Pest Management Professional, September 2010

Wildlife continued from previous page damage to trees by stripping the bark An entrance hole only needs to be as big as a squirrels head to allow access If they have been seen entering the property their access points will be known Once it is determined that all squirrels have been removed from an attic the hole should be blocked permanently In an urban setting theres a never ending supply of squirrels raccoons and beavers if you remove one another quickly takes over the vacant territory This applies to most mammals including foxes and coyotes as well as crows and pigeons The only effective control of an overpopulated species such as grey squirrels is by using kill traps Live traps are excellent tools of the trade and are required in many applications but the question still remains as to what to do you do once the squirrel has been trapped If re located then youre simply giving the problem to someone else If you are going to kill the squirrel then it is advisable to use the proper tools Kill Traps for Effective Control Kill traps can effectively catch and kill squirrels instantly while posing very little risk to non target wildlife or pets These are some of the easiest traps to set and install Squirrels cannot resist peeking inside Once the firing spring goes off there is no handling of a distraught captured squirrel or re locating such as with a live trap Compared to other control methods kill traps have several advantages such as capture efficiency species specific humane instant kill and safe to set On buildings the trap should be fastened high up on the wall near the entrance hole or under the eves Placing it next to the downspout of the gutter is another advantage point The attic is another excellent location When properly set and baited squirrels will eventually set off the trap When one does it will always be positioned in the same spot once the heavy duty spring fires As most wildlife management professionals know there is nothing worse than getting a call at 11 p m from the homeowner telling them theres a squirrel in the live trap squealing and to come at once and remove it When setting kill traps in the garden close proximity to bird feeders or nesting sites is best The trap should be secured to the tree trunk at 5 to 7 feet above the ground to prevent access to young children Tunnel or Tube Trap Tunnel traps placed at the base of a tree are another method for squirrel control Their design which is rounded makes them less adaptable to many applications such as mounting on the side of a building or trunks of trees Setting in attics and on the ground is best The tunnel trap is open on both ends so the squirrel can enter either side A tunnel trap baited with corn will prove effective in luring squirrels onto the trigger plate of the trap Pre baiting an area prior to setting the tunnel traps can greatly increase the chance of success Setting the tunnel trap is simple and easy Placing the trap on the ground is probably its most effective form of use however a great deal of precaution is required to ensure that non targets such as birds house cats and raccoons are not caught as well as preventing children from sticking their hands inside the tunnel Body Gripping Traps There are several makes and models of the body gripper traps on the market however all of these traps need to have a fitted box attached to it in order to achieve a reasonable catch ratio Otherwise too many of them miss fire or worse yet miss caught catches are recorded Theres nothing worse than finding a squirrel caught by its hind quarters in a body gripper knowing the squirrel did not die humanely or instantly If a WMP is 88 PEST MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL SEPTEMBER 2010 www mypmp net