DID YOU KNOW?

Squirrels can cause considerable damage in your attics such as chewing through electrical wires, wood, and water pipes and making nests using insulation. Prevention is the best step to take when it comes to keeping squirrels out.

The Best Squirrel Traps

Squirrel problems are not only annoying but dangerous, and often costly. These rodents are carriers of many diseases and parasites. The most efficient squirrel traps offer a humane solution that is effective for getting the issue under control and are easy to use, which makes them a practical choice.

Continue reading to learn about your options and the essential things to know before you set your first trap.

How We Found the Squirrel Traps

11 Reviewers

33 Products Considered

5 Products Reviewed

3 Top Picks

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BEST

Overall

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Amagabeli Garden & Home Professional Humane Live Animal Trap

Pros

  • Durable
  • The black color of the cage camouflages it
  • The handle protects your hands
  • Easy to store
  • The animal must enter the cage entirely to get to the bait

Cons

  • Pests may not trip the trigger
  • Paws may fit through the wire gauge

OUR VERDICT

The Amagabeli Garden & Home Professional Humane Live Animal Trap works well with larger pests.

Our Review

The Amagabeli Garden & Home Professional Humane Live Animal Trap provides a useful way to capture pests for a permanent solution to the problem. This product is well-made with heavy steel gauge. The animals must go far into the cage to get the bait. That reduces theft

BEST

Single Door

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Havahart 1089 Collapsible One-Door Live Animal Cage

Pros

  • Humane solution
  • Weather-resistant
  • Easy to set
  • Comes with a one-year warranty
  • A sensitive trigger

Cons

  • Must wear gloves when handling trap with live animal inside

OUR VERDICT

The Havahart 1089 Collapsible One-Door Live Animal Cage is well-constructed and weather-resistant.

Our Review

The Havahart 1089 Collapsible One-Door Live Animal Cage folds up for easy storage like the Amagabeli Garden & Home Professional Humane Live Animal Trap. The design prevents bait theft and increases your catch rate with the sensitive trigger. The cage is durable and can handle the elements well. The manufacturer also backs up their products with a warranty.

BEST

Double Door

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Havahart 1045 Live Animal Cage

Pros

  • The manufacturer guarantees their products
  • Sturdy and durable
  • Weather-resistant
  • An increased catch rate with the use of two doors
  • The long handle keeps your hands from the captured animals

Cons

  • It doesn’t collapse and may be bulky to store

OUR VERDICT

The design for the Havahart 1045 Live Animal Cage increases the catch rate for larger animals with options to use one or both doors.

Our Review

The Havahart 1045 Live Animal Cage is similar to the Havahart 1089 Collapsible One-Door Live Animal Cage but is six inches longer. It has a second door. You can use it with one or both of them. Using one of them ensures that the squirrel must go in the cage all the way to prevent escape and reduce bait theft.

BEST

Chain Trap

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No products found.

BEST

Spring Trap

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No products found.

Introduction to Squirrels

Squirrels are a diverse group of rodents with about 285 species worldwide. You can divide them into three basic groups. Tree squirrels spend most of their time dwelling in the branches overhead. You’ll likely encounter them frequently since they are active during the day or diurnal. They include familiar species such as Eastern gray, fox, and American red squirrels.

Ground squirrels live in burrows and are also diurnal. This group of animals includes the animal of the same name along with other similar ones like prairie dogs and chipmunks. True flying squirrels are the last category. You may not see them often since they are active at night or nocturnal. But once you do, you’ll never forget their odd appearance with their bulging eyes.

Flying squirrels don’t fly but instead glide to the ground from high in the trees using the flaps of skin that extend from their bodies to their front legs. The action is similar to a paper airplane or kite. They can travel long distances, sometimes well over 100 feet.

Diet and Habits

Knowing what these animals eat gives you an edge when considering how to get rid of squirrels. You’ll have an idea about which baits to use with the best squirrel traps. The same applies to their natural history. It’ll help with placement of the cage to get the optimal results. The homework you do now will pay off big in the end.

All of these pests are omnivorous, meaning that they have a varied diet with a wide range of foodstuffs. Availability often dictates what squirrels will eat. It will likely include a mix of seeds, fruits, insects, and whatever else they can find. They tend to avoid vegetation since they have trouble digesting some greens. They will also take the occasional bird, egg, or reptile.

Tree squirrels differ from ground squirrels in that they are often territorial and will protect their food sources. The behavior of all species varies seasonally because of the impact it has on their survival. Most species mate in the spring and produce up to eight young in a litter. Some will have a second litter in late summer, depending on the climate.

Signs of a Squirrel Problem

The most noticeable indications of a pest issue are gnawing and scratch marks from their sharp incisors. They continue to grow throughout the animal’s life. Using their teeth is vital to prevent overgrowth that could interfere with their ability to eat. Many of the things they chew help this cause. But it also causes costly damage wherever it occurs.

You’ll find packages of anything edible open with its content strewed about the area. Other signs include holes in softer materials and accumulations of nesting materials or stashes of nuts or acorns. Squirrels will bury foodstuffs to retrieve during the leaner winter and early spring months. You may see holes in your yard or garden where they have dug up the soil.

How to Use Live Squirrel Traps

Prevention is the ideal way to deal with squirrels. That means removing accessible food sources such as pet food, garbage, or even seeds from bird feeders. These animals are opportunistic and will seek anything that they can find. It’s also an excellent strategy to follow if you must take more direct measures with a cage like the Amagabeli Garden & Home Professional Humane Live Animal Trap.

You’ll get the ideal results with the best squirrel traps if you place them where you’ve seen signs of activity. If you’re wondering what the best thing to put in a squirrel trap is, just look at what they’re eating. Peanut butter is an excellent choice. You can trap the pests with the knowledge that you either need to release them or dispatch them yourself.

You can get both jobs done at once if you use poison bait. However, it is illegal in most areas to use these products on tree squirrels. Some places allow them for ground squirrels, especially if they’re damaging your property. That makes products like the Havahart 1089 Collapsible One-Door Live Animal Cage or the Havahart 1045 Live Animal Cage a humane option.

Summary

Squirrels pose a vexing problem for homeowners because of the extensive damage they can cause in a short time. While prevention is the ideal method for control, the best squirrel traps allow you to manage the problem on your own to protect your property from these tenacious rodents.