traps but it sits in my garage unused because it is so tedious to set and use. You are advising people to shop at the wrong place for the wrong trap and you are releasing grey squirrels for misguided reasons. Please do more research before advising people about the trapping of grey squirrels.
So Bill, what trap do you recommend? I have squirrels in my attic/crawl space that i need to get rid of. Thanks!
@@johne4220 The Havahart # 1083 EZ-set trap. You have to get it online. The big box stores near me don't carry it. Grey squirrels are the most destructive of all rodents. Nothing good is going to come from having these destructive rodents in your attic.
@@johne4220 Were you able to get rid of the squirrels from your attic John ? WRZ 2022-02-04 metro-Philadelphia, PA
I use a single gravity drop door style trap anchored by tent stakes and salted peanuts in the shell for bait. I always secure a couple nuts inside with wire to make them work for it. I've been told to never release them within 5 miles.
I take them way out in the country 15 or more miles now...
I'm using a similar style trap to the one shown in your video and have caught 1 squirrel in it, though there is still another 1 squirrel about that is not going into the trap, I know this as I it is still digging holes and burying nuts in our garden. Would I need to relocate the trap to another part of our garden or do something to clean the scent of the previosu caught squirrel from the trap in order to catch the other one? TIA
TIA, moving the trap to a new location might help, you could also conceal it with twigs and brush to make it look more like a hole...
The back of our property is a wooded area and we have a squirrel problem. I found that lead poisoning works better than any trap and they don't have to be relocated. Something carries the carcasses off at night so I don't need a burial detail.
dkline27, I hope you're not poisoning birds, foxes, or cats in the process.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow lead poisoning is euphemistic for shooting the darn things. I don't shoot birds but foxes and cats - meh...
dlkkine27, ever eaten squirrel? Taste like chicken.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow I've eaten a lot of squirrel but it isn't like chicken. The meat is dark. Rabbit is more like chicken but better.
@@dlkline27 maybe so, I've only had it a couple times when I was a kid.
If you capture and release elsewhere, you’re giving some other family $10k in deck damage, or worse yet burning down their home because they will eat your house wiring insulation.
John x, I see your point but I travel far out to where there are acres of fields, more of a wild habitat. Although I did see a fox nab one about a month ago. Circle of life I guess.
He said he’s 5 miles from a house. Pretty sure the squirrel has a few hundred trees to choose from before he finds a house.
@@robertadams2365 Let’s hope. That would be win/ win.
I see nearby houses at 8:40
Bring on the fear.
Great release video of those beautiful squirrels!
Tom, thanks. If they weren't so destructive I'd love to have them around
Nice information. Thank you.
Joey, you're welcome. Thanks for your comment.
3 tips that caught the same "smart" squirrel 47 times haha. Jk
We'll then I guess they all lost and gained weight and regrew tails...
Love the Release Music!
Thanks, I thought folks might like it.
Thanks for the video!
You're welcome, may there be less squirrels in your life...
Thank for the advice.
Akie Porter, you're welcome. hope it works for you.
Thank you I will try ! We have a serious squirrel problem.
Tempus, let me know how it works for you.
An air rifle works wonders on squirrels. And squirrel gravy on biscuits is delicious 😋
Jerry T, good to see you don't waste...
Victory! Thanks for sharing!
Violet, congrats, glad to hear.
EXCELLENT!!! Thank you!!! Funny too!
Kae Mcyd, you're welcome. The squirrels are back and I'm thinking about using a bigger cage. Stay tuned.
Took mine back a week ago before finding your video. They kept tripping it and no squirrel. Hate to poison, so guess I'll go repurchase it and try again. Don't know if tripping it from inside or out? I had tried just one opening, but they were still getting out. Will try your suggestions and see what happens! I have cats and hate to try poison!!!
judi singer, good luck, let me know how it turns out. Do your cats go after the squirrels?
I use a trap similar to yours, but it’s twice the size. It’s very effective.
could you provide details what version trap you're using? Thanks.
Hi, the trap that you use looks longer than the 17 inches in the description of the link you gave...Just wondering if that is the right link for the trap...It looks more like 24" in the video...Thank you very much...🐦
Dawn, thanks for asking. I just measured the trap and it's around 17-18 inches. Surprised me too!
I apply food-grade diatamaceous earth to remove parasites,fleas mostly. I have been marking the ones I caught with sprayed peroxide on their tails, turns them bright blond!
wow, how do they like the dye job?
Squirrels normally come on my 4.5' metal fence to get to my persimmon tree. We also have field rats in the area. What will be good place to place this trap - on the fence and tie it down. I have a small cage for rats but now I will try a bigger one.
Simple Living, we have a Peach tree the squirrels love, you don't need to put it on the top of the fence, try tying or clipping it to the ground at the base of the fence, put the goodies inside. They'll find it.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow I’m afraid rats might get it first if it is on the ground. We caught a lot of rats that way in the past.
@@jamescc2010 if the choice is between rats and squirrels, I'd go for the rats, they eat everything.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow :) thx
We always used a .22 when I was young.....we ate them..... squirrel gravy is a delicious.
Mark, sounds like you're a salt of the Earth kind of person. I admire that...
I have two squirrels that keep coming back. What tips do you have for if I catch one and release but catch the other one with the same trap? I did this years ago and could not get another one to go in… I hope it makes sense.
You could buy two traps and catch them at the same time...
I have two traps. You think I should set them both in hopes of catching both?
Nice work lol I got one of those traps and I was one of those guys that thinking why is it not working but I’m gonna try your method with a magnet I like what you were doing and tying down with a zip tie the treat
look forward to how it works for you.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow Yes it worked out really good install the magnet on one of the gates and locked the other one .thank you
@@meradu2 great to hear, thanks for the follow up.
Excellent!
VoodooCrab, thanks. Much appreciated.
I have this same trap and a little bit larger one and this one was hit or miss but now that you have enlightened me on the extra weight Im gonna try that too. my neighbor has 3 huge black walnut trees right on the property line and these little pricks are so irritating. In the shed, soffits, attic, etc. and are just over whelming. Im on SSI so I can't afford an exterminator but this weight trick im gonna give it a shot. My trap usually catches the grey squirrels but them little red ones are slick as hell. Shooting them with Co2 BB guns don't do shit either,... but I got walnuts stored all in my house and they need to go.
Tim, wow, quite the battle you have on your hands. For the little red ones maybe add a bit more weight so it overwhelms their strength, I also put the trap on a hair trigger, meaning the slightest movement of the metal pad will trip the door. Good luck.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow yep been battling these guys for 7 years. I even take all their walnuts theyll store in my shed and believe me there's a lot but doesn't help having those 3 huge trees right next to my property line and she wont cut em down claims they share her house in the summer. We live in Minnesota for crying out loud. Plus the fact she's old as dirt and planted them when she was a little girl.sometimes I just want to scream. Shooting em dont work either. Bbq guns that is..
@@tmarx88 funny how nature doesn't care about our stuff...
Great tips, and thanks for not killing them. When shopping for my trap on Amazon, I ran across some ground squarrel poison/bait, and my heart just dropped. I'm trapping them to try to get a pet out of the deal, but that is technically illegal, while poisoning them is not...go figure.
They're still animals. Not sure I'd want them as pets. Might want to talk to a veterinarian first.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow I've had them for pets, and one of, if not the most delightful animals I've ever had. Cat brought him to me unharmed at about 2 months old. 3 days later I let him out of his cage, and he was completely tame, so he got the run of the house.
I watched as squirrels shot out of the trap before the door could close. I modified the trap with bungee chord as a spring and hotmelt a peanut to the cup so now its 100 % catch rate. You need to use your judgement to find a way to keep the squirrels from the top of the trap and tripping it.
Great suggestions, thanks for sharing!
i have caught as many squires using another type of trigger trap which i modified., closing one end as well, using fruit and nut wild bird seed for bait. as a bonus i have caught about a dozen rats and mice.
ray lee, looks like you've got a great system there, thanks for sharing.
Much love from Oregon
Thanks, Oregon is a great state, hope to get back that way soon.
Good stuff 👏.. I picked up a couple of good tips 👍
Steve, glad to hear my video helped you. Thanks for your comment. Semper Fi.
very useful , actually it is the best i have ever seen , BUT can you help me by sj howing the structure details and how it works , i need to build one by my self
ideally the video steps you through it. If you're talking about the cage, sometimes its just easier for most to get them from the store.
We’ve lived in 6 acres of woods in Ohio for 35 years and the squirrels families were here before us. With all the hickory, oak and black walnut trees they have plenty to eat but still go for the bird feeders in the winters. Last year I waged war in Tippy and her friends and got some squirrel baffles for the feeders and have joy in watching them try to outsmart them to no avail, these baffles work! I’ve learned to live with them but understand those who need to remove them.
Barb, squirrel baffles? Never heard of those until you mentioned them above, is this what you're talking about? amzn.to/3EGtPQD or amzn.to/3EGtPQD I'll have to check them out next season.
Have trusty pellet gun, will travel to do the things that need to be done.
I have a trap where the door drops straight down after being triggered by a platform in the rear end. Simple design with two small bent heavy gauge rods that simply move when the squirrel trips the platform. At that point the squirrels facing the closed end of the trap and the door closes fast enough it can't reverse out. I've caught dozens in that trap.
doesn't matter, even using a key they can't get in.
@@MakeItorBreakItNow Nice. It's amazing how many squirrels are out there.
One more trick I use on live traps is to use a NON SCENTED candle to lube trap trigger s to speed them up.. little goes a long way..always tune new traps ..on coons I didn't do that cause they will climb on trap or and move it and set it off..I stabilize all live traps with weight..great video!
Tom, thanks for sharing, great idea.
Thanks for the reply! Was a nuisance trapper for ohio for many years..only job I ever had that I couldn't wait to go to work! Retired now and just today a good friend called about feral cats out of control on his business property..his sister has been putting out food and water for years! She lives next to property..back in the day ..here..feral cats were a "grey area"..although I did do once in a while..have a great day and THANKS again! Tom
That set you talked about is called the one end set but you need a block of wood under the front of the pan. thta lets the squirrel get in farther so the pan isnt triggered unit it steps on the back on the pan. also like another commenter said that trap is toooooo small fro gray squirrels.... the mIn size for grays is the 632 which used to be named the # 2 .....these are 24 x 7 x 7 . anything smaller a adult grey squirrel can be too big .
Mack, thanks for the feedback. For the suburban gray squirrels that I'm dealing with this trap works. But agree, more in the wild with the ones that are well feed, this trap may be too small.
that song at the end, too funny.
Jerry, thanks for the feedback. Glad you like the theme music.
Caught 4 quickly with this trap but the 5th has proved a problem. I set the trap with the two very ends of the trigger levers overlapping each other so the slightest movement on the trigger plate releases them. I'm trying peanut butter now.
Darryl, persistence pays off with the really smart ones, you can also add a bit more weight to the door...
@@MakeItorBreakItNow Just caught #5 using some peanut butter on a small plastic lid. Previously he was just taking peanuts w/o triggering the trap. I closed one end and I set the trap sensitivity as described above.
@@darrylboom5973 thanks for the tip. Will try to use your tip next time.
Caught #6?this AM. They seem to like peanut butter. I can send you a picture of how I set the trigger but I’m not sure how to do that.
@@darrylboom5973 wow keeping going. The peanut butter seems to be working for you.
Thank you for sharing your great ideas and sucesss on traping this animals🎉
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment, good luck in your pursuit.
Well presented
Thanks Catherine, you comment is much appreciated.
I caught 56 of those jokers , it took me 5 months & lots of gas . Peanut Butter under the trigger plate & I smeared the rest from the napkin on the outside of the trap . Worked a little to well , some days I would have two in the trap at once fighting , it was a very large trap . Three trips per day to release them sometimes , then it slowed down to just one per day & finally they were gone . My neighborhood is an older neighborhood with large Pin Oak trees, no predators, lots of animal lovers that prefer damage to their house than to evict those jokers . The sound of Acorns raining down over the living room in the fall is no more . I had the tree trimmed & am diligent when the Acorns fall , they encourage Rats .
coolruler, sounds like you solved your problem. Hope its long term for you.
i have caught above 4 dozen squirrels. with a live trap. it has a spring-loaded trap door. i found the trap too short, so i moved the trigger plate from the canter to one end which stays closed. i place bird seed on the trigger plate, in the process of eating the bird seed they press down on the trigger plate and spring the trap. i relocate the squirrels to a wooded area.
interesting, I never considered bird seed.
Thank you, I will try it. Mine is in the house. Lol it has been a battle
Michael, sometimes it is. Nature looks at all things at playgrounds, they don't seem to appreciate our mortgages or monthly rent for sure.
shouldn't have to modify a product to make it work as designed. someone please tell me the name brand of squirrel trap that works out of the box??? thank you
Kevin, dumb squirrels may be caught with other traps, but theres none of those left around here...
How do you adjust the spring?
I don't, I just set the trigger so it only overlaps by half so its very sensitive.
Squirrel stew. This helps because I have access to a trap that size....and it helps me trick it out a little because the raccoon trap is too big lol
Amanda, agree, for most squirrels the next level trip can be too big....
Good tips 👍
Glad you like them!
AS a kid I built squirrel traps that worked every time and depending on the bait worked with just about any small animal. Very simple build a box out of wood I used 2 x 4's about 2 foot square, size can very. Cover 5 sides with wire mesh. the fifth side the opening install a sliding door one that drops from the top like a guillotine. The sliding door when fully down should close off the box. Now raise the door about half way drill a hole in the door and install a peg to keep the door open. Now attach a regular mouse trap on the out side of the box and attach a string from the peg on the door to the trap arm. Attach another string to the mouse traps bait lever. So put some peanut butter on a nut on the string, you can put a hook on the string. you can put down some bait to lead the squirrel into the box, The object is when a squirrel goes into the box and pulls on the bait, the mouse trap springs and pulls out the peg and the door drops. Sometimes some added weight on the door helps it drop faster. Works every time.
Joe, you trap ideas are very creative. Thanks for sharing your approach.