cheap (FREE!) live possum trap

[JenellYB]

archerbox, yeah, that one sounds cool! Clever!

 

[Darin115]

I have several traps of different sizes. I have actually made several of my own. I lend them out and sometimes never see them again.

The ones that I did buy I bought at yard sales. I think I paid $5 for a squirrel sized one and maybe $15-$20 for a coon sized trap.

I am kicking around the idea of building a coyote sized one.


Darin

 

[anderson8505]

Whatever means one prefers does dealing with the things once you've trapped them, considering the cost of those live animal traps, that one may only use once or a few times, this garbage can trap is cheap, and I've definitely had excellent sucess with it.

A similar trap technique I had discovered many years ago, trying to deal with a terrible rat infestation in a barn where horses and other livestock were kept, and rats so bad they'd even chew holes in the lids of feed storage containers to get to the feed, can be quite effective, as well. I'd fill a tall garbage can or even metal feed drum with water to within about a foot ot the top. Then 'float' a layer,, several inches thick, of whole oats on the surface. Place where rats have easy access to climbing up and dropping down into it. It you don't fill it high enough, that they couldn't easily jump back out if the can really were full of oats, they will hesitate to jump down in to begin with. but the layer of floating oats gives the illusion they will be landing on a solid bed of grain. But then, they will be unable to get traction to jump back out as they just sink into the water when they try to get out. and even a rat can't stay swimming forever.Never tried this trick with possums, but now thinking about it, it might work for them too.

thanks, I may try this for my rat problem.

 

[JenellYB]

Lending, yeah...I haven't asked anyone to borrow one, and likely wouldn't do so, because that would open up people wanting to borrow my stuff, and I've learned that lesson...either you never ge tit back, or if you finally go demand it back, it torn all the H. So my policy, i don't lend.
Even live traps I've run across at yard sales are usually little if any less than buying them new, must be a lot of demand for them here, they are like gold. because of the borrowing thing, most people that have them keep it a secret!
Where would you find insructions for building them? I already have things like 'J' clips and pliers....don't know how to do the trigger mechanism though.

I have several traps of different sizes. I have actually made several of my own. I lend them out and sometimes never see them again.

The ones that I did buy I bought at yard sales. I think I paid $5 for a squirrel sized one and maybe $15-$20 for a coon sized trap.

I am kicking around the idea of building a coyote sized one.


Darin

 

[aprophet]

the trash can half filled with water and a 1 X 6 board pivoted off one side of the trash can is all you need

 

[blueferral]

Squirrels are rats with good public relations. Buy a few victor rat traps super cheap. Especially if your going to drown them or suffocate them anyway, put em out of misery quickly. Also, you could get one of those fancy new alligator looking rat traps. I put a few of those in my attic, no more squirrels. As far as the possum goes, get a .177 pellet gun. They don't count as a fire arm by federal law. For about 50 bucks a wally world you could get one with a rifled barrel and a scope. That will take care of your possum problem. Depending on the age of the kids they would have a hard time pumping the pellet gun up enough to hurt anything, if they managed to get a hold of it.

 

[lincolnsilkies]

I like the idea of relocating them also if possible!

 

[mossypath]

As I read more and more threads I see a lot of kind hearted people who think relocating an animal is a good Ideal. I can tell you it is not. If you feel kindly to the animals you can provide natural spaces for them on your own land for food and nesting but I don’t think you want to do that. Relocating a animal is not in the best interest of the animal and is ageist the law for good reason.
We have a nice but naive lady who brought home a small red squirrel to live in the “country” My kids came in crying because one squirrel was hurting another. My gray had brock the back of the red and it could barely crawl. I had to put the poor thing down. Never told Barb what had happened because of her “good deed”

I am a carpenter and have helped more than a few homeowners trap and dispose of a nuisance animal and it is not ever pleasant but it is necessary.

for some of reasons why,,,http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/pdf/norelok8.pdf

 

[Baymule]

btw, while i've had and used guns in the past, and am not adverse to them used responsibly and carefully, I have had for some years now a family member that cares for foster children, and those children are often in my home and I often babysit them. Under foster care regulations, that requires me as a supplemental care-giver, and my home must meet some of the regulations that apply to the primary foster care-gover home. And one of those regulations is that there are no firearms kept in the home.

I've been up against the same dilemma with a problem here with squirrels the last few years. I've about given up veggie gardening because once they discovered what a delightful smorsgasborg it is, it had become impossible to garden much. Everything from green beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, not to even think about cantaloupes....whoosh! Squirrels get it...amazing to watch a squirrel easily scamper up a tree with a tomato half as big as the squirrel, in its mouth! I'm trying a bit this year, planning to try to cover with wood frames and poultry netting.

Buy or make a trap, catch the squirrels, drop in trash can full of water. Take the squirrel out, skin and gut. Fry for supper-they're yummy!

 

[JenellYB]

Baymule: Buy or make a trap, catch the squirrels, drop in trash can full of water. Take the squirrel out, skin and gut. Fry for supper-they're yummy!

Lol, the yummy just doesn't work for me.....as a kid in a serious hunting family, I never got the hang of the love so many in the family had for squirrel! Of all the ways they cooked it, my definite preference was squirrel and dumplings...that way, I had something I could actually eat without too much difficulty...the dumplings!

My sister married a Cajun fella and spent about 10yrs living on a moored barge way back in the swamps and bayous way down in the delta country....I still crack up remembering her talking about the point at which, in the midst of cleaning a bunch of squirrels, tossing them into a tub of salt water to soak as she finished each one, she looked over at that tub of carcasses, and all she could see were bloody skinned rats and cats....and couldn't even stand the smell of squirrel cooking after that!