prototype wooden squirrel tunnel for bodygrip traps

[theobenmike 0]

Being as I have a few bodygrips not in use at the moment and a shortage of squirrel traps I have made a squirrel run through tunnel to fit a 116 bodygrip inside. It is not designed as a replacement for the mighty kania all be it as a cheap alternative if you have plenty of time on your hands and a lot of offcuts off wood to use up, as I have. Firstly I modified the trigger to act as a bait station, this was done with 1/4" birdfeeder type mesh bent over and wired onto the trigger with thin wire. A few nuts were added then the top bent to stop them falling out. I may also smear some peanut butter over these before use

The tunnel is approx 6"x6" internal and approx 2' long. On the inside of the tunnel I have added mesh to two sides to help squirrel reach his destination, I may alter that to all four sides in the future

The trap is held in place with four small nails, two on the bottom of the tunnel (as above) and two inside where the spring will sit (as below). There is also a sliding door here to allow setting/removal of the trap.

I have reduced the entry size from 6" square to a 3" diameter round hole to keep out unwanted quarry.

The "finished" prototype tunnel is now ready for its first trial. A quick sand down and a coat of leaf green paint may well be in order. It has got an owl box type of look to the untrained eye. I will keep you informed of the results

Finally no laughing at the worlds worst camoflauge job on this kania, it's about half way up this sycamore tree if you can't see it

[spidey 0]

Very interesting! I made a tunnel for the 116 not so long ago, made for resting horizontally on a tree or fence. But haven't had any luck so far...

 

And the peanut holder - genius! I must try that one myself. Top job!

 

Don't forget to keep us informed how it goes.

[talpa 55]

I have used a set up in just a wire 4 sided tunnel, my woodwork is poor, yours will be great where set outside as you won't get a carcase and fluffy tail wafting on the breeze when you get your target so keeping the natives happy and blissfully unaware.

I did try a nut holder for the trigger too but could not get it to sit properly, I now drill hazel or walnuts and push on the wires, dog biscuits smeared with peanut butter or chocolate,monkey nuts in the pod too for Squirrels, bird fat balls worked but they tend to crumble and you risk a miscatch but a modified holder like yours would probably do well where the Greys are used to feasting on bird tables. In the US they use some sweet fruity attractants for Squirrels that may work over here. I tried apple but had no success but have a job at the moment where they wont cooperate and need a different approach.

Meaty dog chews on the trigger work well for rats and have taken a mink (not the target)

The best thing like CW said is that you get a very clean catch/kill.

Anyone tried baiting the 116s trigger for Rabbit?

Talpa

[theobenmike 0]

Just given it the final coat of green wood treatment, looks a lot better

 

 

now ready for action

[comanche 2,799]

I'd be interested to see how you get on . Are you going to mount it as top entry or end entry if you know what I mean ?

When I made something similar and mounted them with the holes at the top I had a couple of foul catches in the body grips .As I was experimenting with the traps in my own garden I was actually on site to deal with them quickly but it was obvious a re -think was in order. I suspect the squirrels were tentertively dangling through the entrance hole and reaching for the bait rather than diving through the middle as they should . When I mounted the box sideways like a fence mounted tunnel trap the device started to kill properly and I made a much simplified version as in the picture that I've stuck with since .

Your woodwork makes mine look like chimps' by the way !

Edited June 10, 2010 by comanche

[theobenmike 0]

Comanche

The tunnel was originally designed to be mounted vertically, as in tied around a tree trunk for top entry or indeed bottom entry, although it should work in the horizontal position aswell - either on the ground at the base of a tree or tied around a leaning branch or fence etc. Maybe a 45 degree angle would work best when mounted up trees As for foul catches this will have to be looked at and addressed if need be. Maybe the 45 degree mounting angle will solve this, if not maybe a different trigger system or more weld mesh to enable the squirrel to move freely throughout the tunnel. A shorter tunnel may also work but care will have to be taken to keep out unwanted visitors and not have the fluffy tail blowing in the breeze as talpa has said. Another option is two more baffles - one either side of the trap with a 3" diameter hole in the centre to stop the squirrels dangling and allow them to climb through the tunnel easier, you've got me thinking now

[comanche 2,799]

My prototypes with the hole at the top had the bait placed in a compartment below the trap so that the squirrel was supposed to dive right through the middle rather than just pick at the trigger wires but as mentioned I wasn't happy with them .

 

I've often wondered about the fixation with fixing squirrel tunnels vertically . I still do it on occasion when using Kanias but I can't help thinking that it is as much an aesthetic thing as anything .

If the trap is baited the scent of food is likely to lure squilly in whatever angle the device is fixed at.

My sometimes age- muddled thinking tells me that a squirrel that is assuming acrobatic positions ,stretching itself and having to cling -onto a vertical surface whilst reaching for the bait is more likely to trigger the trap a little early than a squill moving through the tunnel confidentally on a stable horizontal plain .

[OldTrapCollector 376]

Keep it simple guys - those extravagant tunnels look very nice aesthetically but are they really worth the effort?

 

And I agree that the tunnels and traps inside will perform better on the horizontal for the reasons stated by Comanche

 

I wonder if a simple wire mesh tunnel would do everything you want and would take seconds with wire cutters to make and be so much cheaper - if the trap/victim needed to be covered from public view in gardens or public areas then this can be achieved by wrapping with old hessian sack cloth which will blend in nicely with the site.

 

The same goes for any tunnels for Fenn etc traps as well as the Kania - it can often be fashioned from materials in the vicinity of the site, but the cheaper wire mesh tunnels would be required for off the ground work - but again - is this strictly necessary? In my experience squirrels spend as much time on the ground than they do in trees.

 

Just my two penn'th

 

OTC

[DUCKWING 302]

WELL FELLAS ,

 

 

I MADE A VERY SIMILAR SET OF BOXES LAST YEAR

 

HOWEVER............................ MINE WERE DESIGNED SOTHE SQUIRREL DROPPED THROUGH THE BODYGRIPPER TO GET TO THE GRAIN UNDERNEATH , THE TRIGGER WIRES HAD A FINE TRACE WIRE BETWEEN THEM AND THE TRAP WAS SET ON NAILS ,

AND IT LOOKED LIIE A BIRD BOX ..............

BUT , THAT WAS ITS FAULT ................ IT CAUGHT WELL . BUT ALSO CAUGHT A FEW BIRDS , ............. I STOPPED USING THEM

 

DUCKWING

[comanche 2,799]

Keep it simple guys - those extravagant tunnels look very nice aesthetically but are they really worth the effort?

 

And I agree that the tunnels and traps inside will perform better on the horizontal for the reasons stated by Comanche

 

I wonder if a simple wire mesh tunnel would do everything you want and would take seconds with wire cutters to make and be so much cheaper - if the trap/victim needed to be covered from public view in gardens or public areas then this can be achieved by wrapping with old hessian sack cloth which will blend in nicely with the site.

 

The same goes for any tunnels for Fenn etc traps as well as the Kania - it can often be fashioned from materials in the vicinity of the site, but the cheaper wire mesh tunnels would be required for off the ground work - but again - is this strictly necessary? In my experience squirrels spend as much time on the ground than they do in trees.

 

Just my two penn'th

 

OTC

A lot of truth spoken there .

Sadly I can't pass a builder's skip without spotting something that one day might become incorporated into a "really ,really usefull" bit of pest control kit. Once obtained such rubbish is set about with anorakial zeal(anorakial !). At this point there is possibly only a 1 in 10 chance that it will emerge as a thing of purpose rather than the tunnel-trap equivelent of Quasimodo!.

The rare successful designs may be made in a variety of materials to match , as they say in the greeting card industry , every occasion. I even have a couple of very clinical and squeaky-clean UPVC tunnels for use in the homes of very clinical and squeaky-clean people with OCD who might balk at the sight of a wooden box or bit of rusty wire being carried through their minimalistic living room , up their white-carpeted stairs into their immaculate but vermin infested roof-space .

But , Yes OTC .You can't beat the simple ones

[john b 38]

Sadly I can't pass a builder's skip without spotting something that one day might become .........

 

Oh does that strikes a chord with me

 

 

But on the subject of Mike's original post, it's an interesting design. I particularly like the sliding door idea as I've always been unhappy with the 'crossed slot' approach that I've used on wooden tunnels before.

 

 

 

[froese11 1]

I will keep you informed of the results

 

any luck yet?

[michael flatters 2]

<a href="http://s267.photobucket.com/albums/ii318/westernshoes/Squirrel%20Trap/?action=view&current=13062010009.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii318/westernshoes/Squirrel%20Trap/th_13062010009.jpg" border="0" alt="Mk 1 Squirrel Trap" ></a>

Im just making my first squirrel trap at the moment,i made a small wooden hook from 12mm ply to hold my trap in place,it seems to work ok in the workshop,lets see what it is like outside!I am intending to bait on the floor rather than the trap itself,but i will try both.

[theobenmike 0]

I will keep you informed of the results

 

any luck yet?

 

No luck yet, I have got this trap situated at ground level by a wooden fence next to a bird feeder and I have a kania in a nearby tree next to another bird feeder. The two traps are about 20 yards apart, baited with the same bait(peanuts). It is not really a test of which trap will catch first just a matter of only having one kania and needing something else to do the job It may also be a slow catch as I have only seen the one squirrel here and he seems to be an occasianal visitor, time will tell, regards mike

[theobenmike 0]

An update of progress so far, I had my trap situated on the ground and the only problem was that mice were eating the bait. To combat this I fixed the tunnel horizontally on top of a wooden fence, this stopped the bait thiefs

I also temporarily removed the bird feeders to make my baited traps more appealing and put a cage trap at the base of the tree. This cage trap accounted for one squirrel yesterday and one today for the bodygrip tunnel

 

 

A good clean kill, right on target