How did you bend your U back? Looks like mine is slightly bent. its stiff and not easy to bend by hand. curious if there is a trick?
Thats a good question, they are really hard to bend back. I was working on mine yesterday. What I usually do is when the trap is held fixed in something and with the U in the position of spring max tension, push down on one side of the U really hard and then the other. You are bending it by doing that as its already touching the tube outside. This requires a lot of effort and do it several times. The trap also has to be held completely securely by something else as you can’t do this while also holding the trap. Then set the trap and make sure its not touching. During the season I check for not touching every time I set and bend back a bit if it is. I have also bent them back by hammering them in the non-set position, use a small but heavy hammer to go in through one end.
One other thing is you need to make sure the trap is fixed, if it is just set on a surface it can wobble instead of firing. I have mine screwed on to 2x4s that are tightly bungeed to the trees, no movement at all can happen to the tube.
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What do you all do with the animals once you trap them? I have 3 squirrels in my yard. I keep thinking if I trap them I’d not have any more squirrel problems. But I don’t know what to do with them after they are trapped. I hear people driving far away and releasing them. My hubby isn’t really the man for dealing with trapped animals. Even earthworms scare him. 
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I use lethal traps only. I throw them in the woods and the fox comes at night for them.
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I was raised in Philly. You have NO IDEA how hard it was for me to do this, but, as I mentioned before, I believe I am doing the neighborhood a service. Last year we had $1800 of damage to our house from squirrels chewing on the wood to get inside to nest or whatever. They do it to my neighbors too. That’s when I decided to put my big girl you-know-what on and just do it.
Find a container that the trap will fit into and that can hold water. Take an old tablecloth and cover the cage with the trapped animal. Bring it to the tank of water and submerge it putting bricks or weights on the top. After a while, lift the cage out and dump the carcass into a plastic grocery bag and tie it up tightly and put it in the trash.
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Looks like I’m going to need to be a little more vigilant in protecting my fruit…of the 4 apples I kept on my Dorsett Golden, only one remains. It’s a bummer because I was excited about actually getting to eat my own apples…My assumption is that squirrels are the culprits, so I’m going to give the traps a try and see what happens… @scottfsmith is there a particular brand you use?
To summarize whats there, I’m now using a combination of Kania and tube traps.
So far this year I have not put out the tube traps yet, I have been catching a lot in the Kania traps (3 yesterday alone for example). One reason why I think I am doing better with the Kania traps this year is I switched to peanut butter bait, the bait I was using in the tube traps. I push the PB through the grate in the Kania trap so its dripping down. The squirrels can’t resist pawing at that.
Overall I would say the tube traps are probably better because they are portable - move them to the hot spot. But I like how the Kania traps are up all year, no need to do anything to them other than set them when needed. The tube traps also need to be maintained, the U always is getting out of alignment. A common problem with them is they stop firing for people, I think its related to this U getting bent.
Just ordered one of the tube traps. I’ll check out the Kania as well and maybe give them both a try…
If you think there are 3, it’s probably more like 30.
I thought I had 8, caught 8 and still at this point I could catch a squirrel every day if I chose to. But I run out of peanut butter occasionally.
All of this and if you look into my yard at any given time you see 2-3 running around. It’s disgusting.
I do know I must have had some trouble squirrels cleaning off my trees plus getting in my garbage cans every night. After the first or second dozen, that has subsided greatly. I think once they taste human food, it’s over. They need to be removed.
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How do you bait you kania traps? i bought one after you suggested it but have little to no luck with it. Sounds like i may be baiting it wrong. I put peanuts in the housing.
I’ve been checking around for the kania traps and can’t find them for sale anywhere, seems everyone is out of stock…they’re expensive buggers too…
exactly…you can trap out 10 and the next day you’ll see one in the apple tree.
Just take a knife-full of peanut butter and smear it into the wire mesh thing at the top. Also make sure you have the trap attached firmly to something. I have mine nailed to trees. If they are moving it makes it harder to fire. Last put some grease on the top of the little metal firing pin to make sure its nice and slippery.
@jeremymillrood, Go to kania.net to order. They have been harder to get recently as they have gotten more popular. I think it took six months last time I ordered some. You need to get in the order now to get in line.
Anne if you grew up in Philly area you know how bad they get. I don’t know if I have the guts to do what you suggested though. I’m a big softie, maybe only second to my husband
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You are probably right. I might be dealing w more than 3. Even if that’s all I see.
1$ each at Dollar Tree
https://www.dollartree.com/Essentials-White-Mesh-Laundry-Bags-with-Drawstrings/p343773/index.pro
PS if anyone knows where to get this style for around 1$ from it would be perfect for strawberries
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