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Everything Regarding Squirrel Traps

Ashwini Kulkarni Sule
Are you fed up of squirrels wreaking havoc in your home? Squirrel traps can be of great use in trapping the nasty little rodents.
Squirrels are absolutely cute. The way they nibble the nuts or jump with their bushy, flaring tails behind them is indeed endearing. But, they can leave your kitchen in shambles once they enter your house. So, to avoid this mess, a rather easier, and effective solution would be a squirrel trap.

Building Squirrel Traps

Squirrels that infest homes and yards are, large fox squirrels or gray squirrels. Flying squirrels may damage your yard and vegetable garden. They may burrow holes in the attic, disturbing the insulation and air conditioning of your home.
They also chew electric wires which can be dangerous in many ways, and they clear away bird food as well. People often resort to number of ways to get rid of this problem. Some try to scare them away with the help of house pets like cats and dogs.
Some people even use rat poison to kill them. However, this is not recommended as you will have to deal with lot of mess and odor. Shooting them is also not recommended as you can only kill so many squirrels. Setting squirrel traps is by far the most effective way of controlling squirrels in and around your home.
Alternatively, you can buy the various squirrel traps that are readily available. Havahart, Tomahawk are some of the suppliers of live squirrel traps. You can get them at your nearest Home Depot or you can shop online on websites such as eBay. There are numerous features and sizes to choose from.
Some come with a single door while others are equipped with two doors. However, there is no significant difference between the two and each will catch almost the same number of squirrels. Some of the ground trap models may even catch animals like cats, minks and chipmunks.
You can buy any of these traps according to the size of squirrels you intend to catch. Alternatively, you can also borrow traps from your friends, if you are trying to target the same type of rodent.

Setting Squirrel Traps

Before you set out the traps, it is essential that you know what are the areas frequented by the squirrel. Set the traps along their pathway, entry points etc. You can also set them in an area where they feed. Squirrels generally don't feed at night, hence setting the traps at night is ineffective.
Do not forget to leave a bait to attract the squirrel. A glob of peanut butter, bread crumbs, crackers are fine. Once, you have the animal in trap, wear thick gloves to protect your hand from getting bites, as it might turn violent when trapped.
Tie the trap with a bungee cord and think what you are going to do with the animal. If you just release it somewhere around, it will eventually come back to you. Instead, contact some society that cares for rodents or abandoned pets.
After you have caught the animal in trap, immediately seal all the entry points of your house, so that you do not encounter the same problem again. Do not leave edibles in open and always shut the doors and windows of your home properly!