How to Trap Small Animals
Small animals can carry diseases and cause damage to your home. You can use live traps to humanely capture small animals. Animals such as rats, squirrels and other furry nuisances have been living around humans for centuries. We can combat these critters by using live traps and transporting them far away from our homes to make sure they do not return. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Buy a live trap. Small animal traps can be found online (see links in Resources) or at your local hardware store.
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Use the appropriate bait. Sticky foods usually work best, but it depends on which small animal you are trying to trap. Peanut butter can be used for most animals; the smell attracts the animal, and it will take a long time eating the sticky food.
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Choose the placement of your bait carefully. Traps have pressure-sensitive plates. You either can smear the food onto the plate before you set it, or you can put a bowl of food on the plate. The animal should trigger the weight-sensitive plate while eating from the bowl of food.
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Wear leather gloves and transport your captive at least 10 miles away. The gloves will protect you in case the animal is in attack-mode or agitated. Transport the animal 10 miles away to prevent a return. Woods or rural areas are good release sites. If you have trapped a small cat or dog, call your local humane society to see if they will accept the animal.
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Open the trap and step away from it. Most small animals will bolt out immediately. If you have a captive unwilling to leave right away, be patient. Move away from the trap or wait in your vehicle, and eventually it will leave.
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