How to Build a Box Trap

Box traps can be built to catch small pests in your garden or garbage. This is a common way to catch small animals such as rabbits or raccoons, without causing them any harm. The captured animal can later be transported away to a new location away from your vegetables and garbage cans. There are only a few items necessary to create this and it can be reused over and over. This type of trap is used to catch only one animal at a time. There are other types of box traps, with swinging or trap doors, but this is the most straightforward type.

Things You'll Need

• 1 box with one open side, at least 1 foot by 1 foot
• 1 'Y' shaped stick
• fishing line or string, about 50 feet long

Instructions

Box Trap

1. Place your box in an area where your pests are known to come. Place it on the ground, open side down.

2. 

   proper box trap stick

   Tie the fishing line securely to the straight end of your stick. Balance one side of the box on the other end of the stick, placing the box edge into the Y part of the stick.

3. Place bait under the box towards the back end so that your creature will be fully under the box before it falls over it. Carefully unwind the loose end of the fishing line to a location that you will sit and wait for the animal to arrive.

4. Sit holding the end of the fishing line in your hand until your critter arrives. Once it finds the bait and is under the box, quickly pull the string, releasing the stick and closing the box.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure your box is heavy enough that the animal will not be able to push it off after capture.

• Practice tripping the trap a few times before setting it out to actually use.

• This will take patience to actually catch a creature. Take turns with a friend if you can be sneaky while switching places.

• Bait choices depend on the pest you are trying to catch. Peanut butter is usually a popular choice all around if you are unsure of what will work for your catch, according to The Survivalist Blog.

• Once you capture an animal, you should be very careful transporting it to a new location. Always wear heavy gloves and avoid touching the animal as much as possible.

References

• "Essortment": How to build a safe wild animal trap
• "The Survivalist Blog": Homemade Box Trap