Havahart 1025 Small 2-Door Humane Catch and Release Live Animal Trap for Squirrels, Chipmunks, Rats, Weasels, and Small Animals

I recently purchased the Havahart Rat Trap, and I must say it has exceeded all my expectations. When it comes to live animal traps, this one is truly in a league of its own, earning its spot as the number one choice for rat trapping.First and foremost, the build quality of this trap is outstanding. The sturdy construction and durable materials used ensure that it can withstand the toughest of challenges. I've used other traps in the past that have fallen short in terms of durability, but the Havahart Rat Trap has proven to be exceptionally reliable.One of the standout features of this trap is its humane design. It allows for the capture of rats without causing them harm, making it an ethical choice for those who prefer a humane approach. The trap's mechanism is efficient yet gentle, ensuring that the rat remains unharmed during the capture process.Setting up the Havahart Rat Trap is incredibly simple. The clear instructions provided make it easy for anyone, even someone with minimal experience, to assemble and use it effectively. The trap's design also incorporates safety features that prevent accidental triggering, providing peace of mind while using it.What sets this trap apart from others on the market is its exceptional performance. The Havahart Rat Trap is incredibly efficient at capturing rats, thanks to its sensitive trigger mechanism. I was amazed at how quickly and effectively it caught the rats, resolving my rodent problem in no time.Furthermore, the trap's design allows for easy release of the captured rats. Its gravity-action door ensures a smooth and seamless release, minimizing any stress or harm to the animal. This user-friendly feature adds to the overall satisfaction of using the Havahart Rat Trap.In conclusion, the Havahart Rat Trap is undoubtedly the number one live animal trap for a reason. Its exceptional build quality, humane design, easy setup, and outstanding performance make it a top choice for anyone dealing with a rat infestation. If you want a reliable and effective trap that prioritizes the well-being of the captured animals, the Havahart Rat Trap is the ultimate solution.

At one time, we had a feline roaming around our house. He died in 2012 after 18 years on this planet and killing innumerable things around the yard. Birds, chipmunks, mice, moles, rabbits and shrews were all on his menu. Squirrels, not so much. Suffice it to say that upon his departure, all the aforementioned creatures were allowed to proliferate. Enter me. I returned to the house in PA after spending 12 years in FL. Seeing as I'm older and have reached the point in my life where growing a garden is not only acceptable, it is rather common, I decided to determine if I had a green thumb. The garden I made isn't large by any standard, but I've spent a fair amount of time and money into rock removal and improving the quality of the dirt. So much that it makes more sense to go to the farmer's market, but that's unrelated to this review.I start the plants in pots and transfer them when the last frost is gone, which in NEPA is roughly the end of May. The past two years I planted corn. Along the way I’ve learned a few things about planting that are useless to most people. The first year I planted a little corn, but it was scattered in the garden. When I got ears of corn that were half formed, I investigated and learned that the reason they’re planted close to each other is that they germinate one another. I was confident that I would be more successful the following year, which was 2014. Come May 2014, I proudly planted 30 corn stalks after they had grown a bit. Nice, even rows, almost like a professional. Fast forward a day or two and imagine my horror when I went to check on them and several stalks, I’m talking 10 or more of them, were laying on the dirt next to a perfectly dug up circular area. Hmmm. What was going on? It turns out that even though there is a small stalk and they’re large enough to transplant, the corn kernel remains on the end until it finally disintegrates. Enter the chipmunks that had proliferated over the past 2 years since our cat’s death. They sniffed out this little sweet nugget, dug them out of the ground, ate it and left the remnants for me. They didn’t even care about the ‘critter ridder’ that I had liberally sprayed around the garden’s perimeter. This was almost a spiteful act on their behalf. I thought a bit about them and how at first they were somewhat cute to watch as they frolicked in the yard and in a wood pile. Now, I seriously wanted to exterminate them. I thought that no matter what I did now, I would have half ears of corn again. Sure enough that happened.Now we’re in 2015 and I’m a year wiser. At least I’d like to think so. I scoured the vault of intellectual wealth known as the internet for ways to rid these now annoying rodents from my property. One way had me luring them with sunflower seeds into a bucket filled with water. Heck, I could shoot them and put them out of their misery more quickly. I do have a heart, you know. And as fate would have it, I found traps made by Havahart. How cute. I decided on this size to capture chipmunks, and I’m glad I did. I found that it was difficult to get the trap to trip when it was new. You basically are supporting the weight of the gate on a small bar against a bar coming from the platform where you place your lure. The concept is to have the critter step on the platform, which is like a seesaw in that it’s mounted on a rotational axis through its center. The critter steps on the platform, the platform rotates, the bars separate and the door closes. Easy, right? Well, it’s a bit more difficult as chipmunks don’t weigh much and it’s hard for them to move the platform. I performed some minor mods, which included sanding any high spots where the two small round bars touch each other. I spread out the eyes on the two bolts that hold the platform in place. A small screwdriver is enough to do that. I also added some penetrating oil to that area, too. I also make sure that everything is clean and that things are moving as freely as the last time I set it. Seeing as it’s made of metal, it can be affected by being outside and the waste the critters leave behind. Last but not least, I always set the trap such that it’s tripped when the critter steps on the platform and not when it gets to the backside. And always have as little metal to metal contact from those two small bars as possible. It’s hard to explain, but you’ll see what I mean should you purchase this item.These minor improvements and techniques have enabled me to catch 20 chipmunks so far. I think I’ve had this trap for a little over a month, and I don’t even set it every day. The most effective lure I’ve used are black walnuts. We have a tree in our yard and cracked a few last year. I suppose any nut would work, but believe it or not, peanut butter didn’t seem to work. Anyway, I’ve relocated all of them with the exception of one that had died in the trap. There were two in the trap at the same time, and while I have no idea how they got in there at the same time, either there was a territorial fight or it was just his time. I take them half a mile away, open the door and they scurry off into the wilderness. Since there is no scent trail to follow back to my house and they're not ‘homing’ chipmunks, I don’t think they’ll be back anytime soon. That’s not to say that others won’t take their place.

Have used this for the last year and it's still in good condition.Had to add a finer mesh screen around plate end because the red squirrels could reach thru cage and scrap off bait triggering the trap with them on the outside. Peanut butter works best.For birders, small birds don't trigger trap but I still check in case a larger one get interest.For the exasperated, BB can be used thru the cage to dispatch.