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Y Stick

The Y Stick

I had been fairly happy with using “y” sticks as holders for bait in my cage traps. They were cheap (free) and worked really well. But my honey moon was soon over when I started having some problems. Some times I would have to spend too much time searching for bait sticks. It seemed that some residents kept their property cleared of broken branches and trimmed their trees. It just didn’t look good raiding some bush for a usable “y” branch.  Sure I would stock up on them when I had the chance but they would sometimes break as from the jostling they got in the back of my truck. Traps moving in and out, bait containers being tossed inside would be too much for the dry sticks to handle. I needed another option.

PVC bait stick and y stick
PVC bait stick (left) and the Y bait stick (right)

The other problem with the “y” stick was that the two ends protruded above the cage. You might not consider that a big problem. It isn’t when the weather is warm and dry. But I live in New England. I often want to protect my bait and trigger area from snow and rain. The “y’ stick prevented me from laying stones or boards above this area. Doing so would only break the sticks or roll the angle of the stick into a bad angle making it too easy for an animal to misfire it. I needed another option.

In comes the PVC bait stick. I think I learned this from Rob Erickson but my memory could be wrong as there was another gentlemen in the Massachusetts and Connecticut area that also mentioned it. Anyway, the principle of the PVC bait stick is the same as the Y stick but with additional benefits. First, it is durable. Second, it disperses odor from the paste bait better. Finally, being white, it shows up better in low light conditions, which I think enhances the enticement for animals.

If you would like to create your own PVC bait stick, just watch the video below.

 

Want to learn more about baiting cage and box traps, take our 1 hour training course.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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PVC Bait Stick

The PVC Bait Stick is a simple tool that allows trappers an easy way to suspend paste baits in their cage traps. Stephen M. Vantassel describes how to create a PVC bait stick in the YouTube video embedded below. Could you simply use a “y” stick to suspend your bait? Certainly, you could. But sticks are not as professional nor are they as durable. Besides, sometimes a good “y” stick just isn’t available when you need it.

The advantages of using bait sticks are outlined in my book, The Wildlife Removal Handbook, 3rd edition. There you will learn how to control wildlife like a professional which will save you time and money as well as reduce the likelihood of making a mistake. Mistakes result in educated animals which significantly increases the time required to capture the animal, if you ever capture it. Meanwhile, it continues to damage to your home and property.

Enjoy the video and please, subscribe to my channel.

Wildlife Removal Handbook, 3rd ed.
Wildlife Removal Handbook, 3rd edition.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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Bat Trapping

You may not have heard of bat trapping, but bat trapping is sometimes used by wildlife control operators (WCOs) to capture and remove bats from a structure. The concept is quite simple. You locate all the gaps in a structure and close the ones not being used by bats as

Photo of a Bat Trap manufactuered by Al LaFrance
BatTrap (18″ model) manufactured by Al LaFrance, its inventor.

exits. Then for the holes bats use as exits, you install a bat trap which captures the bats as they exit the building. Bat trapping is an ingenious idea. It allows the WCO to show the client that the bats have been removed from the structure. As a marketing tool, it was very effective and it worked to remove bats from a structure too.

A couple of types of bat traps exist. The one pictured at the right was developed by Al LaFrance of New York state. He was a pioneer in bat control and used the device successfully for many years in the 1990s.

Problems with Bat Trapping

While bat traps have some key benefits, they also come with several disadvantages. It’s the disadvantages that cause the National Wildlife Control Operators Association and Bat Conservation International to oppose the use of bat traps (except for disease management or scientific research). The first problem with bat traps is that trapped bats can overheat and die. While trappers can make adjustments to make these deaths minimal to almost non-existent, it is hard to completely eliminate deaths in every use.  The second problem is that with the emergence of white-nose syndrome, trapping bats could help transmit the fungal infection amongst bats more rapidly. The last problem with bat traps is that they are not needed to evict bats from a structure. Properly installed one-way doors, allow bats to leave but not return without requiring bats to be trapped.

Understand that these comments are not meant to condemn the inventors of bat traps. It is not fair to condemn inventors for problems (e.g. white-nose syndrome) that weren’t around when the traps were created. Bat traps have a role in bat management. It’s just a limited, but valuable role, namely for research and disease control. And for that advancement, we all should be grateful.  

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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Types of Attractants

Trappers and wildlife control operators (WCOs) are fascinated baits, lures and other types of attractants for enticing wildlife to traps. Most of the effort tends toward bait or food-based attractants. But did you know that there are various types of attractants or perhaps categories of attractants? In fact there are at least 4 types of attractants. The attractant categories are taste, smell, sight and sound. Taste and smell are closely tied together, obviously. But trappers and WCOs ignore the other categories to their detriment.

Comparison of two bait containers.
Yogurt cup used for baiting is easier to see than the can of cat food. Note the plastic trash bag used as a make shift cover.

Types of Attractants Explained

Attractants under the sight category take advantage of the animal’s sense of vision. For example, some animals rely on sight more than smell to find food. Felines (cats), for example, heavily rely on vision to find food. You as a trapper could consider hanging a fake feather in the cage to lure cats into the trap. CAUTION: BEFORE USING ANY BAIT OR ATTRACTANT BE SURE TO FOLLOW ALL STATE REGULATIONS. SOME STATES PROHIBIT CERTAIN TYPES OF ATTRACTANTS. Placement of carcasses is another way trappers use sight (and smell) to attract animals.

Sound attractants rely on the target animal’s ability to hear. Many predators have excellent hearing and with the development of strong batteries and micro-technology, we now have squeakers that can be added to traps. Squeakers can emit noises to capture the animal’s attention and draw them to the trap. A downside of squeakers is that the noise may bother neighbors.

Use Attractants in Combination

As important as each of these categories are individually to attract animals, they work better when used in combination. So don’t just rely on a good tasting/smelling bait to attract a target animal, think of ways to include sight and/or sound. For example, some trappers when trying to attract raccoons may add white marshmallows to the cage to add a visual element to the honey and molasses bait they used.

Additional information can be found in the Wildlife Removal Handbook, 3rd ed.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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Trapping Skunks Part 1

Trapping skunks (Mephitis mephitis) cage or box traps is one of the easiest tasks a beginning trapper can accomplish as skunks are not known for being trap shy and are readily attracted to fatty baits. Of course, the challenge with skunks is not the trapping but the handling of the trap.

Cage-trapped skunk. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.
Cage-trapped skunk. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.

Before You Begin Trapping Skunks

  • Check the wildlife laws in your area. Typically, state divisions of wildlife (where someone would purchase a hunting license) will be the governing authority on the trapping of skunks. You need to have the following questions answered:
    • Is it legal to cage or box trap skunks? Colloquially this is known as live trapping. I don’t use the term live trap because it is not accurate because footholds are live traps.
    • Is it legal to cage trap skunks at this time of year?
    • How can the skunks be disposed of?
      • Can it be killed? If so, what are the legal or recommended methods? You may be required to kill the skunk if it appears sick or injured.
      • Can it be relocated (transport and release of skunk within its home-range (often a mile or two). What locations constitute a legal release site?
      • Can it be translocated (transport and release of skunk outside its home-range (10 miles or more). What locations constitute a legal release site?
  • Gather skunks trapping equipment. At minimum you should have:
    • Protective gloves
    • Fried chicken scraps (note house cats are attracted to this bait)
    • 1/4-inch hardware cloth two-inches wider on all sides (except the trap entry) than the trap’s footprint (the part that sets on the ground. This screening is to protect the turf/soil beneath and around the trap from being dug up by the trapped skunk. If you use professional style traps with 1/2-inch by 1-inch mesh, this material can be skipped.
    • Cage traps that are at least 7- x 7- x 24-inches in size (single door).
    • Trap covers large enough to cover half the length of the trap on three sides and the rear. This cover gives the skunk a place to hide and you a blind spot to approach the trap without fear of being sprayed. Covers can be made of durable cloth (e.g. old bathroom towel, hardened cardboard, or even plywood.
    • A large trap cover capable of covering the entire trap length and sides. This cover will be used to keep the trapped skunk in the dark before you pick up the trap to move it.
  • Time
    • You must have enough time each day to check the trap, preferably in the morning. Never set a trap unless you can check it. Checking means, every day, including holidays, when the weather is bad, when you don’t feel like it, etc.
    • Ideally, close the door during daylight hours. This way you won’t catch animals during the day. But you will need to return at dusk to reset the trap so it is available to catch a nocturnal skunk.

Bottom Line

Trapping skunks requires preparation in both your attitude and in equipment. But careful preparation will assist you when you do have the skunk in possession but that will have to wait till the next blog.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

 

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