i need some help. im TRYING to trap squirrels out of a mans backyard uptown, with cage traps. theres a wooden fence around his yard. its maybe like half an acre. ive got 6 7x24 traps out. a few up on the top rail of the fence and one on the ground. all in all im not catching any squirrels. im using Nutcracker for some traps and peanut butter/corn for the others. someone please help me out. ive never caught any squirrels, but id like to so i can get paid. hah all ive caught overr the past week is two possums up on the fence. anything would be helpful at this point.

Sounds like the kind of job I will not take.

Are they in the house....or just running around the yard?

Bobcat Mike, seriously, have you been watching our company? We had our best technician set up a job that is the twin of what you just described. He didn't catch anything, and I took it seriously ( The customer was a retired doctor ) and did things I had never done before. And it worked; I caught 9 squirrels and he will see me again at the end of the month.

Since David thinks this job is a loser and I've got no experience in the south ( And I've also got a guy from Georgia working for us now, making big bucks ) let me throw this at you; what are your squirrels eating at this time of the year? Combine that answer with the best artificial attractant made for your area, and I can only hope that you have the success that we are having!

Paul, your on the money.
The reason I won't touch a non structural squirrel job is that it's a fools errand to try to rid a property of squirrels. If I ever had a client that actually understood that I would consider taking the job for a hefty monthly fee.

thanks for everything guys! and Paul, ive never messed with any squirrels. so i dont know what lure would be best. ive been using Nutcracker, and peanut butter with corn. NOTHING. i did talk to the cliant earlyer and he informed me that he saw a squirrel sitting on top of my trap closest to the house today. man was that irritating to hear. hah but i guess bird seed out of the bird feeder. thats what was sprinkled under the one it was sitting on. when i reset earlyer, i took a section of cob, rolled it in the nutcracker, then rolled it in bird feed. then just wired the cob in the trap. hopefully thatll work. it just makes me feel like a lousey trapper not being able to catch a dern squirrel. i dont know, ill get one eventually im sure. but again thanks you guys. i really appreciate it

Visual is the key...you would think corn would do the trick. Are the traps in areas where they can see them easily?

id think so too! hah but yea theyre up on the fence. so im guessing they can see them easily. these squirrels are pullin one over on me man. hah on the first check i dropped corn along the inside and a little at the mouth of the trap. 'coarse a squirrel ate all the corn round the outside. maybe theyve just got to get used to traps?

We use the dried corn, that is still on the cob, that is sold as squirel food, suspended from the top of the trap. This has produced excellent results on the non native eastern fox squirels in our urban areas.

We set the fences, trees, etc.

I'm assuming that the reason he wants the squirrels gone is because they're eating all the bird seed. If he stops feeding the birds, the squirrels will stop being a problem...... works every time.

Engineer it out. http://www.duncraft.com/Squirrel-Guard

I have one similar to this, and it works. Mine is longer and will keep coons out too.

Try wrapping the traps leaving the back open, ala tube trap.

That's true Dave but the bird watchers can be a stubborn bunch.

I get several jobs a year like this and as long as the customer understands that all you're doing is knocking down the population, they are pretty enjoyable jobs. But you have to catch squirrels. The more, the better.

Bobcat Mike, if the customer really has a bird feeder, roll up a ball of the very same bird food with peanut butter and use that as bait in the back of the trap. A little just outside the trap door, a little more about half way in the trap and the rest behind the pan. Place the traps under the bird feeder.

Frankly, catching squirrels under bird feeders is about as easy as it gets. Or should be anyway.

JMO, bird seed for squirrel trapping equals birds in traps which is another not to take the job.

I've never had that problem.

You must not have any birds then. Before I gave up the trail of bird seed into the traps I must have caught every type of seed eater known to Alabama and Georgia.

Yep, that must be it. No birds in NH.

×2 on the dried corn on the cob.

I take jobs like this all the time,we call them population reduction jobs,and charge by the week flat rate. Personally I like them, almost all are people that feed the birds, and are tired of subsidizing the local Squirrels food supply. You don't have to locate an entry hole,I never have to put up a ladder,and no repair work involved. If the yard has any type of wooden fence, all the better.

Mr. Shumway, if my customers stopped feeding birds, I'd have to get a job selling used cars. Bird feeders are the single largest source of ADC money in the world, I think. They're the main reason squirrels nest in attics and raccoons, opossums, and skunks live under decks. And the bird feeder doesn't even need to be on the property; it can be two houses down.

David, what sqs said about not catching birds with bird seed, pretty much pertains to us too. We will catch an occasional bird but what we are using for bait seems to have very little to do with it.

I do use a little black oil sunflower seed mixed in with my personal blend but no longer do I use loose seed and my birds have dropped to the occasional wren that seems to like small square containers.

Maybe it's a northern thing. Population reduction squirrel jobs are enjoyable for the reasons Albert mentioned and more.

I do "population reduction" jobs for a few apartment and condo complexes every spring for squirrels, skunks and raccoons in addition to the residential squirrel jobs.

They are fun, easy and good money.

Try a tube trap.

Mike, we get quite a few calls just like you describe and I really don't think a "magic" bait is the answer but trap placement is crucial. Ask the client where he sees the squirrle traveling most often in his yard, ie. up and down a certain tree,along the top rail of a wooden fence,under the bird feeder,ect.and that's where I would place my trap. Put it in his line of travel and bait it with most anything "nutty". I agree, if you put bird seed in your trap you will probably catch birds which is the case here anyhow. In our area people actually feed the squirrls and what do they feed them.....peanuts of course and that is what we use for bait. Peanuts in the hull. Not very "exotic" I know, but it works great for us.

Not sure if pecans are falling up there but squirrels are carring mine off in droves here. Might try pecans in the hull. Works every time here. First cool mornings and they have one thing in mind. PECANS.........

When ever I do a job like this I charge a weekly flat rate with no catch guarantee. That way I am getting paid if we catch them or not! Many have said visual appeal is the key and that is so true with jobs like this. I use popcorn! It has good contrast with the grass and yard so when the squirrels are in the trees, roof tops, or running fences and they look down they see it. Place some around the trap and some in it and another paste bait in the traps too. This method works great for me!

thanks everyone! ill also add this. yes his complaint was squirrels bothering the feeder. but he also brought to my attention that at certain times of the year (i dont recall when he said this occurs) but the squirrels get in his attic. so im thinking im looking at population reduction, as well as adc work from the attic at some point. i really apreciate all the input tho guys.

Another thing that works well,at least around here at certain times, is go to a double door trap. I have a couple 7 X 8 size, and sometimes when you are dealing with either a female that is pregnant, or has just dropped a litter,they can be very cautious and being able to see through will help them commit. All they have to do is make one mistake .

Absolutely correct Mr. Burns. I have watched the same female that would have nothing to do with a closed end trap, get caught sashaying through a two door, a couple hours later.

thanks to you all. i ended up using 1 1/2s right inside newspaper mailboxes wired to the fence. ive caught two with pecans. turned out there was a pecan tree right outside the corner of his yard. what an amature! (me) second one got caught by the back foot tho so i think ive got them spooked up. no more so far...

While I admit to using some squirrel traps that were probably not acceptable to your average customer, footholds were never used and I doubt are a good idea even in Marion, S.C.

I used one,but only once and as a last resort. It was a female Gray Squirrel about ready to drop a litter. She refused everything from a double door to a tube trap,I even mounted a shorty over the entry hole,figuring she would go right thru and be captured. She refused to enter it, and chewed a second entrance right next to the first. The holes were 2 stories up, and in a inside corner of the fascia. Eventuallty we pulled everything down, and let her calm down for a couple days,then we went back and made a triangle platform to fit under the entry area. We then took a # 2 Victor Square Jaw,and screwed it to the platform,setting it so that when she exited,her first step would be onto the pan, and it would suitcase her. Covered it all with dried grass clippings and figured next day she would be mine. Two weeks later that darn squirrel was still flipping me off as I checked that trap. I gave up,never billed the customer,and at this point am not sure what course of action to take,but am certain at some point I will own that b**ch.

I keep a duke #1 coil on the truck just for those, Albert. I've found that just inside the hole turns the trick for me.

i dont know man, he seems to be happy. ive been asking him if he needs me to change anything, but no. he wants them gone at all cost. no one will ever be like that again, i know.

Don't know what a "shorty" is, but a 55 coni would have done the trick; I've used 'em on tree rats hundreds of times.
She was probably going up when exiting the hole, unless her normal travel route was downward.

A shorty is a smaller version of a tunnel trap, only about 8 inches long and can be mounted to fit tight over an entry hole,it has 3 adjustable ears on it to mount it. They can work really well at times,and will capture them entering or exiting. The entry is in a really awkward place to set,I thought of the 55's but just didn't see a good way to mount it here. It is in the corner of a V ,with an overhanging roof just above it that extends about a foot out,and forming that V are two of those 4 inch wide scroll work type fancy supports.Right where all that comes together she chewed a baseball size hole. I'll try and get a picture of it before making another attempt at her.Thank you for the suggestions,it sure helps to get another persons outlook on stuff at times.

Here, we can't do population reductions. I just can't go set traps in some ones back yard because the squirrels are eating bird feed.

No. Here, before we can do anything we must be able to show at least 50 dollars worth of damage to the home, out buildings, pets, livestock or crops. Stealing bird seed from a feeder or corn from a deers corn pile don't count.

It's quite a shame, too. We're getting to the point where we have more squirrels in the trees than we do fleas on a dog!

Muddawg, you just brought tears to my eyes. Bird feeders are our bread and butter. Many of the times, this how a home owner gets introduced to our company. After that it's up to us to show them that they need rodent control, a new chimney cap, bat eviction, insulation removal and replacement, vent covers, etc.

I love the bird watchers and their feeders. I always tell them they have a right to be able to feed and watch the birds without having their property destroyed by rodents. But along with rights comes responsibilities. It's their responsibility to deal with *all* the wildlife their hobby is going to attract.

I have bird feeders myself. I know how it is. Bird watching/feeding is a wonderful hobby. You just need to be responsible about it.

I have a few customers who call me every year and I think I picked up two more this year.

With a few bits of scrap hardware cloth you can set a coni anywhere, and I do mean anywhere! AND it's a positive set.
I used conibears almost exclusively for gray squirrels for 16 years; lately, it's all colony traps.

It actually goes further than bird feeders here. Any food stuffs placed for the sole purpose of attracting wild life is off limits for depredation control. The reasoning behind it is that if you so choose to feed wildlife, you can't choose the wildlife that dines there.

I can't legally do anything for squirrels stealing bird feed, coons robbing deers corn piles or possums eating honey buns set out to feed the bears. Fact is that feeding bears will get you a ticket right by itself.

We can't even field dress a deer here with out running the danger of getting a ticket for littering!

We've still got some pretty screwed up laws where wildlife is concerned. But we're working on them.

That's the main reason I won't take those kind of jobs. I tend to agree that if your dumb enough to lay out a sqirrel buffet then deal with it. I'd rather work with a client that can see reason when I explain they they have created the problem and are willing to change their ways so I don't keep getting call backs.
The exception would be gardeners or orchard owners. To me that's right up my alley as a gardener and I see it more as protecting an investment.

x2 on pecans

I caught my nemesis squirrel in a cage trap by throwing in a pecan pie in it that went bad. It's squirrel crack.