I have a similar trap. I use peanuts in the shell as bait. Once caught, I destroy them and dump them in the alley. By the next morning, the carcass is gone, likely serving as a midnight meal for a skunk.

This is the ONLY HOW-TO video for this model currently online, as of summer 2021. Havahart company itself does not have one (says it does, but it's really a wild goose chase). Could not get mine to set. So thanks to this post, it seems the mechanism needs repair or adjustment. Red squirrels are engaging critters. It was said they were endangered in our area, being pushed out by the much larger West Coast species. I thought it was a good deed to let one move in above my living room bay window. She has been totally innocuous the first 2 years, and still is. She raised two litters and chased them off into the woods as soon as they were self sufficient. Hardly ever bothered the birds or their feed. Cat even grew used to it. Fascinating to watch her collect and dry wild mushrooms for her cache. It's when a second one moved nearby this spring, that the trouble has begun. First came the noise of pre-dawn territorial squabbles. Then, took me a while to see how destructive and obnoxious can be #2 compared to #1. The newcomer has found a way into my home. Cannot believe the damage on every floor in just a few days: chewing on plants, furniture and woodwork; insulation being pulled out of walls. I need this trap to work, and soon!

My only negative about this trap is the parameter walls of the rear of the trap should be closed so squirrel can't reach through and get bait. Bait would be able to be put to the rear of the trap beyond the trip plate.

Discouraging birds from triggering the Havahart 1083 Squirrel Trap : 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 on 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 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 2024-01-07 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.

Good information! Thanks for sharing!

I have one of these traps and bait it pretty much the way you do, smearing peanut butter along the edge of the trigger plate. I agree, the trigger plate is not sensitive enough so I place a flat plastic bread bag closer (you know, with the date on it) under the handle that you pull back to set it, under one of the bumps. This is just thick enough to make the trigger plate more sensitive without making it impossible to set. Has worked extremely well for me. 🚫🐿🚫

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

I never have to worry about transporting a live grey squirrel in my car. I use a tropical fish tank and then take the carcass to the exact same spot in the woods for scavengers. If I was transporting live grey squirrels I would go to the dollar store and find a plastic container a little bit larger than the trap to carry the trap in. Either that or a foil pan that women use to cook a roast in. I'm NOTT putting the trap on a towel for the squirrel to pee on.

I just bought one of those cages and I'm waiting. Good job.you give me hope

Just watched again. Great video. The only thing I would disagree with is that if the trigger plate was more sensitive you would be catching starlings and other birds that like peanut butter. One door traps don't require you to put the bait on the trigger plate. You just have to draw the squirrel across the trigger plate. But you explained everything very well.

You can only catch large numbers of grey squirrels during specific times of the year. They prefer acorns to peanuts or peanut butter, so if there is an oak tree anywhere nearby, you probably wont catch many grey squirrels in the fall when acorns are plentiful. They have an insatiable appetite for acorns and will ignore peanuts when acorns are available. I've tried vacuuming my yard of acorns but that is a huge waste of time because many more fresh acorns will fall within 24 hours In the winter, they are not active in northern climates and leaving your trap set outside is usually a waste of time and energy, unless it is an unusually warm day. I have my squirrel traps in very close proximity to my bird feeders and that is probably why they are lulled into a false sense of security. They probably think with all the birds chowing down relentlessly, they have discovered the best free banquet in the neighborhood. In the last 6 years I have disposed of over 470 grey squirrels but I get most of them in the early AM in the spring and summer. If you are a late sleeper leave the trap outside over night and hope nothing steals the bait during the night. If you rise early, put the trap out at sunrise. Once it gets too hot outside they retire for the day. I seldom catch any grey squirrels after high noon. if you ever buy another squirrel trap, go with the Havahart model # 1083 EZ-set trap. That is the best trap for grey squirrels by a wide margin. But you have to buy it online. Lowes and Home Depot do not stock that trap for some crazy reason. WRZ 2022-02-11 Delaware County, PA (metro-Philadelphia)

You commented on the lack of sensitivity of the trigger/plate. I take a small twig about 1/8th. of an inch thick and place it under the plastic handle. Of course minor adjustments will enhance the sensitivity of the mechanism. I do not place sunflower seeds under the trap, I use a plastic lid and fill with slightly ground mixed nuts and add some whole mixed nuts and place inside the trap behind the trigger plate, it does not take much bait. In the last two years I have caught and relocated one hundred and one squirrels and four skunks.

You may use a small piece of wood with peanut butter. The advantage is that you may place it at the very end of the trap, after the trigger. To get to it the squirrel will have to go over the trigger.

The door snaps shut, but not before the squirrel darts out.

Use a pellet gun and dispatch them. Otherwise they become someone else's problem. They are eating from feeders. They'll just run until they find another feeder.

Rumor has it, Cayenne Pepper, Mixed in bird-seed, will deter Squirrels.

thank you now i just bought two of these yesterday and i am about to go to war with these bastards. they being messing up my roof etc...

Call me crazy but I would have included the Havahart model number # 1083 easy-set trap in your video name and/or description

I hope you took them a very distant woods . Ever hear of the movie homeward bound..

In Hawaii I had a chicken problem I made a big 1X1 inch wire, I used a rat trap for the trigger

You can eat it many good ways to to cook

Thanks...I get so mad when they eat ALL the bird seed...little devil's

Might want to relocate those squirrels a lot more than 4-5 miles as they can and will find there way back. They suggest 15-25 miles.

Ok

*@**2:03** Oops! There you go got it! Now you take him in so the others don't see. It's okay baby, it's okay. ...That's It!* Me: 🤣🤣🤣😖🤯💥💀👀 No offense but my first thought were Kathy Bates in "Misery"