Squirrel Trapping: How To Trap a Squirrel

Squirrels don't generally pose a threat to humans unless they are carrying rabies or other disease. In the case that you have a pesky squirrel in your garden or around your bird feeder, see prevention tips to work out a solution. If a squirrel has found its way into your home or walls, then you should attempt to remove it. Below are tips on the successful trapping and removal of a squirrel in your home.7

Why Trapping is the Way to Go
When confronting a squirrel problem, you want to make sure you handle the situation as humanely as possible. If you poison a squirrel, he will live in pain until the poison takes effect. Animals who are dying tend to disappear so that they can suffer alone- and that may mean somewhere you don't want them, like your walls or attic. Killing the animal directly is not humane, and it leaves you responsible for cleaning up after it. Carcasses in or outside of your yard can lead to worse problems, like wolves or coyotes. Therefore, it is best to trap them as humanely as possible, and work quickly to get them to a safe place where the two of you can part ways.

How to Assemble a Trap
When trapping a squirrel, it is best to use a live cage trap that is small in size. It is NEVER okay to use a spring trap, bear traps, or any other implement that can harm the squirrel. Instead, get a cage trap with 1 or 2 doors. If the trap has one door, place the bait in the back of the trap to make sure the squirrel enters it full and the door shuts. If it has 2 doors, place the bait in the center. Place the trap in the area of your home where the squirrel has been seen. Squirrels that are safely outdoors and not posing a direct threat should not be trapped unless you suspect they are rabid. You can place a trail of bait around or leading up to the trap to entice the animal.

Squirrel-Friendly Bait
Squirrels love foods that are nutty and mild in flavor. Examples of effective squirrel bait include:
• Sunflower seeds
• Nuts
• Peanut Butter
• Popcorn
• Anise extract on bread
• Almond extract on bread
• Oranges
• Apples

If the squirrel is going after your garden, you can also bait the trap with whatever it's trying to take from there.

Do's and Don'ts
Always use gloves when handling the trap or bait, as the squirrel may be apprehensive of human scent. Once the squirrel has been removed, place it safely outside and address the opening in your home immediately. NEVER relocate a wild animal. If the squirrel is rabid or you have other needs for relocation, contact your local animal control or conservation network. Never attempt to handle a rabid animal on your own. If you have any questions regarding safe trapping techniques, call these entities, or a local pest control service.