How To Use A Live Animal Trap To Catch Wildlife
Having a problem animal can leave you in a pretty difficult situation. On one hand, the animal can be dangerous to your pets, your garden, even your kids! On the other, conventional killing traps are inhumane and poisons can be a danger to everyone and everything living in the area. Luckily, there is another way: live trapping.
Live traps have been used by professionals for years and are a safe, effective and humane way of removing pest animals. The process has 5 simple steps:
- Place the trap:
Place the trap in an area frequented by the pest animal. Maybe it is near a food source or a suspected home. Once you've determined a good location, open the door and the trap is set! As live traps are very portable, trying additional locations if the first one does not work out is no problem at all.
- Bait the trap:
A live trap works by getting the animal to come inside and triggering a mechanism to cause the door to close behind it. The best way to get it to come inside is to use an appropriate kind of bait, so identifying the target animal is essential. After determining the appropriate kind of bait, ensure that the bait is placed in such a manner that it can only be accessed by coming inside of the trap. Using the right kind of bait and the best bait placement will result in the most success.
- Check your trap:
Be sure to check your trap frequently. It is important that once you have trapped an animal you promptly remove it. The longer it remains in the trap the more likely it is to get stressed and aggressive.
- Remove the problem animal:
Congratulations! You have caught your problem animal, but now what? First and foremost, wear thick, heavy gloves or gauntlets when handling an occupied trap. Any animal can deliver a nasty bite and some can carry disease, it is best to be safe. You may also want to cover the trap with a blanket or sheet, the darkness will help calm the animal. Next, you will want to relocate the animal to a distance that it is unlikely to be able to return to your property, 5 miles or more. Choose a release spot that is suitable; public land or far away from another home. You do not want to give your problem to a neighbor. When releasing the animal, always open the door away from you and give the animal a clear route away from you.
- Repeat and prevent:
If there is a problem animal, it is always prudent to check for additional animals. Try setting the trap for an additional day or two to ensure that all problem animals have been removed. Also, take steps to prevent re-infestation like removing food sources, firmly covering all garbage cans and blocking any possible entry/exit points to buildings.
Living close to nature means that contact with wildlife is unavoidable but with the proper tools and a little effort these encounters can be swift and safe for everyone involved.