How to Bait Live Traps

There are several methods you can use when it comes to removing pest animals from your home or property. Using a live trap is a safe and effective way to treat wild animals. However, live traps can be ineffective if they are not baited correctly. Some wild animals can be skittish when it comes to new items in their area, and might avoid the live trap. If the trap has bait that is irresistible to the animal, you have a better chance of successfully capturing it.

Follow this DIY guide to learn the best way to bait your live trap for maximum results.

Identification

Before placing bait in your live trap, you need to identify the pest you are dealing with. This will determine what type of bait they will respond best to.

You can identify your pest animal by observing when they are most active, as well as their droppings. Common pest animals that people experience are opossums, raccoons, gophers, rabbits, and squirrels. When looking at the droppings on your property, take note of its size, shape, and arrangement. You are most likely dealing with an opossum or raccoon if the droppings are similar to dog droppings. If the droppings are small and scattered around, it might be a squirrel.

Generally, wild animals are nocturnal. You will most likely notice activity at night in yards, garages, attics, or basements. If activity is seen or heard during the day, it is most likely a squirrel, chipmunk, or groundhog.

You might also notice nesting. This is mainly activity from rodents. Animals such as groundhogs will spend most of their time near areas with tree trunks so they can sharpen their teeth. More aggressive animals like raccoons might knock over heavy items such as trash cans. This is most likely done in their search for food.

Inspection

After you've identified the pest that is troubling both you and your property, observe areas where activity is high. This is where you will place the baited station.

Where to Inspect

Most pests will be in dark, secluded areas that have little human activity. Thoroughly search any plants, fruits, or vegetables that might be on your property, since most pests will be attracted to these.

What to Look For

Be on the lookout for nests and burrows, or scratch marks on nearby trees. Droppings in areas such as pet food bowls and trash cans are also common signs of activity. Disturbed gardens, chewed leaves, and broken plant limbs are likely signs of pest animals.

Treatment

Once you've determined what pest you are wanting to control and where they dwell on your property, you are ready to bait and set your trap. When placing your bait, you want it to be past the trigger plate. This will ensure that the pest will put the majority of its body inside the live trap, making it more likely to be captured. Setting the bait away from the trigger plate also makes sure the plate does not get stuck so the trap remains functional.

The preferred type of bait depends on the specific pest you are trying to capture. Smaller pests such as squirrels and chipmunks prefer peanuts or peanut butter. Larger creatures such as skunks and opossums are attracted to canned fish. Raccoons can be lured with sweet bait such as marshmallows, while rabbits are more inclined to fruit.

If you are still unsure of the pest you want to control, or if you are trying to capture more than one pest, you can use peanut butter as well. This might be a better option if you are using the trap indoors to prevent using bait with a strong scent.

Be sure you are wearing gloves when placing bait in the live trap to avoid leaving behind your scent. If animals take note of a human scent, they will avoid that area and make your live trap unsuccessful.

Make sure the bait is not accessible through the outside of the cage. This is to prevent animals from accessing the bait and escaping. You can increase the difficulty of acquiring the bait by placing it in a small piece of piping.

Prevention

You will hopefully have caught a pest or two in your live trap. There are a few preventative measures you can take to make sure pests will not want to visit your home or property again.

Sanitation

Maintaining a clean property inside and outside of the room is an important step to drive away pests. Areas of clutter and debris are perfect materials for pests to create a nest or burrow. Be sure that any open food is thrown out and that garbage is placed in a trash can with a secure lid. Store firewood bound tightly together and far away from the house.

Exclusion

If you are experiencing pests in your home, check indoors and outdoors for cracks and crevices in the foundation. These can be sealed with a combination of copper mesh and caulk. Stuf-Fit Copper Mesh is a breathable material that can be wedged into cracks and crevices. It does not rust and most pests cannot chew through it. Place Stuf-Fit in voids before sealing it with caulk to prevent the re-emergence of pests inside.

Key Takeaways

• The type of bait you use in your live trap will depend on the animal you are trying to trap. Peanut butter is a great and cheap option for capturing many animals.
• Be sure to place the bait behind the trigger plate for optimal results.
• Prevent re-emergence by sealing all cracks and crevices with Stuf-Fit Copper Mesh and caulk.