Weasel is a small predatory animal known for its cunning and dexterity. Despite the fact that the animal seems very cute, it is quite bloodthirsty and can cause devastating damage to the house. So, what to do if the animal is in your house? How to catch a weasel? If you want to solve these issues and learn how to trap a weasel, you’ve come to the right place.
This article provides useful tips and guides on trapping weasels humanely and safely. Trust me, setting up and using a weasel trap isn’t that hard if you know which one to purchase and which weasel bait to put inside.
- Eliminate food sources by sealing your property. Make sure the animal doesn’t get to your food.
- Buy a live weasel trap.
- Bait your trap with some fresh meat.
- Set the trap in the right place. Cover it in the foliage and wait until the pest gets caught.
Trapping Weasels: How to Deal with a Cute-Looking Pest
Yes, you can’t deny that weasels look cute and harmless, but don’t let it fool you. Instead, learn how to deal with the animal that can easily spoil your entire household.
What is a weasel?
Male weasels can have a maximum length of 10 inches and weigh about 1 lb, and females reach no more than 8 inches in length, with a weight of no more than 0,24 lbs. Weasel’s fur is sleek, of reddish-brown color, with white additions on the neck and belly.
When the seasons change to cold, the weasel gets a new white long fur coat. This is not only a salvation from winter frosts but also an excellent camouflage that allows them to be invisible upon the background of snow.
Weasels have strong short paws with sharp claws that allow them to climb trees and break mouse holes. These animals do not have a permanent shelter. Instead, they use secluded places for rest: crevices of rocks, spaces between roots, and thickets of bushes.
Most of all, their habitat depends on the source of food. Voles and mice are the basis of weasel’s healthy diet, although they can diversify their diet with a gaping bird, bird eggs, large rodents, lizards and frogs, fish, and even snakes and rabbits.
What attracts weasels to your property?
Weasels are mostly a problem for farmers. Although they rarely raid the chicken coop, weasels can easily kill a small bird. They mainly feed on rats and mice, and only in the absence of this food, they begin to hunt for domestic birds. In addition, in villages, there are often cases when this animal sneaks into people’s houses and attacks cats and dogs. The weasel has very sharp teeth, so its bite is quite painful and strong.
How to trap a weasel: Weasel trapping tips
If you spotted a weasel somewhere on your property, it’s better to keep calm and act following a guide on how to catch a weasel in a live trap.
Step 1: Eliminate food sources by sealing your property
Due to its small size, a weasel can get into your property using even the smallest crevices and cracks. So, before setting the trap, you have to make sure that there are no chances that the animal will get to the food source.
Step 2: Get a live trap
If you want to use a live weasel trap, then take a large-sized trap designed for catching rats. It has a perfect size for catching a weasel. Before usage, it is important to process the cage to eliminate human odor.
Otherways, the trap won’t even work, and you’ll spend money on nothing. Choose a cage in the nearest supply shop, or proceed and check the options I recommend personally.
Step 3: Bait your trap with some fresh meat
Baiting a trap is important. A piece of raw and fresh meat will be a perfect choice of weasel bait.
Step 4: Set the trap in the right place
Setting the trap in the proper place makes 50% of successful weasel catching. If the weasel sets up inside the house, you have to put the cage in place, where the animal is most likely to show up. If you spot its activity outside, near the chicken coop, you should set the trap invisibly. Cover it in the foliage and wait until the pest gets caught.
Top 3 Best Weasel Traps
Now, when you already know how to use a trap to catch a weasel, check out these options recommended by many of my colleagues.
1. (Top Pick) RatzFatz Humane Live Cage – The Best Live Weasel Trap
Specifications:
- Color: Brown-Pedal
- Material: Metal
- Item Weight: 1 Pounds
- Item Dimensions LxWxH: 12.6 x 5.1 x 5.1 inches
- Target Species: Mice, Rats
RatzFatz is a widely-known manufacturer of reliable and humane rodent live traps. If you spot a weasel inside your apartment, don’t run to your phone to call rescuers while screaming ‘OMG, I have a weasel in my house!’.
Made with high-quality galvanized iron-wire, this cage can easily hold any weasel inside. All you need is to bait and place it properly. The pedal design will do everything else. It’s a humane and working tool to get rid of a weasel quickly and easily.
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2. A Weasel Trap Box of High-Quality: Gingbau Live Traps for Chipmunks
Specifications:
- Material: Alloy Steel
- Number of Pieces: 2
- Item Weight: 2.48 pounds
- Item Dimensions LxWxH: 12.3 x 6.6 x 5.3 inches
- Target Species: Chipmunks, Mice, Rats
Smoothly-edged and made with top-notch galvanized steel, the Ginbau trap is perfect for catching a small furry bad guy.
It has a highly-sensitive trigger that immediately closes the door of the cage once the animal is inside. Put some bait on the special pedal, and as soon as a weasel touches it, it will get trapped.
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3. Kensizer Small Animal Humane Live Cage – An Affordable and Working Option of a Weasel Trap
Specifications:
- High Sensitive Trigger Mechanism
- Material: Aluminum
- Item Weight: 0.5 Pounds
- Item Dimensions LxWxH: 10.5 x 5.5 x 4.5 inches
- Target Species: Chipmunk, Mouse, Rat, Vole, Opossum, Hamster
The cage by Kensizer is made of aluminum and will serve you a long time. In fact, all of the live traps are re-usable after you clean and process them properly.
The Kensizer Live Cage has a pedal trigger mechanism that reacts to the animal’s touch with the speed of the lightning. The only thing you have to do besides baiting it is to put a piece of cardboard on the bottom of the cage, so the weasel won’t get hurt. However, the cage is smoothly designed to preserve the life of a caught pest.
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FAQ
This section will help you to find the answers to the possible questions you might have about weasels.
Is weasel a rodent?
Weasels are small mammals of the Mustela genus.
What does weasel eat?
Weasels mostly feed on small rodents like mice and rats. They can also eat voles, moles, and small birds.
What to do with a weasel after trapping?
Don’t kill the animal. Once you’ve trapped a weasel inside the life cage, let it free. However, I’d recommend releasing it somewhere in the forest.
Where does weasel prefer to live?
I’ve told before that the weasels mostly live in crevices of rocks, spaces between roots, and thickets of bushes. The place of settling depends on the source of the weasel’s food.
Everything Learned About How to Get Rid of a Weasel
Catching a weasel using a live weasel trap is a simple and effective process. Manage to buy a proper cage and set it up. It takes 1-3 days to get rid of a pesky heavy eater that looks like a small and innocent animal. To prevent the return of the weasel, you have to close all of the crevices and cracks, so it won’t smell addictive odors of birds (for example), or even your cat.
I recommend you to take a closer look at the RatzFatz Humane Trap. It’s a safe and effective way of trapping weasels. I hope this guide will help you, but would you mind sharing your opinions with me? Do you think it is ok to kill large pests like weasels? Are there other ways to get rid of them?
References:
- Weasels (Pennsylvania Game Commission):
https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Education/WildlifeNotesIndex/Documents/weasels.pdf - Long-tailed Weasel (Adirondack Ecological Center):
https://www.esf.edu/aec/adks/mammals/longtailed_weasel.htm - Weasel Control (Missouri Department of Conservation):
https://mdc.mo.gov/wildlife/nuisance-problem-species/nuisance-native-species/weasel-control
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