Havahart Easy-Set Catch and Release Small 1-Door Humane Live Animal Trap for Squirrels, Rabbits, Skunks, and Other Small Animals - 1083

We have a 1/3 acre lot - and due to a huge pine tree in the yard next to our yard - and fence neighbors who constantly feed the squirrels unshelled raw peanuts by the 20 lb. bag full - we have counted at least 10 squirrels in our yard at one time. We estimate there is a colony of squirrels living in the tree numbering 15 or more. We have spent the last three summers dealing with peanut plants sprouting in our raised beds and lawns - more than 10-15 plants A DAY coming up - as well as our destroyed plants and holes in our lawn because of squirrels digging and burying peanuts. Yes, two years ago we politely asked our neighbors to stop feeding the squirrels- or at least microwave the raw peanuts before putting in their feeders - but to no avail. But by far our biggest motivator to capture and relocate the squirrels was the fact that our two dogs find and eat the rotted peanuts and then throw up for the rest of the day! Something had to be done! We did TONS of research on humane catch and release traps - and although the cheaper traps were tempting because of their price, HAVAHART EASY SET AND RELEASE is the ONLY trap that made sense. Yes, they are a bit more expensive, but it is TRULY one simple pull to set the trap and the same movement in reverse to release the squirrel! Your hands are always protected by the sturdily built cage top. Watch the HAVAHART videos on Amazon - you’ll understand completely. So our experience: We received the size “small” cage approximately 4:00 pm on Wednesday and we put some peanut butter on a soda cracker and placed it BEHIND the pressure pan inside the cage that drops the trap door. We put the cage trap in a path the squirrels use often. After less than half an hour, we had captured our first squirrel!! (Be sure to check the trap every 15 minutes - once the squirrel is in the cage, you will want to release it as soon as possible in the new location.) We put the entire cage with the squirrel inside a large black lawn and garden plastic bag, which calms the squirrel, and carried the cage in the bag to the car. Once in a suitable location - as recommended by Havahart at least three miles away, we opened the cage with one hand to easily release the squirrel who then scampered off. The first day, we put the cage trap outside twice - two squirrels caught and released in less than two hours. The next day, three squirrels caught and released in about two hours. Today three more squirrels in less than two hours. The reason we have stopped at “three a day” is because we are also immediately driving three miles into the country to release them, and that takes time. Anyway, this is the BEST squirrel “live catch and release cage” out there and we couldn’t be happier with the results!!! Be sure to buy the EASY SET - you’ll be so glad you did!!! A side note, DO NOT put the cage out at night or you may capture skunks, rats, or raccoons! Also, please don’t put the cage out unless you are going to be home and watching the trap - so you’ll be able to release the squirrels as soon as possible. UPDATE: We have been using this STURDY AND EFFECTIVE product for the last 13 months, and today we caught and released our seventy-first squirrel! Yes, 71 squirrels have been removed from our property and released 3-4 miles away. The cage still looks and operates like new. So, the moral of this review is DON’T feed wild animals or it upsets nature’s balance - and if you have a squirrel problem - buy this safe and humane trap.

This works perfectly for squirrels. So easy to set it, just pull the handle back and easy to release. I caught the first squirrel within 30 minutes, took him to a wooded area and released with no problems at all and the squirrel was unharmed. Very humane way to trap and release. HIGHLY recommend.

5 stars with a slight modification, 3 stars as is. First off, please know that most animal experts/humane centers don't recommend catch and release in a new territory for healthy squirrels as their survival rates are very low. Squirrels are territorial and very hard to relocate successfully. Most actually recommend using a "exit only" trap door to get them out of trouble spots and just let them build a new home in the area. Then patch up the hole when you know they are gone. But, you may just have a problem squirrel that insists on coming back with genes for chewing wood. With the risk of causing a fire in the attack, this is your choice to get them gone for good with at least a chance for survival. For those who chose this method, the below is what I found to be the safest and most effective. The modification - As is, this was not sensitive enough to catch squirrels. They would go in, eat and leave. It seems that some are sensitive and some are not. If you get one that is not sensitive enough, it's easy to adjust. I read a great deal about people adding weight to the trigger plate and bending other parts of the product. Without a doubt, the most simple is to tape a penny or two to the metal plate on top of the trap, immediately under the handle when the handle is pulled back to set the trap. You can see the proper location for where I did this in the first picture...two pennies and some electrical tape. Once you do this and test it out, you will see what I mean about how that increases the sensitivity. However, you don't want it too sensitive such that the door closes when the animal first steps into the box and maybe vibrates the trap. This could cause the door to close on its tail or leg and may cause injury. Bait for squirrels - Peanut butter is by far the best. However, I learned from mistakes. Don't put too much in. The squirrel is inevitably going to freak out once trapped. The very first one I caught was literally covered in peanut butter and I probably set him up for a pretty lousy last days of life. Either he was going to be his new squirrel buddies' best friend, or I just made him an easy to smell snack for another animal. With how good an animal's sense of smell is, it's going to be very difficult for him to now hide. I recommend using a small amount of peanut butter and mix it with crushed nuts so it's not as sticky/messy. When to catch/release - you'll know if one is trying to nest in your roof/attic, probably by late fall. Catch them as soon as possible so that they can try to still make a new nest for winter or if you really care about their survival, you might wait until springtime and even with new babies, they may leave on their own and you can plug up the hole. But if you really have no choice and want them as far away as possible and it's not spring, consider taking a look at the weather and pick a day when it might be a bit warmer after. If you really want to help the critter out in a new territory, when you release, bring some nuts/food with you and toss it on the ground to get him started. Even better would be a neighborhood that has a constant source of food...like bird feeders. A random forest seems like the obvious choice, but there will be very little food supply that is not already claimed. Please know that most relocated squirrels don't survive much longer than 3 months. Squirrels are very territorial and it's hart to create a home. Also, if possible, try not to catch in late Feb and early March, when a squirrel may very well be pregnant. If you catch a pregnant squirrel then (you can usually tell b/c they are fatter and less nimble), you might want to consider keeping it caged while you can patch up any hole it may have made and release it in the same area. Some pregnant females apparently have back up nests in the area and will hopefully find their way there rather than persist on going back to the primary nests. If you really want to reduce the squirrel population in your area and really don't care about the females survival, then so be it; however, try to pick an area where she may be able to find a safe spot rather quickly but know, she and her babies are unlikely to survive. At least you give them a chance though. Monitor your cage - if the animal is stuck in there a really long time, they will end up hurting themselves. They will damage their noses most often trying to squirm through holes. For squirrels, don't leave out overnight, this works well enough and squirrels are active during the day, so you should be able to get the squirrel you are after while you are available to monitor the trap. Once caught, use an opaque towel over it to cover the cage and keep the animal calm. Sometimes, they seem fine and just finish eating your bait, but sometimes they freak out so much, it seems the cage is carrying a small dragon. Trap location - anywhere you have problem squirrels! However, since I know that the only squirrels that get in my roof climb up a tree to get to there so I put mine on the roof by that tree. However, if you do this and wherever you set your trap, make sure to secure it somehow (not necessary if it's on a large flat surface like a deck or the ground). I wedge my trap between my ladder and on top of a rubber mat. Again, lesson learned from when one freaked out so much, he managed to shake/slide the cage off the roof and I found them both on the ground...thankfully unharmed. It would really stink to go through all this trouble to be humane, only to then be responsible for hurting the animal. You took the trouble to buy a live trap rather than a deadly method, so you might as well take the extra efforts to use this in a way that gives the animal the best chance for survival. I don't proclaim to be an expert so do more research if you care to and please leave your own recommendations if you find something that works better than the above. Good luck!

This is a review of the Havahart 1083 small animal (squirrel) trap. Like others, I found the trap too insensitive to the local bait robbing squirrels. By using a glass or soda bottle with varying amounts of water on an aluminum or wood dowel, I found the trip plate would trip at about 28oz. The classic Havahart 24x7x7 Model 1078 has a factory trip weight of about 5oz. I asked Havart customer service if 28oz was correct and was it adjustable, they said they didn't know and no way to adjust. I tried several ways to adjust the sensitivity all failed. Like others I tried shimming the handle, but that resulted in an unstable trap that went off at the slightest nudge (from squirrels). I finally tried bending the handle control rod connecting loop to about level instead of the original 15 degrees above the level plane of the cage and handle control rod (HCR). Now it traps at 10oz. This lowers the trip plat angle also. To bend the HCR, I removed the HCR retaining button and handle then fussed with and removed all the control linkage. I then bent the (very stiff) HCR control rod loop in a vise and reinstalled. Other's can investigate a turnbuckle in the control linkage but I didn't have time. First morning out, caught 27 oz squirrel. I also wired two unsalted whole peanuts to cage floor. 27oz, that means a squirrel would have to put its entire weight on just the trip plate as is from factory - unlikely in this small sized cage. The 1083 certainly is easier to set and release than the 1078 but the 1078 reliably catches squirrels right out of the box. The larger 1078 allows room for a 3 inch high bait cup wired to the floor and made out of a plastic juice container.

Beautiful design... Most animal's, I prefer to release in the wild a mile or two from my house. Love the handle and release lever. Works great at catching rats as well. Have an outside bird feeder? Put the trap underneath, and you will catch not just squirrels but any rats that may be anywhere close. Other houses in my neighborhood have rats in their attic. I catch'm outside, under my birdfeeders. This also allows me to release the occasional rabbit or bird that gets trapped. If you want to kill instead of release. I put water in a wheelbarrow and simply drop the trap in that. Better than the noise from a 22. Still, The Are Upgrades That You Can Do... I secured a 90 degree metal piece at back of the cage. That makes a little tray to hold the peanut butter bate and improved the catch rate. I also put in a thin piece of plastic plate on the floor of the trap and put the peanut butter and nut bate towards the end or it. That make the baiting of the trap easier and also improves the effectiveness. I also spray painted the trap a dirt colored khaki to camouflage the traps are in the shade or behind a tree. They blend in with the foliage and are not easily noticeable. That makes my wife happy. First problem I noticed was the horizontal wires next to the door angled in just enough to catch the door after the trap was triggered. So, even though it was triggered the door never shut. I used a flat screwdriver and a pair of pliers to pull the wires back. Easy fix. The holes in the cage are large enough that squirrels can snatch the bait without going inside the trap. The trap door could be 1/4 inch narrower so it would fall clear of the cage wires. And, the wire net could have half the distance from wire to wire making the square 1/4 the size it is. That would make reaching inside the cage much more difficult for the animal you are attempting to capture. My guess is the manufacturer has already made the small adjustments to fix these. If not, a few small adjustments with a needle nose pliers will fix any minor problems.

Overall summary: I bought this May 11, and now almost to the end of June (only 1 1/2 months), I've caught and relocated 14 squirrels. The most I've ever caught was 3 in a row. This trap is easy to set and use, but after much trial and error I've figured out the best bait combo that works for the squirrels that live around me. Warning: once you get rid of the squirrels living around your home, you are opening the door to other squirrels in a 1-2 mile radius. Squirrels are territorial, so once they are removed, gate is wide open for other squirrels so it's a never ending battle you will have of rodent invaders, as I've come to realize. The trap itself - solidly built, and not too heavy. But the construction is built in a way that any squirrel trying to chew their way out will be sorely disappointed! People say that leaving the trap outside when it's wet can cause it to rust. I accidentally left mine out one afternoon in pouring rain. When I came home I just wiped it and no issues so far. The size is just right for the squirrels -- I've also had some very large fat ones take the bait and got trapped, and this contraption held them fine. The sensitivity dial is a key thing you will need to learn how to adjust. Keeping it dialed at just the right balance before it's too light to get tripped is essential to getting the squirrels. I had no issues like others with this aspect. Would highly recommend if you can to keep the trap on something solid, like a plank of wood or solid plastic. Do NOT leave the trap on a wood bench! I found out the hard way that trapped squirrels will do their very best to try to get out any way they can, even clawing through wood. Thankfully it's an old bench so I didn't mind, but be forewarned. I use roasted shelled peanuts, and I tear off a small piece of the shell to expose the nut. I also dab a little bit of peanut butter on it and leave about three of those in the front leading to the trigger, and I set one behind the trigger platform at the back also with peanut butter on it. Make sure to smear a good amount of peanut on the platform itself too. On the one peanut in the back (as you can see in the photo, I try to either tie it down with a piece of string or use one of the small grocery ties that they have in the produce section. Securing it ensures the squirrel can't just grab it and run away laughing at you. That will also make the squirrel trigger the platform. Lastly, put a brick or heavy rock on top of the cage to keep the whole trap from moving. After trapping the animals I drive about 5 miles away to release the squirrels (as shown in the video). Point them towards trees and they dart off! I am very happy with this trap and it really works!

A well made and sturdy trap for the money. However, it has a few flaws. Made of heavy gauge steel that easily withstands the assault of trapped varmints - which can be substantial. The model 1083 is suitable for little rabbits down to rats. Sets incredibly easy with just a flip of a 'setting handle'. Note: I found that you can adjust the trip plate to a 'hair trigger' setting by placing an approximate 1/8" shim between the setting handle and the body of the trap after it's set. The shim raises the handle slightly, resulting in a much more sensitive trip plate. Experiment a bit and you can get it adjusted so it will go off with the lightest touch, making it more effective for catching smaller, lighter animals. I took off two stars on this product due to the following: 1. Although well-boxed from Amazon with no signs of damage to their box or the manufactures, I found that the cage and door of this trap were miss-aligned to the extent that the door remained stuck open when the trip plate was depressed. This was an obvious 'from the factory' problem and a post production inspection could have easily caught it. A few minutes on the work bench permanently fixed the issue. 2. The location of this traps 'trip plate' does not mirror the photo in the add. The plate is actually a lot closer to the end of the cage. As a result, there is very little room between the edge of the plate and the cage. This results in the bait being crowded towards the trip plate and can allow the animal to consume it with walking across or standing on the plate to which results in activation. Also, the 'bait area' should have a solid plate over its surface so the bait doesn't fall through the trap onto the ground. When this happens, the animal will dig under the trap to get to the bait instead of going in. Also, I've found that some animals e.g., ground squirrels, will reach into the trap through sides to remove the bait. This could be addressed by extending the above solid plate up the sides a few inches. 3. Portions of this trap are not galvanized and will rust immediately when exposed to moisture.

This is a fantastic trap, and the design is both simple and easy for a novice (myself) to use. Mine arrived prebuilt, ready to go, all I had to do was pull back the level and it's live. The addition of a carrying handle on top is also very much appreciated, and makes moving the trap around, even with a captured animal, a one hand affair. I didn't see this mentioned in any of the reviews, so I was surprised to see there is sensitivity adjustment knob at located at the top. It's effectively a hand turned screw that increases or decreases the tension of the trap door, which results in more or less pressure required on the trip plate before the trap is activated. I found at the highest sensitivity setting, it would trigger with almost no pressure at all, and at the lowest I had to press somewhat firmly with my finger. This is great because you can easily dial it into the type of animal you are trying to trap, reducing unwanted captures of smaller animals. I also love that there is a steel panel above the handle to help prevent whatever animal you have trapped from being able to bite or claw upward at you, as it likely will be very scared and in defense mode. Releasing an animal is just as easy as setting the trap, just pull back on the lever. For the record, I was able to catch a squirrel in my attic with this, so I can definitely say it works. I haven't tried it for outdoor use, so I can't say how well it will live up to the elements.

Ich habe die Falle gekauft, um Degus wieder einzufangen, nachdem diese aus ihrem Käfig ausgebrochen waren. Dies hat super geklappt und ich konnte innerhalb der ersten paar Stunden vier Tiere einfangen, ohne dass diese verletzt wurden. Die Falle wirkt solide und ist gut verarbeitet. Sie ist fertig zusammen gebaut und mit einem Handgriff einsatzbereit. Wenn man den Hebel zum Scharfmachen der Falle mit etwas Fingerspitzengefühl nicht ganz runter drückt, wird die Falle viel empfindlicher und löst schneller aus, was vor allem bei kleinen und leichten Tieren von Vorteil ist. Der einzige Kritikpunkt ist das etwas zu grobmaschige Gitter der Falle. Kleine Tiere können dadurch wieder fliehen. Wahrscheinlich hat der Hersteller nicht damit gerechnet, dass mit einer so großen Falle auch ganz kleine Tiere eingefangen werden möchten. Andererseits hat das grobmaschige Gitter für mich keinen ersichtlichen Vorteil.

Très bon produit de qualité "professionnelle", très facile à mettre en œuvre et sensible, même pour un animal pas très lourd. La fabrication est de bonne facture et le système interdisant l'ouverture de la trappe par l'animal piégé est bien conçu. La plaque de tôle protège bien la main pour le transport par la poignée mais attention lorsqu'on relâche l'animal capturé. C'est le levier d'armement qui sert à ouvrir le piège et quand on le manœuvre, il est très près du bord de la tôle de protection. Une morsure est donc possible si l'on ne fait pas attention. Le plus prudent est de porter des gants de protection quand on libère l'animal capturé.

Funciona perfectamente tanto con animales pequeños como con animales de mayor tamaño. Y el cebo no queda al alcance de animales domésticos

At first I thought the mechanism not sensitive enough but this works a dream. My garden and reticulation has been ruined by squirrels and I've tried baiting and pest controllers - all a waste of time. This has done the trick. I also think the mechanism has got more sensitive with use. Amazing build quality for the price - its extremely well built. This an amazing buy.

Totally recommend. Caught all three squirrels that were crawling up a section of my roofline and trying to make a home in my attic. Very satisfying! The trap is sturdy and easy to set up and release. Pro tip: used a little trail of peanuts into cage with big strawberry at end….worked like a charm…also make sure you relocate at least 10 kms away otherwise they will find their way back!