Why your trap isn’t working

As squirrels are nuisance animals in many parts of the country, there is a large market for squirrel traps. However, some squirrel traps are not as effective as others, and the way you set up a trap will greatly affect its ability to catch your next dinner.

You’re using the wrong trap

Unfortunately, there are certain traps out there that are marketed as “squirrel traps” that are just the wrong design for catching squirrels. A classic design is the rectangular, two door trap with the pressure plate in the middle. In theory, the squirrel tries to eat the bait in the middle, and the pressure of its paw causes the two doors to swing shut.

But this design has many flaws, one of which is exhibited in the video below.

This trap failed because the squirrel had part of its body outside the trap. Thus, the trap doors could not close.

If you check your traps in the morning and the bait is gone without a squirrel inside, the squirrel either didn’t trip the plate or somehow wrangled its way out of the trap.

Here at EatASquirrel.com, we only recommend one trap, the Squirrelinator. This trap is designed without trip plates, but instead a one-way door mechanism that squirrels cannot defeat.

The trap is not properly secured

Our recommended trap, the Squirrelinator, can be opened from the top in order to load bait into the center of the trap. The top door is latched shut via two spring hooks. It is essential to hook the top door securely to the trap frame. A weak latch can mean the difference between a meal and a runaway squirrel.

The squirrel escaped

Squirrels, being some of the smartest rodents around, can sense whether they’re walking into a trap and become masters at avoiding them. They have been observed stretching their bodies to retrieve the bait and scampering away. Small squirrels such as juveniles have also been known to squeeze through the tiny gaps in cage traps, even after being caught inside.