DIY: Live Trapping

Sometimes you want to do it yourself and that’s great, but it’s important to remember that trapping live wild animals without the proper training and experience may lead to failure. You may not catch the animal you are trying to. The professionals at Poulin’s know animal biology and trapping techniques to catch any nuisance wildlife in on or around your home. It’s very important to know the biology, the habits and habitats of these pests in order to catch them in a live trap. Please follow the points below and remember the pros at Poulin’s are always ready to help.

  • Be aware of weather conditions. Trapped animals should not be left out in the elements as they can die from prolonged exposure to heat and cold.
  • Check traps FREQUENTLY. Wild animals stress easily and may seriously injure themselves as they attempt to escape.
  • Other animals besides the target animal may get caught in the trap. If this happens, advice on releasing it safely can be obtained from a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area.
  • Depending on the time of year, you may trap a nursing mother and if you relocate only her, her babies will not survive. To see if you’ve trapped a nursing female, stand the trap on one end to observe the belly.
  • Traps should be washed, disinfected with a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts of water and let it remain on for 20 minutes), and thoroughly rinsed after each capture to stop the spread of any potential disease. Animals frequently defecate and urinate when captured and it is unhealthy to put bait down unless trap is cleaned thoroughly.

Setting the Trap Outdoors

Around poultry houses or yards, underneath or alongside range shelters there is practically no end to the wild and domestic animals which cause trouble. Therefore it is always good to have several Havahart traps handy. This is especially true in rural areas or in sparsely settled communities when it is necessary to protect your property yourself.

Woodchucks or rabbits may be a bother, nibbling fruit or vegetables in gardens. If you have a fenced garden, or any fences or walls where animals are found, then set the trap with both ends open along the fence, with or without bait. Most wild animals will follow along the fences and through the trap to get caught. If you can locate regular runaways by putting up a short fence in a V-shape with an opening to set a trap in, you can direct the animal through the trap.

So if you’ve got some visitors you’d rather see less of, but want to make sure that the pest control company you hire treats the animals ethically, contact Poulin’s Pest Control. We’re proud to say that we’ve helped numerous families rid their properties of pests without harm to the animals themselves.

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