Rodents and pests are menacing when they start thriving in your garden and conveniently build their habitats there. And at times, you just do not feel like killing animals unnecessarily using sprays and other chemical laden repellents which also come with a risk of harming the plants. Hence, humane animal traps are best for trapping animals and getting rid of this trouble. Here are ways in which these traps could be used in order to keep animals away from your garden.
Gardening issues:
Gardening is a nice hobby for many people. Increasingly, more and more people are interested in gardening. Especially if people have big lawns and huge lands, they can think of gardening and organic farming. It is the joy of planting, giving birth to and letting something grow and expand that is the main element of gardening. On the contrary, it might also give way to many wild and unwanted creatures. Garden or farm is a kind of place which attracts all kinds if insects, worms, resident birds, bugs, snakes and other creatures. Moreover, some of these creatures might be food items for higher creatures in the food chain, making these higher creatures also regular visitors in the garden. Because these creatures are a part of natural food web, one does not want to harm them. However, letting these creatures in your garden may has its own problems. Animal population may, at times, go out of hand. As soon as one starts to feed the cats, squirrels, coons and other creatures, more and more of these creatures wander through the neighbourhood. This can lead to lot of mess and litter. Hence to avoid this clutter, it is necessary to install animal traps in the garden, albeit in a humane way, without causing any harm to the animals.
Humane animal traps:
Humane animal traps are easy to get in market. They are structured in a non-complicated manner; hence it is easy to gauge their working. Humane animal traps are small rectangular shaped wired cages. At one end, it comprises of a spring loaded opening. In order to set the trap, you merely have to pull the spring door open and attach it with the long, thin rod which is hooked to the bait tray. As soon as the animal sees the food, it tries to go near the cage. In this process it steps on the tray and the door closes behind the animal. Animal does not suffer any injury or harm due to this trap. Once the animal is caught, it can be released anywhere away from your garden or farm.
Animal baits:
The main key in humane animal traps is the bait. Animals get attracted to these traps because of the baits. Hence it is necessary to attach proper baits for animals. For instance squirrels usually are attracted to peanut butter. For feral cats and raccoons, fresh canned tuna works quite well. Once these traps are filled with appropriate baits, they should be placed in areas where the occurrence of these animals is more. Animals tend to find food in natural areas under trees or bushes, so it is best to place these traps there. Camouflaging the traps with sticks and leaves is also a good idea as it looks less like a trap and more like a bush. Usually animal traps are placed late at night. For squirrels and chipmunks, best time to set the trap is early morning.
Precautions to be taken:
For the traps to work well and for the animals to be out of harms’ way, there are certain precautions that one must observe. For instance, once the animal is trapped, take the cage out of direct sunlight and place it in a cool, shady place. Avoid setting traps when it is hot or muggy. A panicked animal will overheat quickly and this heat exhaustion could also lead to the death of the animal. Hence, the best time to set the trap is late night or early morning. Also, it is important to release the animals as soon as possible. Releasing them in natural habitats works best with these animals. Animals tend to return to your neighbourhood, so release them far away from your area, preferably across the river, making it difficult for these animals to come back to your neighbourhood.
Places to get humane animal traps:
Small to medium sized humane animal traps are available in local humane society. It can be borrowed for a short period of time. One can also look for buying these traps in pet stores or livestock stores. A medium size trap roughly costs $60-$80 whereas a small size trap will be available in $40-$50. Online buying options are also available.
Author Bio: Levi Herris is an Online Blogger For Havahart. He likes to share tips on various methods to safeguard your Home and garden from animals.