Havahart Small 1-Door Humane Live Catch and Release Animal Trap for Squirrels, Weasels, Chipmunks, and Other Animals - Humane Catch and Release for Small Animals - 1026

I had a chipmunk that was digging a hole next to my house, kicking little landscaping rocks into my grass, etc... and it kept making a mess so I decided it was time to deal with it. I picked this trap because the brand seemed to have a good reputation, and the size of the trap seemed ideal for something like a chipmunk. I saw some other fancier, larger traps have doors on both sides while this only has one door... so wasn't sure if it would be sufficient or not. Fortunately for me (not the chipmunks), it has been great. The trap comes packaged in a nice looking retail display box, which is nothing special, but did a sufficient job keeping everything intact during shipping. Having never used a trap like this before, I found the process of setting the trap slightly confusing for a few minutes. I didn't think the instructions were great, but watched a video online, and then it just made sense. Now I find it extremely easy to set it, and don't have to think about it at all. Anyway when I went to set the trap, I figured I'd put some nuts inside to attract the chipmunk. I actually was setting the trap with the chipmunk sitting 10 feet away watching me. I set it, stepped away, and literally within 30 seconds the chipmunk was inside and had been captured. It was shocking to me how easy it was. After that, I set the trap out with more food, and caught another chipmunk right away. Then I decided to skip putting food in the trap, and over 3 weeks I've caught 15 chipmunks. I never knew there were so many near my house, it was pretty shocking. Overall I am very pleased with this trap. It's performed very well for what I needed it for.

I have 2 traps like this. The older one works great. This design, which is newer, gave me fits. It is harder to set because there is a rod that comes off (my other trap had it attached), and the opening is so small that I have trouble getting my arm in there far enough to set the bait. Trying to manage both of those at the same time was a challenge for me. Then when I compare how many "critters" I catch with this one vs. the older design, there is no comparison- the older one is better. I got so frustrated with this one , I eventually threw it away.

The biggest issue I have with this trap is it is not easy to bait it. It is small and narrow and difficult to reach in to bait the trap. The other issue is squirrels will tip the trap over to get at the bait, which triggers the door closed. I design improvement would be a top locking hatch which you could use to bait the trap without having to reach inside the trap, which is difficult to do and properly set the bait. The other item that would help is to be able to secure the trap to the ground with something like lawn spikes so the squirrels cannot move it. The best bait for outdoors is a little bit of peanut butter on a green tomato slice.

Bought for rats in the yard, first catch within 1-2weeks. Both Quality and functionality are exceptional, but the bait placement instructions on the boxes are not very helpful for a successful capture. Placed peanut in a tiny bowl and left it all the way near the end of cage(behind the trigger plate), instead of directly placed on the trigger plate. Trigger placement Might work for mice, but anything bigger than that this is the way. Also it’s abit PIA to set the trap cuz the metal trigger latch are too slippery to place on top of each other. You need a steady hand for it.

I have an ongoing problem with squirrels “robbing” my bird feeder. Regardless of the baffles, the configurations I use, etc. or the design of the feeder, they figure it out. My current feeder is “squirrel proof” with a spring-loaded perch that will close… I also have a baffle below the feeder. No problem, the squirrel jumps over 6 feet straight up, gets on top of the feeder and hangs upside down eating all of the bird seed. The choice is to refill the feeder every month or so or ever few days… A friend of mine had an exterminating business and I asked him. He said to get one of these, put some peanut butter on cardboard and slip it toward the end of the trap. Set the trap and forget about it. Within two hours one of the squirrels was in the trap. My friend said you have to relocate them a good way away and they’ll come back. I relocated two of them about a mile or two from home, but it seemed one of them (somehow) came back. I relocated that one about 25 miles away while going to a nearby town on business later that day. He’s not been back… We have another bird feeder of the same type, same configuration and the same baffle in the back yard. Those squirrels either haven’t figured out how to get to the feeder or are just content to eat what falls from the feeder on the ground. The trap isn’t expensive, but is well made and it simply works. Having the smaller size trap prevents getting cats, raccoons, etc. but it works very well on squirrels.

My complaint is not about the quality of the trap. It is well made, and should last a long time. My issue is that it’s too small to trap squirrels, even though it advertises as being good for squirrel control. After a few weeks I haven’t caught a single squirrel, while my old, larger trap has caught at least a dozen. I bought the Havahart because it looked like the trip mechanism was easier to set, and it is. But I frequently have found the trap closed with no animal inside. This leads me to think that the squirrels are nosing around the door, but the entrance is too small. So they are able to release the trip mechanism and still manage to wiggle their way out. I’ll use it if I ever have a mouse or rat problem, but squirrels are just too big for this trap. So, 5 for quality and 1 for ability to trap squirrels. That means I give it a 3 overall.

I have a squirrel and chipmunk problem and have been catching and rehoming them (about 200 in the past 2 years) with Have-A-Heart traps when I notice the problem on the uptick again (chewing through the cords of outdoor lights; won't stay out of seemingly impossible to reach bird feeders, etc.). My oldest trap just plain wore out and would let the smart critters figure out how to jiggle the door and escape. It was time for a replacement so I thought I would try this kind. It did not work for me. The door was very stiff and would incompletely drop so the critter could get right back out. I saw it happen three consecutive times and said that's it. I returned it in favor of one of the older style traps. Took two chipmunks out to the state forest just this afternoon, so the older style works MUCH better for me. I tried another brand before the HAH and will never use any trap brand other than this one, but this particular style just wasn't successful for me.

I live in Phoenix, right on the desert. so we get a lot of critters. I have a chronic pack rat problem, they infest the back yard, and the back yard shed. I put this trap out and in less than 14 hours, caught a pack rat. I can now relocate the animal to the desert. this trap is great because I literally heard it snap. I used cheese Its, and cinamon crunch, irresistable for rats. Why did you pick this product vs others?: I had used the electric zap trap before, but felt really bad about killing these small animals that live in our habitat. Catchability: simple easy to use, put some treats in the trap, and it works. Trap effectiveness: caught the first animal in less than 16 hours. Pet safety: no issue for my dog, no chemicals, no safety hazard. Mouse trap quality: mouse traps NEVER work on pack rats, they are too smart. Ease of use: simply close the door, and set the lever, and place the trap where the pests go Weight: very light, about 2-3 pounds.