Discouraging birds from triggering the Havahart 1083 Squirrel Trap OR stealing the Peanut Butter : I cut a wood scrap approx 3/4 " by 1.5 " to the exact width of the trap. (I cut the ends at a slight angle.) I do this so I can jam the wood into the trap in a way that it is just tight enough that it can not easily be removed by an animal prying it. I then screw 3 wood screws completely through the 3/4" width, equidistant across the 7" width of the wood scrap. Then I get 3 16.9 oz Pepsi plastic bottles and cut the end (with the bottle cap) off. (approx 1.25 ") Then I drill a small hole through the center of the 3 bottle caps and attach the caps to the 3 screws in the wood. Them I screw the ends of the Pepsi bottles into their caps that are secured to the wood. Then I place peanut butter inside the 3 plastic caps. and the ends. * * * * Then I take this assembly and place it backwards up against the far end of the trap. * * * * If you do this right, the birds wont be able to access the peanut butter because there is not enough room for their beaks to reach around and then inside the plastic bottle caps. I also cover the entire back of the trap and the back/top portion of the trap with an approx. 7" wide "L" shaped piece of sheet metal, so that the birds can't reach their head through the back and eat the peanut butter from the outside. I drill holes through the sheet metal and use electrical ties to secure it to the trap. The sheet metal on the top portion of the trap prevents the peanut butter from getting wet when it rains hard. Squirrels tend to find food via their sense of smell so they will find the peanut butter in the bottle caps, even when they can not see the PB. I also place a couple of peanuts within their shells inside with the peanut butter to further prevent the birds from getting all the PB. Some day I should probably write a book about trapping grey squirrels. WRZ 2021-08-06 Delaware County, PA
When people buy Havahart traps, they should use a permanent black marker to write the model number(which is always on the box) somewhere on the trap. Then after you throw out the box and later decide to do a video, you will know the model number of the trap you are demonstrating and you can include that in the video name. I have no idea why Havahart does not stamp every trap with the model number, so people would have this info for later reference. I would rename this video to include the model number or at least include that info in your description. Your video would have a lot more views if people could search on the Havahart model number to find it. WRZ 2021-08-06 Delaware County, PA
I watched this video a year ago and didn't quite understand what you were doing. The problem with doing this is that most people use peanut butter to trap grey squirrels. Many species of birds also like peanut butter and thus your "solution" is going to cause the trap to be triggered by some large bird species like starlings. You can't catch grey squirrels if your trap is closed all day with a bird inside. I have 2 model 1083 traps and they are both the exact right sensitivity for grey squirrels which weigh approx. 1 to 1'1/4 pounds each. I have NEVER had to modify this and I have caught more than 430 grey squirrels in about 5 years. Regards, WRZ
Thanks so much! This was such a simple solution - but just what I was looking for!
Discouraging birds from triggering the Havahart 1083 Squirrel Trap OR stealing the Peanut Butter :
I cut a wood scrap approx 3/4 " by 1.5 " to the exact width of the trap. (I cut the ends at a slight angle.)
I do this so I can jam the wood into the trap in a way that it is just tight enough
that it can not easily be removed by an animal prying it.
I then screw 3 wood screws completely through the 3/4" width, equidistant across the 7" width of the wood scrap.
Then I get 3 16.9 oz Pepsi plastic bottles and cut the end (with the bottle cap) off. (approx 1.25 ")
Then I drill a small hole through the center of the 3 bottle caps and attach the caps to the 3 screws in the wood.
Them I screw the ends of the Pepsi bottles into their caps that are secured to the wood.
Then I place peanut butter inside the 3 plastic caps. and the ends.
* * * * Then I take this assembly and place it backwards up against the far end of the trap. * * * *
If you do this right, the birds wont be able to access the peanut butter because
there is not enough room for their beaks to reach around and then inside the plastic bottle caps.
I also cover the entire back of the trap and the back/top portion of the trap with an approx. 7" wide "L" shaped piece
of sheet metal, so that the birds can't reach their head through the back and eat the peanut butter from the outside.
I drill holes through the sheet metal and use electrical ties to secure it to the trap.
The sheet metal on the top portion of the trap prevents the peanut butter from
getting wet when it rains hard. Squirrels tend to find food via their sense of smell
so they will find the peanut butter in the bottle caps, even when they can not see the PB.
I also place a couple of peanuts within their shells inside with the peanut butter
to further prevent the birds from getting all the PB.
Some day I should probably write a book about trapping grey squirrels.
WRZ 2021-08-06
Delaware County, PA
Would be great to see video/photos of your modification...thanks for the info!
When people buy Havahart traps, they should use a permanent black marker to
write the model number(which is always on the box) somewhere on the trap.
Then after you throw out the box and later decide to do a video, you will know
the model number of the trap you are demonstrating and you can include that
in the video name. I have no idea why Havahart does not stamp every trap
with the model number, so people would have this info for later reference.
I would rename this video to include the model number or at least include that
info in your description. Your video would have a lot more views if people could
search on the Havahart model number to find it.
WRZ 2021-08-06
Delaware County, PA
I watched this video a year ago and didn't quite understand what you were doing.
The problem with doing this is that most people use peanut butter to trap grey squirrels.
Many species of birds also like peanut butter and thus your "solution" is going to cause
the trap to be triggered by some large bird species like starlings. You can't catch grey squirrels
if your trap is closed all day with a bird inside. I have 2 model 1083 traps and they are both the
exact right sensitivity for grey squirrels which weigh approx. 1 to 1'1/4 pounds each.
I have NEVER had to modify this and I have caught more than 430 grey squirrels in about 5 years.
Regards, WRZ