Defenders STV088 Rat & Squirrel CAGE Trap, Silver, One Size
Caring control of pets & wildlife
Cage traps from Defenders
Reliable, safe, and welfare-friendly Defenders cage traps come with a lifetime promise giving you complete peace of mind.
Rat & Squirrel Cage from Defenders
For quick and secure trapping of nuisance animals.
The Rat & Small Animal Cage trap from Defenders is ideal for capture and removal of rats, squirrels and other small sized nuisance animals from indoor and outdoor areas. It has a drop-door activated by a sensitive foot plate behind which bait is placed. The trap is fully assembled and ready to use with a protective hand plate and carrier handle for safe operation.
- Easy to set cage with positive spring-loaded trigger actions and protective hand plates.
- Long-lasting galvanised mesh design with external joints and no sharp edges.
- Suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
- Includes lifetime promise.
- Measures 36 x 14 x 16cm.
- Fully assembled and ready to use.
- Part of a comprehensive range of cage traps from Defenders.
Product Highlights
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Lifetime PromiseThe lifetime promise on all Defenders’ cage traps provides end-users with complete peace of mind. The traps are designed and built for years of reliable use, with an absolute commitment to animal welfare and user-safety. With heavy duty galvanised metal, durable moving parts and single-piece mesh construction. Defenders’ cage traps are well suited for use inside and out, year after year. | Made WellAll traps are designed and tested by pest-control professionals and use proven spring technology – tested to ensure no loss of power, even after years of use. | Welfare FriendlyUsed correctly, cage traps are a welfare-friendly way to remove nuisance animals from affected areas – both indoors and out – without doing them harm. External joints mean no sharp edges within the cage and each cage has been designed to allow maximum space for trapped animal. The hand plate also provides a sheltered area to protect trapped animals from the elements. | Safe to useAn efficient open-and-release mechanism on the trap doors allow for quick and easy operation. The strong carry handles with protective hand plate enables safe and secure transportation. |
Know the code
Whether trapping birds or animals, we advise users to be mindful of their legal obligations to comply with The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and to ensure that captured animals do not suffer.
- Position traps away from natural or man-made hazards and areas prone to flooding.
- It is good practice to check cage traps regularly for catches. Remove traps that can not be regularly checked.
- Remember: the welfare of all captured animals becomes the responsibility of the captor.
- For live releases: transport animals at least 3 miles from catch-site and release into a natural environment away from any obvious and immediate risk of danger or predators. Ensure there are adequate sources of food and shelter available nearby.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lifetime promise | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Welfare – friendly | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cage size | 36 x 14 x 16cm | 96 x 34 x 39cm | 60 x 19 x 19cm | 44 x 19 x19 | 67 x 27 x 28cm | 98 x 78 x 53cm |
| Dimensions: | 36 x 14 x 16 cm; 880 Grams |
| Model: | STV088 |
| Part: | STV088 |
| Manufacture: | STV International |
Unfortunately we had a rogue rat get into our house after having our boiler replaced. I set up the trap and in the same night we caught it. The trap held it well, it was just a little noisy from it rattling during the night once the rat had been caught. I’m not one for killing living things so wanted something humane and it’s worked well. I didn’t find the set up too tricky and was able to set it before putting it down in the room we needed it in which was a bonus.
This is not the cheapest live trap, but it seems well-made. I like the solid metal upper which offers a small amount of shelter from rain and sun for the short time between checking (though I would always recommend placing it in a properly sheltered area for humane operation).
The paddle is sensitive and the door shuts quickly. So far I haven’t caught the rat, but it takes time to catch the experienced rats as they are neophobic.
Live near fields and now have a rat problem! I had this trap in the garden but no luck catching them. After finding rats destroying the shed I put it in the shed. First night I caught one, very pleased. Can’t kill anything so took it to woodland and let it go. Caught three others after they nested in hedgehog huts by putting some old plastic traps in the doorway but th is trap will last and is well made. Hopefully I will catch more, fingers crossed!
Very well made, strong, sturdy and effective.
I have managed to successfully capture everything that was not supposed to be living inside the house!
Setting the trap is a little tricky due to short hook but a little patience gets it armed.
Easy to use, we baited the trap with cheese, apple and peanuts (thought we would cover all suggested rat favourites!) and placed it along the wall of the loft and within only a few hours we heard the cage rattling indicating a successful capture. We picked up the cage with Mr/Miss rat and put a towel over it and released him/her a mile or so away in a rural area. Would absolutely recommend this humane trap, it was easy/effective and best of all, no animals were harmed !
Cracking bit of kit, catching the enemy on a regular basis now. The holes in the top are big enough to place an Air rifle against so the pellet can dispatch the furry blighters with ease
Second night of putting it out and it worked. I set him free in some woods. They don’t like being trapped. It make a hell of a screaming noise when you approach them. Well recommended
Works as intended (I caught a squirrel within 2 days of first use), and there’s virtually nothing on it which should break through normal use. Hence, excellent value.
However, like other reviewers, I have unintentionally caught hedgehogs. If this happens, please just quietly open the trap and leave it alone for a while to calm down and wander off. Don’t handle it unless absolutely necessary.
Great product. Caught 22 rats with this. Easy to set up. Catches all sized rats from the largest to the smallest. Only downside is the smallest rats can escape through the hole where the hook goes. This is easily sorted by previously attaching a strip of cardboard on one side previously and securing it once caught if small. Just remember to relocate a few miles away or they can return.
This has worked for me and still does. Easy to use and traps pests such as grey squirrels etc.
BE VERY AWARE– it is illegal in the UK to capture then release a grey squirrel. They are considered vermin the same as rats. You must have a plan to humanely destroy them once caught, you cannot release them again. If you don’t agree with this, or aren’t able to carry out what you must BY LAW then this product is not for you.
1st night just placed it in garden , nothing so covered it with a bin black bag , a piece off timber at the sides
peanut butter with a peanut on the the target , a nut in front off entrance , a squire 2nd and 3rd night ,
could off got another during the 2nd day but front gate stuck , so wd40 the runners . ( under bird feeder)
can’t believe it just set it again before i did this ,yeah got another one ..great my plants thank you
Fantastic product. I feel confident using this trap and safe taking the rat away. I’ve used peanut butter and it’s been a success. Would highly recommend!!!
I’ve since caught another. What a brilliant conTRAPtion!!!
Within 30 minutes the squirrel was sniffing found the cage a bit cautiously but removing the nuts placed outside. Another 20 minutes and it was halfway in and leaning forward to eat more placed in front of the baited plate. This slow process obviously gave the squirrel confidence. Within 90 minutes he went right in and tripped the lever and was caught.
I was so impressed. I thought I’d be waiting days or that it might be too clever to get caught.
I’m glad I followed the baiting advice. A few bits to lure it in so it can then come back for the crucial last bits on the plate at the end.
I can’t rate this highly enough. Speedy next day delivery too.
UPDATE: 2 days later (today) I caught 2 squirrels within an hour using same luring technique as above. They seem to treat it like a horizontal bird feeder!
Caught three tree rats within a week using bird seed as bait.
Its durable, well made and it works well at a good price. More than happy.
Make sure you wear sensible glove when handling the trap to prevent infection or bites. Even when empty as whatever has been trapped may release body fluids if stressed.
Picture misleading as you only get one trap but it is well made and very sturdy
This cage has not caught any critters in our loft, but it appears to have acted as a great deterrent , no more noises from the loft.
1. It worked – I caught a grey squirrel 2 days after it arrived.
2. At first the door would not open because a corner of the sheet metal lining was bent obstructing it.
3. Safety advice not obvious from instructions to hold trip bar lever firmly whilst baiting the trap.
4. Advice on bait for greys and how to get the bait to stay in place might be helpful if for example peanuts are used and how to lay a lure trail of easy wins.
5. Important: advice to prepare fully for the ‘despatch’ before hand – decide on the method and ensure equipment to hand before setting trap not apparent – to ensure minimum delay.
6. Greys are lightening fast and their hides are really tough – if a slightly smaller extra internal mesh side could be released manually to clamp the rodent to the opposite side of the cage to administer the ‘coup de gras’ it could speed up the despatch considerably OR instruct how to use some wire or cord to effect the same.
Captured and held a grey squirrel for hours! Also easy to set and open! Great!
Such a good trap for Grey squirrels. They just walk in after the peanut butter and the trap shuts tight.
I can’t believe I’m writing a review about this, but seriously this has completely transformed my garden. I’ve now removed about 6 grey squirrels and the birds are finally starting to come back. Wish I’d bought this years ago…
It is an effective unit, does catch rats.
I thought I was getting two units for 21.
Only one unit should be in the picture.
Please remove the picture with two units.
An instance of misleading advertiseme
caught my loft squirrel on the second day of use
We bought this trap just over a week ago after realising the one rat we thought we had had turned into a family of four.
This appeared the best for value as well as the job compared to others and we have been pleases. The only evidence of anything we found that might harm a rat was a little piece of metal sticking up from the base that attaches to the trigger plate. Covered with blue tac and is now solved.
A little fiddly to get the trap set up on first go but then becomes a breeze. Cut the tag off the top or you will think the trap fails to hold the door in place. Don’t touch with bare hands as they avoid human scent. We followed other review advice and left it out sealed for them to get used to as they are fearful of new objects.
Push the bait (we used peanut butter) to the back of the plate to encourage them in far enough. We have caught one of the babies this morning and capture to release for us took under 10 minutes. We attached string to the front door push plate to be able to release him without getting fingers near the door. Popped the trap in a big really useful box and covered with a sack to darken it. Instantly stilled his distress. He was sat calmly when we let him go.
Babies can’t fit through the bars but little swine bank voles can after they stroll in for a snack and trigger the door! Sturdy, safe and easy to use.
Cage was delivered fully assembled with reasonably clear instructions.
The packaging was inadequate so the trap mechanism was a bit bent on delivery, a bit of re-shaping by hand (wearing protective gloves as some of the edges are sharp) fixed it.
Trap was laid on the attic floor. Other reviews mentioned that putting some weight either side or on top of the trap would prevent the animal pushing it over to get at the bait. Day 1, squirrel showed no interest. Day 2, squirrel turned the trap over and stole the bait. Almond and peanut butter.
Day 3 trap reset with weights either side. No interest shown.
Day 4 re baited with fresh sweetcorn. Squirrel captured after about 2 hours.
The trap looks a bit small, but in fact there is plenty of room for the animal. The squirrel went nuts in the trap and it was good that the cage was secured as damage might have occurred. Wear heavy gloves to prevent possibility of bites or scratches. If live release, attach cord to bottom of trap door, one foot on the trap, pull cord and trap in open.
Overall, a good bit of kit for the price and occasional use.
Bought this cage and caught the squirrel first night..and boy did it make alot of noise
Did the job to remove unwanted squirrels from my loft which were not put off by the usual deterrents
The Boomtown Rats song seems an appropriate title for this trap. We’d had a squirrel getting into our loft directly above our bedroom for several weeks before finally buying this trap. The noise – particularly at night – prevented us getting a good sleep, and we were worried about damage to cables etc.
I baited the trap with a good dollop of peanut butter and set it in the loft. About 18 hours (later – at 7am the next morning) we heard a sharp clang as the trapdoor shut and then rattling of the cage.
Gloves on, I climbed up into the loft and saw we had caught the squirrel. Carefully lifting the cage by the handle I moved it into a cardboard box. The squirrel calmed down when in the dark of the box. Another reason for the box is that the squirrel poos copiously when trapped and you don’t want that through your house or in your car.
We drove 3 miles to a park and (gloves on) opened the door. The squirrel sped away – hopefully never to return.
We’ve set the trap up again and will keep it up for a few more nights in case the squirrely we caught told his pals about the nice warm loft.
It’s a good trap and it works. It’s easy to set and, once the animal is caught, you can handle it carefully without fear of getting bitten (wear gloves though).
The Boomtown Rats song seems an appropriate title for this trap. We’d had a squirrel getting into our loft directly above our bedroom for several weeks before finally buying this trap. The noise – particularly at night – prevented us getting a good sleep, and we were worried about damage to cables etc.
I baited the trap with a good dollop of peanut butter and set it in the loft. About 18 hours (later – at 7am the next morning) we heard a sharp clang as the trapdoor shut and then rattling of the cage.
Gloves on, I climbed up into the loft and saw we had caught the squirrel. Carefully lifting the cage by the handle I moved it into a cardboard box. The squirrel calmed down when in the dark of the box. Another reason for the box is that the squirrel poos copiously when trapped and you don’t want that through your house or in your car.
We drove 3 miles to a park and (gloves on) opened the door. The squirrel sped away – hopefully never to return.
We’ve set the trap up again and will keep it up for a few more nights in case the squirrely we caught told his pals about the nice warm loft.
It’s a good trap and it works. It’s easy to set and, once the animal is caught, you can handle it carefully without fear of getting bitten (wear gloves though).
The cadge is good at first after a few captures of animals the bate area of the cadge begins to go out of shape so the animal can get food without being traped, bate area of the cadge Requires adjustments
Excellent. Trap worked within twenty minutes of putting in place with tasty morsels inside. Very happy with purchase as it’s well built, easy to use and will last.
I purchased this product a few weeks ago.It was to replace the Gingbau trap I purchased last year. I was tempted to re purchase the Gingbau trap but it was a little flimsy and if you caught a squirrel and it was in the trap for about 30 minutes it causes so much damage by gnawing through the wire sides and in doing so jumps around and breaks the trip plate. I did in fact catch three squirrels and one rat in about five weeks. However, I had to throw the trap away as it was beyond repair.
This year the squirrels’ are back in force. Digging up my lawn and removing bark from the trees. Not to mention the huge amount of expensive nuts and seeds meant for the birds.
So I purchased the defender.
Wow what a difference. Three squirrels caught in the first morning.Eight over a nine day period. These were not the red lovely tufty ones but the grey vandal ones. This is the chefton tank of the trap world.
I have not seen a squirrel for over a week and have only filled my seed holders once this week.Not every day as previously. Worth ever penny. The trap remains undamaged and as good as the day I received it.
I purchased this product a few weeks ago.It was to replace the Gingbau trap I purchased last year. I was tempted to re purchase the Gingbau trap but it was a little flimsy and if you caught a squirrel and it was in the trap for about 30 minutes it causes so much damage by gnawing through the wire sides and in doing so jumps around and breaks the trip plate. I did in fact catch three squirrels and one rat in about five weeks. However, I had to throw the trap away as it was beyond repair.
This year the squirrels’ are back in force. Digging up my lawn and removing bark from the trees. Not to mention the huge amount of expensive nuts and seeds meant for the birds.
So I purchased the defender.
Wow what a difference. Three squirrels caught in the first morning.Eight over a nine day period. These were not the red lovely tufty ones but the grey vandal ones. This is the chefton tank of the trap world.
I have not seen a squirrel for over a week and have only filled my seed holders once this week.Not every day as previously. Worth ever penny. The trap remains undamaged and as good as the day I received it.
Worked fine once I cut the cable tie that was holding the bar to set the door and caught my furry friend and set him free in the countryside
Easy to set up but needs to pinned down with peg. Only caught three hedgehogs so no harm done to them.
I thought they should be hibernating
I had something running through the cavity walls in my house making loads of noise!
I set this up in the loft with peanuts inside and outside the trap.
Day 1: peanuts outside the trap gone not triggered
Day 2: peanuts inside the trap gone not triggered
The next day I put Peanut butter on the trigger plate
Day 3: nothing
Day 4: THE BIGGEST RAT I HAD EVER SEEN!
I released it a few miles away in some forest/shrubland
My house is now silent and I love it. Simply by catching this rat it has paid for itself.
I have however reset it with more peanut butter – 3 days later still nothing.
Amazing
Had squirrels in our loft, set the traps with peanut butter and 24 hours later caught one of the squirrels, re set the traps and 24 hours later had the second one
These traps are simply and humane allowing you to release the caught animal away from your property or dispose of them should you wish
Product is excellent highly recommended buy with confidence
Placed the trap with a few salted peanuts on the feeder flap, and some nuts leading up to it and slightly inside to attract the squirrels – a few hours later, one squirrel caught and disposed of, next morning 2 more squirrels were also caught – no more squirrels in the attic – super happy at how quick and easy it was to solve.
Update – my squirrel population was actually much larger, I caught 16 Squirrels over about 2 weeks – nothing but praise for the Trap – also a tip, sometimes the flap on the mechanism where you bait, gets a little stiff because of friction between the flap and the swinging arm, just clean the edges so it is free – also you can adjust sensitivity by bending upwards the edge of the flap that contacts the arm, this will make it less sensitive. Also, my flap became very stiff all of a sudden, to fix this, look underneath the flap and make sure the spring wire is central in the fixing at its base…..
Bought to catch the 3 grey squirrels gnawing our fruit tree and the bird feeders hanging in it. Easy to set-up and sturdy. I wore gloves to minimise human scent and put a few bird peanuts on the bait tray and left under the tree; first catch within 3 hours of setting up. 2 more catches subsequent days. Hopefully that’s the last of them and the birds can return to dine as intended.
Positives:
– Sturdy & gnaw proof. Don’t think there is any way an occupant could escape even if it tipped the trap over
Negatives:
– Not sure why the picture shows 2 traps, I found this a bit misleading.
– Have to lift & hold door to release occupant – this was time-consuming and uncomfortable when I caught a hedgehog in error and had to squat on the floor holding the door until it decided to uncurl and trot out.
A strong trap, well made, of good quality. You have to remove the plastic tie wrap on the opposite side of the door opening. Also, the flap that moves up and down where you place the food needs to be moved to be under the small retaining support on the side of the cage, on my trap the flap was on top of the support, which prevented the trap from functioning properly, as only one side could be pushed down. To fix this, if your flap isn’t free to move up and down, you put your hand inside the trap and push and slightly flex the flap at the bottom to get it underneath the support – after this it is ready to use. See image uploaded of the flap and support in correct position.
Placed the trap with a few salted peanuts on the feeder flap, and some nuts leading up to it and slightly inside to attract the squirrels – a few hours later, one squirrel caught and disposed of, next morning 2 more squirrels were also caught – no more squirrels in the attic – super happy at how quick and easy it was to solve.
Update – my squirrel population was actually much larger, I caught 16 Squirrels over about 2 weeks – nothing but praise for the Trap – also a tip, sometimes the flap on the mechanism where you bait, gets a little stiff because of friction between the flap and the swinging arm, just clean the edges so it is free – also you can adjust sensitivity by bending upwards the edge of the flap that contacts the arm, this will make it less sensitive. Also, my flap became very stiff all of a sudden, to fix this, look underneath the flap and make sure the spring wire is central in the fixing at its base…..
Had to make a few adjustments to make it more sensitive but when I did I caught 2 squirrels I 3 days, sturdy construction, very happy with i
We had a couple of squirrels living above the ceiling in our loft conversion. I caught both within 24 hours using this trap.
The mechanism is very sensitive – the first time I put it out, heavy rain triggered it. However, with a pair of pliers it’s easy to tweak the door hook and/or the edge of the bait platform to make it slightly less sensitive.
I washed it before use, as others have suggested, to remove any lingering human scent, and used peanut butter as bait. Caught the first one within a couple of hours of setting it, having placed it at the base of our tree. I didn’t wash the trap after catching the first as I thought any squirrel scent on it might help.
Both squirrels now enjoying a new life in woodland a few miles away.
Excellent product.
This trap was brilliant, set it really easily and had a rat by the morning, then easy and safe to carry and easy to release the rat far far away in the wild -other reviews had helped with how to do this simply- i stood on it with one foot and used a stick to push the door bit open – super simple and super quick and rat left keenly. very good strong product, easy to set and release and easy to clean.
This cage is a slightly improved version of the one we’ve had for 10 years and it is a lot more robust than the goldy-looking ones which are purported to be a double catcher (though I doubt this happens often in practice due to the nature the beast). However, one must take care to set it on a flat surface and we found by experience that very small rats can escape if they are persistent enough and find the gap in the door where the hook connects where the gap is slightly bigger than the surrounding cage. Overall, a good choice.
This product is fantastic. It arrived and I set it up with a blob of chunky peanut butter and then put it in the loft. Went to bed and when I woke in the morning I could hear the trap had worked. An added bonus there was another squirrel heading to the loft from outside. It frighten it away so no more squirrels. I fully recommend this product.
Every winter we have the same problem, the rodents from the fields to the back of the property and from the stables invade the houses on the estate and look for somewhere warm and dry to bed down. Absolute nuisance but we did choose to live in a rural area so I guess it’s part of the price.
Anyway, we have two very active collies and there is other wildlife which visit from time to time – badgers, foxes, local cats and a suchlike. This, and my daughter’s fascination with conservation and wildlife in general means we can’t lay poison and needed to find a humane way to deal with the rodent issue in a humane way.
So far, this has worked perfectly. Setting this trap is simplicity itself a large tray at one end for bait which operates a swing-arm that releases the door. Very simple, very easy to use and effective. It works, just as you would expect. As the door folds in the middle (medium resistance spring fold) and locks to the swing arm, it snaps shut very fast and securely. The inward motion and fold means that anything caught in the trap cannot force the door open to escape and it is contained securely within the trap. A metal plate on the top protects fingers from any over-excited and vengeful critters and it has a decent carry handle to make transporting easier.
The product is well made and finished with all edges clean and no sharp protrusions that could cause injury.
Money well spent on a good product and a functional humane trap that has worked a treat.
Every winter we have the same problem, the rodents from the fields to the back of the property and from the stables invade the houses on the estate and look for somewhere warm and dry to bed down. Absolute nuisance but we did choose to live in a rural area so I guess it’s part of the price.
Anyway, we have two very active collies and there is other wildlife which visit from time to time – badgers, foxes, local cats and a suchlike. This, and my daughter’s fascination with conservation and wildlife in general means we can’t lay poison and needed to find a humane way to deal with the rodent issue in a humane way.
So far, this has worked perfectly. Setting this trap is simplicity itself a large tray at one end for bait which operates a swing-arm that releases the door. Very simple, very easy to use and effective. It works, just as you would expect. As the door folds in the middle (medium resistance spring fold) and locks to the swing arm, it snaps shut very fast and securely. The inward motion and fold means that anything caught in the trap cannot force the door open to escape and it is contained securely within the trap. A metal plate on the top protects fingers from any over-excited and vengeful critters and it has a decent carry handle to make transporting easier.
The product is well made and finished with all edges clean and no sharp protrusions that could cause injury.
Money well spent on a good product and a functional humane trap that has worked a treat.
HAVING TRIED VARIOUS RAT TRAPS THE DEFENDER HASA EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS IN CATCHING
BOTH ADULT AND YOUNG RATS STRAIGHT AWAY. I’VE USED PEANUT BUTTER ON CHEESE AND BIG CHEESE
ATTRACTANT. WELL WORTH THE MONEY AS THE DEFENDER HAS DONE THE JOB.
This trap is very well made, sturdy and easy to use. Reading other reviews with hints and tips is very worthwhile. Don’t underestimate ratty, they are seemingly very intelligent creatures! We’ve been foiled by mice taking the bait and tripping the door trap. This is however is a great trap, but not for mice!! Patience and perseverance!
We had been seeing two different squirrels on our lawn and bird feeders. This worked like a charm. Bought it over the weekend and received it on Tuesday at 1.30pm. Baited it with peanut butter and a few peanut granules. We put a few peanut granules on the spoon then a dollop of peanut butter on top then just turn the spoon upside down and the bait drops into the right place on the plate.
Caught the first squirrel by 3pm.
Followed the advice of another reviewer and tied a piece of string to the opening catch in order to keep fingers away from the squirrels teeth.
Also, in order to ensure we didn’t get any human smell on it we used gloves at all times when handling or adding bait.
We also add a couple of peanuts just inside the entrance as a temptation to entice them into the trap.
Once the squirrel is inside we cover the trap with a towel so that it calms down fairly quickly.
We only leave out the trap during regular daylight hours as squirrels only come out during daytime and we don’t want to catch any hedgehogs during evening or nighttime. Overnight we store it in the shed or greenhouse ready baited for next morning.
Update: It’s now Saturday morning and we’ve now caught five grey squirrels in five days. Is this a record? We will need to buy another jar of peanut butter soon!
Caught 3 squirrels in two day ,Great product does the job well just the door could be easier to release them
Does the job. Got rid of a large number within days. Nuts and chocolate work a treat to get them inside and trap them. If you don’t like someone and they live about 2 miles plus away it’s a good idea to set them free outside their house. Better still through their letterbox.
Does what it is supposed to. Best thing I have bought for ages
Squirrels we are over run with grey Squirrels or should I say we were. This trap has been out just under 3 weeks and it is Squirrels 0 us 6!!! Baited with peanut butter, apple and peanuts. Fantastic humane trap. This is staying out to rehome more of the critters.
A good quality squirrel trap, I have been having a great deal of garden damage caused by these pests including holes dug all over the lawn but worst of all, damage to my garden trees causing branches being destroyed, these then have to be removed due to infection caused by squirrel bark stripping. The trap works very well allowing the squirrels to be dispatched quickly.
Best 20 ever spent , Having problems with the fury critters on a new lawn and they are turning it into a 18 hole golf course .
Bought the trap put some peanut butter on the trigger plate with a few nuts & not even 20mins later No1 critter down 😉
Very stable and easy to setup
Well worth the money 😉
Very strong the cage door is very sensitive. Can close by itself. You have to be careful though. To catch anything the best thing to use is peanut butter. It didn’t take long for us to catch a rat. It was Three days.
This has proved a very good buy as we were getting loads of squirrels in our garden eating all the food out of the bird feeders. We have caught 4 now a released them out into the wild. The cage is very strong and would recommend.
The cage arrived promptly. The door closing needed assistance to get it to work as the groves on the two sides (where the metal side ends of the door runs up and down for opening and closing) were not quite well aligned and the metal scraped and the door stuck. When they were prised out and the run made smooth with some WD40, the sprung door worked. The trigger mechanism design too was not efficient; squirrels could eat food on the plate and get out without triggering the door closure. Food needed to be placed right back to make the animals disturb the trigger down rod for the trap to work. Once this was figured out food kept in the right place the trap worked well. A brick/stone weight on top kept the box grounded well. Peanut seem to be the best squirrel bait.
Did the job, Mr Rat was cautious and took a week but this is normal. Worked as intended. Only thing it’s missing is I’d put some string or chain on the catch release so you don’t have to put your fingers near an angry rat and can pull the release from above.
The cage arrived promptly. The door closing needed assistance to get it to work as the groves on the two sides (where the metal side ends of the door runs up and down for opening and closing) were not quite well aligned and the metal scraped and the door stuck. When they were prised out and the run made smooth with some WD40, the sprung door worked. The trigger mechanism design too was not efficient; squirrels could eat food on the plate and get out without triggering the door closure. Food needed to be placed right back to make the animals disturb the trigger down rod for the trap to work. Once this was figured out food kept in the right place the trap worked well. A brick/stone weight on top kept the box grounded well. Peanut seem to be the best squirrel bait.
Quite easy to set up but can trigger if you move it to a new location. I also put two bricks on top, either side of trigger on top to reduce chance of accidental triggering.
Caught two squirrels relatively quickly. I would recommend this product.
This works too good as I caught 2 slugs and a blackbird on my first 3 attempts , baiting for a rat with peanut butter . It’s very sensitive and tends to activate at the slightest movent . I’ll do an update on the rat situation .
Incredibly effective and good value.
I would point out that the unit may require some adjustment at the actual spring loaded door so that when the trap is sprung the door is not prevented from snapping shut. In my case the roller guide needs opening up s little to allow a speedy closure.
The caught animal must be humanely killed quickly after trapping or released some where safe as quickly as possible after catching. If you set the trap it needs to be checked later the same day so the animal is not in distress for very long. For squirrels I use peanut butter stuck as far away from the door on the bait plate so the weight of the rodent sets off the trap. They are very cautious animals but need some tasty bites to get to the prize at the other end of the trap
I’ve had amazing results in the two weeks I’ve owned it.
I bought my trap to catch rats in our loft and read the reviews before purchase. It is a sturdy cage with a handy metal plate under the carrying handle. As some other reviews have said, it’s a bit fiddly to set and lacking instructions. Nevertheless, it is easy enough when you work it out. I didn’t have any peanut butter as recommended, so used a few chunks of solid cheese as bait, without success in the first 3 – 4 weeks. Then I added a knob of cheese spread to the mouldy cheese lumps. Hey presto, a few weeks later I caught a mid sized rat! It works. Now to humanely dispose of it….I was shaking as its not for the feint hearted. I put the cage with the rat in the boot of the car and drove half a mile to waste ground. Opening the cage is not so easy, while trying to avoid being bitten. The door ‘pull handle’ could do with a pull cord or similar, to open it from a distance. This is why I gave it 4 rather than 5 stars.
Works as described; I’ve caught squirrels and rats in mine.
I have noticed that squirrels will stick their paws in the side and try (sometimes successfully) to swipe the peanut butter from the bait tray, setting off the trap in the process, so I’ve had the trap triggered several times with the bait gone but no catch.
A slightly more successful approach as been to put to some peanut butter out the front of the cage as well as the bait tray. This seems to lead the animal towards the bait tray.
Also, don’t put too much bait on the tray; the heavier it is, the more sensitive it is.
VERY fiddly to set up and if you don’t somehow secure bait to plate it will get taken without trap going off BUT if you preserve it’s quite effective.
Rusted a bit at the start but has been solid and ok since. It’s been outside in all sorts of weather for 3 weeks now
Unfortunately the squirrels decided to give our garden a miss after the cage arrived!
Tried other methods, which did not work, these are not cheap, but they do work. One of my friends suggested putting peanut butter as bait, after I stopprd laughing I tried it. It worked!!
Then a little drive and let it go out in the countryside, end of problem.
It worked when other things did not. Took about 2 days to trap the squirrel in my loft and I released it humanely.
Great service and value for money. The rat however moved on so didn’t get a chance to use it thank goodness but hopefully the rat has told the others to stay away as we have a rat trap!
Garden is minus one large rat now. Used a bottle top with peanut butter as bait- double sided tape to stick it near the far end of the pressure plate.
A bit fiddly to set. You need to ensure the the counter weight leg (steel with triangular foot) is NOT on the pressure plate, if it is the trap cannot operate. The pressure plate has a cut out where the leg sits naturally when set. It is also a bit tricky when getting the vermin (in this case grey squirrels) at the back of the trap to get the door open to get them into a bag to despatch humanely, but with a bit of practice and another pair of hands worked okay. A pellet gun would be a better solution.
7 grey squirrels (despatched) 1 black bird (released) in 6 days.
I have had this trap a week on the dot today. I have to say though felt sketchy at the start, really does the job. I haven’t exactly put this trap in a well hidden place either & still got joy.
This does require a bit of tweaking though, the cage door didn’t want to shutting initially & was catching on itself, which was scratching the side panels. But that was nothing a bit of oil/ WD40 couldn’t fix quickly. Also, for mine I had to make a minor adjustment to the baiting area (see photo) I bent the metal panel up; as I found the weight of the bait, kept prematurely triggering it. The best bait I’ve found is bird seed, monkey nuts, peanut butter. (just in case you wanted to know)
Tally
5x squirrels (wish i had a picture of the big one I caught, makes the squirrel in the picture look small)
1x Rat
1x Hedgehog 😀
Set with a strawberry in it, caught the squirrel within 24 hours, won’t be going in my roof again, quick and humane dispatch , job done, excellent trap, people leaving feedback and videos showing / telling about releasing squirrels, please be aware your breaking the law in doing so and will face a hefty fine if caught , releasing caught grey squirrels back into the wild is a criminal offence
This is a well made trap which does not harm the trapped animal. I am trying to catch a rat in garden which turns up when we feed hedgehogs. No luck catching rat yet but have caught a hedgehog and released unharmed.
Easy to use, works terrific, good value and very robust.
bought this when the rat poison failed……..cought the rat within three days.
well mad and does the job.
….catching rats requires patience…intelligent animals….very wary of anything new in their vicinity…..catch rate – slow but building……
……..trap easy to set …humane capture…..transport to new location is secure and straightforward….
The product is certainly well made, and it was important that it had a flat metal plate across the handle area, to protect your hand whilst transporting.
It can be a bit fiddly setting the trap.
After two evenings getting the rats used to feeding in and around the trap set the trap. Caught one rat that third evening. A second a few days latter. I did catch a young mouse but another mouse evaded capture by stretching across the spring device. So looking to use the Big Cheese mouse trap
Robust, good hand hold when something is inside, easy to reset.
I find myself disappointed though, so far I’ve only caught a cute mouse instead of the damned rat that sets off the motion sensor light at 0200.
Well worth investing in if you wish to humanely capture a pest animal.
First one arrived had a bent gate runner so the gate would jam half way. Sent it back. Replacement is perfect. Keep it oiled and move it after each capture.
A rat kept entering my garden from my neighbours house, it was a really large one which was quite a sight in my small garden. For a month I battled with it, trying to entice it with various baits, in the end I used a cooked chicken Tikka slice, placed at the very back of the trap with a bbq skewer – to ensure I didn’t leave any scent. Today I caught him, you can see how large he is in comparison to the cage size. Very happy with my purchase, a no brainier if you want to get the job done!
Had 2 large rats visiting our garden, caught them both ( separate days) and relocated them.
Easy to use needed a little adjustment to “fine tune”, otherwise grea
You will need patience, firstly to set the trap and secondly to await success. Skill in setting the trap improves with time. After nearly a month our adult rat has yet to be tempted but we have caught the less-clever young one.
The trap is very well made – sturdy, easy to use and good value. Used for a week because of ‘visitors’ from a neighbour’s garden with a food rich compost heap. In that time trapped a blackbird (released) and a sparrow (RIP). However, as picture shows, rats enjoyed playing round the trap and eating grass seeds in preference to the feast set out inside the cage. After a week of this mocking we got the Local Authority ‘rat man’ in who dealt with the issue (although probably not humanely). Cannot fault the trap – just the uninspired rats.
So purchased one of these less than a week ago, within the first hour we managed to trap our first squirrel, decided to purchase a second trap so we can set one up as my husband takes the first trap miles away to set the squirrel free. To date and with less than a week of use, we have trapped 8 squirrels (we have a lot in the garden and we think loft, based on the noise). We have found peanuts are the best to bait, we put a few on the mark and then drop a few outside and in the entrance, seems to lull them into a false sense of security and they slowly make their way inside. Another tip, if you can’t let them loose immediately, throw a blanket or towel over the trap, this makes them calmer and less likely to hurt themselves.
Caught 6 squirrels in 48 hours between this and a toolstation cage – this cage is pictured on the right hand side next to the basic toolstation cage with a super large Mumma Squirrel in.
Tip – if you catch a baby squirrel – bait Mum with a cage next door to it – she went in 2 minutes flat!
Found it easier to use than the basic toolstation one would recommend this one and if you have a squirrel problem het two cages – squish peanut butter to the food trap as pictured with the first pic of a baby squirrel, if for loft use place a flat bit of cardboard under the trap to catch squirrel wee and save your insulation/lift boards! It stinks!
It works, but it took a couple of days. We have had two rats in the garden since we moved into our new house a few weeks ago, which have probably been here for ages. They were very bold (always out in the daytime) and very inquisitive. We thought they would go for the bait (chocolate) straight away, but they are highly intelligent animals and quite wary. The “trick” was to remove all the other obvious food sources (we had various bird feeders in the garden), so they wouldn’t have much choice. He went into the trap 3 or 4 times without setting it off (they are very clever!), but finally put some weight on to the platform and the door snapped shut. Safety released in open countryside six miles way. One down, one to go.
Easy to use although the entrance would allow small hedgehogs to enter so we put bricks in front to make it smaller. Mice and small rodents can exit through the bars which we like. We have caught three rats, two rehomed but unfortunately one was dead in the trap. Uninjured so maybe from shock.
Caught 2 of the pest squirrels on the first day of getting this trap, that were creating havoc in my garden. Peanuts seem to work the best, make sure the bait is right at the back as I watched one squirrel lean right in and take the bait without stepping on the plate. Very well made.
Very strong and well built cage. We bought to catch rats however we watched rats enter and eat food as they were to light to activate pressure plate. Probably best to use for squirrels
Loved seen squirrels in my garden especially my 2 year old until they managed to get to my loft through my neighbours overgrown trees.
Extremely annoying scattering noises between ceiling and the loft floor put us through nightmare as we couldn’t sleep properly for almost 4 weeks.
Before booking a pest controller I decided with low hopes to purchase one of these traps. I have to say it worked a treat. 4 squirrels caught in 1 week. It was family of four so can’t wait to get the 1 night off uninterrupted sleep.
Highly recommended. Cheaper than at any other retailers
The cage is a bit rattly (no pun intended) – it’s not built to very tight tolerances, but the wire it’s made from looks strong enough for the purpose and all the fixings, hooks and welds look good and have held so far.
The wire seems to be chrome plated rather than galvanized as per the adverts/info (better maybe). It’s resisted being outside in the rain and being washed a few times with no signs of rust.
Setting the trap mechanism is quite Heath Robinson – basically shift / adjust the retaining hook / bait plate hook a bit and then see how hard it is to set off by poking a twig through the bars.
Most of the reviews suggest you have to be very carefull about getting your smell on the trap by using gloves etc, but really, having used it and thinking on this, I got the trap to deal with rats attracted by the bird feeders I’ve had up for a few years now, and my smell on the bird feeders hasn’t deterred the rats at all, they’ve been crawling over the feeders and grabbing the food with their little hands most days for weeks now.
With the new trap, I left bait in the trap leaving the plastic tie that it shipped with in place to stop the mechanism from working. I let the furry friends get used to the scary new thing for a couple of weeks, and gave them a couple of easy free meals so they were really no longer afraid of it.
I then set the trap, removing the plastic tie so it could be triggered. For the first couple of weeks, something was just taking the bait and not setting off the trap. I kept adjusting the trap, trial and error really by moving the position of the big metal wire hook that sits on the edge of the bait plait, and the corresponding hook at the other end of the trap that holds the spring loaded door open.
You have to get the mechanism sensitive enough so that it goes off when a rat stands on the bait plate, but not so sensitive that it goes off due to a gust of wind, or before the rat even reaches the plate.
Took a couple of weeks to get it right, then I started catching a rat every day or so.
I’ve had no problem with catching other wildlife, the birds look interested, but I position the trap with the entrance at the edge of a bush and the other end in the open. The birds have a look, but don’t seem to like going under the bush near the trap. We get very few other mammals – haven’t seen a hedghog or mole for ages, the field mice/voles atc are probably too small to set the trap off and it’s still a bit early in the year for them given the bad weather so far (early May 21).
One of the rats cut his nose a bit – he was so agitated and desperate to get out, gnawing at the bars but he managed to stop every now and again to eat the bait (a bit of fatball – the same stuff he’s been eating off the bird feeders).
I (or others not too squeemish) do check the trap several times a day. Once the rat is caught, it’s best to cover the trap before you take them to a suitable release point (or dispatch them humanely – not my preference) a long way from human habitation, farm buildings etc. I put the trap complete with rat in the cardboard box it came in, with some newspaper at the bottom of the box. Once the box is closed ratty will likely settle down until you can release him/send him to rat heaven.
i found one rat dead in the trap, he could have only been there a few hours at most. Not sure why he died, he didn’t seem to be injured at all, maybe it was stress, or maybe he had already taken poison bait from somewhere nearby (there is a stables nearby and they might well use poison bait). He had nice food (the bait) and was not in the trap long enough for water to be a problem.
Anyhow, I found the Defender Rat and Squirell Trap Humane to work effectively, and it was reasonably priced for an effective trap that looks durable enough to last a few years. It is a bit of a fiddle to set the sensitivity of the mechanism so it will catch your rat etc, but once you have the hang of it it’s easy enough to use.
The cage is a bit rattly (no pun intended) – it’s not built to very tight tolerances, but the wire it’s made from looks strong enough for the purpose and all the fixings, hooks and welds look good and have held so far.
The wire seems to be chrome plated rather than galvanized as per the adverts/info (better maybe). It’s resisted being outside in the rain and being washed a few times with no signs of rust.
Setting the trap mechanism is quite Heath Robinson – basically shift / adjust the retaining hook / bait plate hook a bit and then see how hard it is to set off by poking a twig through the bars.
Most of the reviews suggest you have to be very carefull about getting your smell on the trap by using gloves etc, but really, having used it and thinking on this, I got the trap to deal with rats attracted by the bird feeders I’ve had up for a few years now, and my smell on the bird feeders hasn’t deterred the rats at all, they’ve been crawling over the feeders and grabbing the food with their little hands most days for weeks now.
With the new trap, I left bait in the trap leaving the plastic tie that it shipped with in place to stop the mechanism from working. I let the furry friends get used to the scary new thing for a couple of weeks, and gave them a couple of easy free meals so they were really no longer afraid of it.
I then set the trap, removing the plastic tie so it could be triggered. For the first couple of weeks, something was just taking the bait and not setting off the trap. I kept adjusting the trap, trial and error really by moving the position of the big metal wire hook that sits on the edge of the bait plait, and the corresponding hook at the other end of the trap that holds the spring loaded door open.
You have to get the mechanism sensitive enough so that it goes off when a rat stands on the bait plate, but not so sensitive that it goes off due to a gust of wind, or before the rat even reaches the plate.
Took a couple of weeks to get it right, then I started catching a rat every day or so.
I’ve had no problem with catching other wildlife, the birds look interested, but I position the trap with the entrance at the edge of a bush and the other end in the open. The birds have a look, but don’t seem to like going under the bush near the trap. We get very few other mammals – haven’t seen a hedghog or mole for ages, the field mice/voles atc are probably too small to set the trap off and it’s still a bit early in the year for them given the bad weather so far (early May 21).
One of the rats cut his nose a bit – he was so agitated and desperate to get out, gnawing at the bars but he managed to stop every now and again to eat the bait (a bit of fatball – the same stuff he’s been eating off the bird feeders).
I (or others not too squeemish) do check the trap several times a day. Once the rat is caught, it’s best to cover the trap before you take them to a suitable release point (or dispatch them humanely – not my preference) a long way from human habitation, farm buildings etc. I put the trap complete with rat in the cardboard box it came in, with some newspaper at the bottom of the box. Once the box is closed ratty will likely settle down until you can release him/send him to rat heaven.
i found one rat dead in the trap, he could have only been there a few hours at most. Not sure why he died, he didn’t seem to be injured at all, maybe it was stress, or maybe he had already taken poison bait from somewhere nearby (there is a stables nearby and they might well use poison bait). He had nice food (the bait) and was not in the trap long enough for water to be a problem.
Anyhow, I found the Defender Rat and Squirell Trap Humane to work effectively, and it was reasonably priced for an effective trap that looks durable enough to last a few years. It is a bit of a fiddle to set the sensitivity of the mechanism so it will catch your rat etc, but once you have the hang of it it’s easy enough to use.