Animal trapping , or simply trapping or ginning , is the use of a device to remotely catch and often kill an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including for meat , fur , sport hunting , pest control , and wildlife management .
80-459: A mousetrap is a specialized type of animal trap designed primarily to catch and, usually, kill mice . Mousetraps are usually set in an indoor location where there is a suspected infestation of rodents . Larger traps are designed to catch other species of animals, such as rats , squirrels , and other small rodents. The trap that is credited as the first patented lethal mousetrap was a set of spring-loaded, cast-iron jaws dubbed "Royal No. 1". It
160-458: A 1–2 centimetres (0.39–0.79 in) deep layer of vegetable oil , with a ramp leading up to the edge of the bowl. Mice, attracted by the oil's scent, climb in and become covered in the slippery oil, making it impossible for them to crawl or jump out. In both cases, the unharmed mouse can be released outdoors. However, if several mice are caught simultaneously, and especially if the trap is subsequently left unchecked for several days before release,
240-490: A U.S. patent for a modification of Hooker's design that can be "readily set or adjusted with absolute safety to the person attending thereto, avoiding the liability of having his fingers caught or injured by the striker when it is prematurely or accidentally freed or released." He obtained the patent on 17 November 1903. After William Hooker had sold his interest in the Animal Trap Company of Abingdon, Illinois, and founded
320-466: A body-gripping trap with bait , or the trap may be placed on an animal path to catch the animal as it passes. In any case, it is important that the animal is guided into the correct position before the trap is triggered. The standard trigger is a pair of wires that extend between the jaws of the set trap. The wires may be bent into various shapes, depending on the size and behavior of the target animal. Modified triggers include pans and bait sticks. The trap
400-601: A chance to escape. The general category of body-gripping traps may include snap-type mouse and rat traps, but the term is more often used to refer to the larger, all-steel traps that are used to catch fur-bearing animals. These larger traps are made from bent round steel bars. These traps come in several sizes including model #110 or #120 at about 5 by 5 inches (130 by 130 mm) for muskrat and mink, model #220 at about 7 by 7 inches (180 by 180 mm) for raccoon and possum, and model #330 at about 10 by 10 inches (250 by 250 mm) for beaver and otter. An animal may be lured into
480-624: A counter-example is found in the work of Jon Way, a biologist in Massachusetts. Way reported that the death or disappearance of a territorial male coyote can lead to double litters, and postulates a possible resultant increase in coyote density. Coexistence programs that take this scientific research into account are being pursued by groups such as the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals. Animals are frequently trapped in many parts of
560-403: A door to shut; some traps with two doors have a trigger in the middle of the cage that causes both doors to shut. In either type of cage, the closure of the doors and the falling of a lock mechanism prevents the animal from escaping by locking the door(s) shut. With two doors open, the squirrel can see through the opening on the opposite end. Peanut butter is placed in the trap as bait to attract
640-458: A lethal dose of electricity when the rodent completes the circuit by contacting two electrodes located either at the entrance or between the entrance and the bait. The electrodes are housed in an insulated or plastic box to prevent accidental injury to humans and pets. They can be designed for single-catch domestic use or large multiple-catch commercial use. See U.S. patent 4,250,655 and U.S. patent 4,780,985 . An early patented mousetrap
720-433: A liquid to drown the trapped mouse. The mouse is baited to the top of the container where it falls into the bucket and drowns. Sometimes soap or caustic or poison chemicals are used in the bucket as killing agents. In non-lethal versions, the bucket is usually empty, allowing the mouse to live but keeping it trapped until the owner of the trap can release them. Another design features a bowl (or similar container) containing
800-436: A lure applied around the hole. A flat set is another common use of the foothold trap. It is very similar to the dirt hole trap set, simply with no hole to dig. The attractant is placed on the object near the trap and a urine scent sprayed to the object. The cubby set simulates a den in which a small animal would live, but could be adapted for larger game. It could be made from various materials such as rocks, logs or bark, but
880-472: A mouse, touches the trip. The design is such that the mouse's neck or spinal cord will be broken, or its ribs or skull crushed, by the force of the bar. The trap can be held over a bin and the dead mouse released into it by pulling the bar. In the case of rats , which are much larger than mice, a much larger version of the same type of trap is used to kill them. Some spring mousetraps have a plastic extended trip. The larger trip has two notable differences over
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#1732869729075960-408: A pressure plate between two metal arms, or "jaws", lined with spiked protrusions, or "teeth". Once the plate has been stepped on, the arms close on the ensnared person or animal's foot. Blacksmiths made traps of iron in the early 1700s for trappers. By the 1800s, companies began to manufacture steel foothold traps. Traps are designed in different sizes for different sized animals. In recent decades,
1040-504: A step on the treadle into one that goes off by a pull on the bait. The similarity of the latter design with Hooker's of 1894 may have contributed to a common mistake of giving priority to Atkinson. It is a simple device with a heavily spring-loaded bar and a trip to release it. Cheese may be placed on the trip as bait , but other food such as oats, chocolate, bread, meat, butter and peanut butter are also used. The spring-loaded bar swings down rapidly and with great force when anything, usually
1120-435: A strong homing instinct. House mice tend to not survive long away from human settlements due to higher levels of predation. There are many methods to live trap mice. One of the simplest designs consists of a drinking glass placed upside down above a piece of bait, its rim elevated by a coin stood on edge. If the mouse attempts to take the bait, the coin is displaced and the glass traps the mouse. Another method of live trapping,
1200-416: A wooden snare, a destroyer of Mice, which they call a trap.". A mousetrap (Spanish: ratonera ) figures prominently in the second chapter of the 1554 Spanish novel Lazarillo de Tormes , in which the hero Lazarillo steals cheese from a mousetrap to alleviate his hunger. Ralph Waldo Emerson is credited (apparently incorrectly) with the oft-quoted phrase advocating innovation: " Build a better mousetrap, and
1280-441: Is a live capture device patented in 1870 by W K Bachman of South Carolina. These traps have the advantage of allowing the mouse to be released into the wild, or the disadvantage of having to personally kill the captured animal if release is not desired. To ensure a live capture, these traps need to be regularly checked as captured mice can die from stress or starvation. Captured mice need to be released some distance away, as mice have
1360-443: Is a safe, efficient, and practical means of capturing individual animals without impairing the survival of furbearer populations or damaging the environment. Wildlife biologists also support regulatory and educational programs, research to evaluate trap performance and the implementation of improvements in trapping technology in order to improve animal welfare. Trapping is useful to control over population of certain species. Trapping
1440-587: Is also used for research and relocation of wildlife. Federal authorities in the United States use trapping as the primary means to control predators that prey on endangered species such as the San Joaquin kit fox ( Vulpes macrotis mutica ), California least tern ( Sterna antillarum browni ) and desert tortoise ( Gopherus agassizii ). Animals may be trapped for public display , for natural history displays , or for such purposes as obtaining elements used in
1520-410: Is beneficial. Another way to prevent an infestation is to thoroughly check any materials brought inside: cockroaches and their egg cases ( ootheca ) can be hidden inside or on furniture, or inside boxes, suitcases, grocery bags, etc. Upon finding an egg case, use a napkin to pick it up and then forcefully crush it; the resulting fluid leakage will then indicate the destruction of the eggs inside. Discard
1600-410: Is designed to close on the neck and/or torso of an animal. When it closes on the neck, it closes the trachea and the blood vessels to the brain, and often fractures the spinal column; the animal loses consciousness within a few seconds and dies soon thereafter. If it closes on the foot, leg, snout, or other part of an animal, the results are less predictable. Trapping ethics call for precautions to avoid
1680-770: Is normally used without bait and has a wire trigger in the middle of its square-shaped, heavy-gauge wire jaws. It is placed in places that are frequented by the fur bearing animals. Trappers can employ a variety of devices and strategies to avoid unwanted catches. Ideally, if a non-target animal (such as a domestic cat or dog) is caught in a non-lethal trap, it can be released without harm. A careful choice of set and lure may help to catch target animals while avoiding non-target animals. Although trappers cannot always guarantee that unwanted animals will not be caught, they can take precautions to avoid unwanted catches or release them unharmed. The snaring of non-target animals can be minimized using methods that exclude animals larger or smaller than
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#17328697290751760-458: Is still considered to be one of the most inexpensive and effective mousetraps. Reference to a mousetrap is made as early as 1602 in Shakespeare's Hamlet ( Act III , scene 2), where it is the name given to the 'play-within-a-play' by Hamlet himself: "'tis a knavish piece of work", he calls it. There is a reference in the 1844 novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, père . Chapter ten
1840-487: Is titled "A Mousetrap of the Seventeenth Century". In this case, rather than referring to a literal mouse trap, the author describes a police or guard tactic that involves lying in wait in the residence of someone whom they have arrested without public knowledge and then grabbing, interviewing, and probably arresting anyone who comes to the residence. In the voice of a narrator, the author confesses to having no idea how
1920-544: The Humane Society of the United States , American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , and others to continue to lobby for stricter controls over the use of these traps in the United States. Trapping might lead to stress, pain, or death for the animal, depending on the type of trap. [snare’s] Traps that work by catching limbs can cause injuries on
2000-454: The RSPCA to oppose the use of glue traps. Trapped mice eventually die from exposure , dehydration , starvation, suffocation, or predation, or are killed by people when the trap is checked. In some jurisdictions the use of glue traps is regulated. Victoria, Australia restricts the use of glue traps to commercial pest control operators, and the traps must be used in accordance with conditions set by
2080-420: The bucket trap , is to make a half-oval shaped tunnel with a toilet paper roll, put bait on one end of the roll, place the roll on a counter or table with the baited end sticking out over the edge, and put a deep bin under the edge. When the mouse enters the toilet paper roll to take the bait, the roll (and the mouse) will tip over the edge and fall into the bin below; the bin needs to be deep enough to ensure that
2160-535: The pet trade , and zoological specimens . In the early days of the colonization settlement of North America, the trading of furs was common between the Dutch, French, or English and the indigenous populations inhabiting their respective colonized territories. Many locations where trading took place were referred to as trading posts. Much trading occurred along the Hudson River area in the early 1600s. In some locations in
2240-405: The 4th century BCE. The Zhuangzi reads: "The sleek-furred fox and the elegantly spotted leopard ... can't seem to escape the disaster of nets and traps." "Modern" steel jaw-traps were first described in western sources as early as the late 16th century. The first mention comes from Leonard Mascall 's book on animal trapping. It reads: "a griping trappe made all of yrne, the lowest barre, and
2320-644: The Minister for Agriculture. Some jurisdictions have banned their use entirely; in Ireland it is illegal to import, possess, sell or offer for sale unauthorized traps, including glue traps. This law, the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, was passed in 2000. The use of glue traps to catch rodents without Ministerial approval has been prohibited in New Zealand since 2015. Uncle Bob's Self Storage , the fifth-largest self storage company in
2400-601: The US and in many parts of southern and western Europe, trapping generates much controversy because it is a contributing factor to declining populations in some species, such as the Canadian Lynx. In the 1970s and 1980s, the threat to lynx from trapping reached a new height when the price for hides rose to as much as $ 600 each. By the early 1990s, the Canada lynx was a clear candidate for Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection. In response to
2480-413: The United States, has ended the use of these devices at all its facilities; other companies that have taken similar measures are ING Barings and Charles Schwab Corporation . Bucket traps may be lethal or non-lethal. Both types have a ramp which leads to the rim of a deep-walled container, such as a bucket. The variations are many with some being single-catch and some multi-catch. The bucket may contain
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2560-592: The accidental killing of non-target species (including domestic animals and people) by body-gripping traps. Note on terminology: the term "body-gripping trap" (and its variations including "body gripping", "body-grip", "body grip", etc.) is often used by animal-protection advocates to describe any trap that restrains an animal by holding onto any part of its body. In this sense, the term is defined to include foothold/foothold traps, Conibear-type traps, snares, and cable restraints; it does not include cage traps or box traps that restrain animals solely by containing them inside
2640-417: The animal are used— mousetraps for mice, or the larger rat traps for larger rodents like rats and squirrel . Specific traps are designed for invertebrates such as cockroaches and spiders. Some mousetraps can also double as an insect or universal trap, like the glue traps which catch any small animal that walks upon them. Although it is common to state that trapping is an effective means of pest control,
2720-423: The animal before disposing of the trap. Manufacturers of glue traps usually state that trapped animals should be thrown away with the trap. Because glue traps do not always kill the animal and often cause them to suffer a slow death, this method of trapping is denounced by animal rights groups and banned in several jurisdictions. Glue traps can be advantageous if the local population of animals have rat mites since
2800-418: The animal fighting the trap, possibly injuring itself or getting loose in the process. These include traps with offset jaws and lamination, which decrease pressure on the animals' legs, and padded jaws with rubber inserts, which reduce animal injuries. Manufacturers of traps designed to work only on raccoons are referred to as dog-proof. These traps are small, and rely on the raccoon's grasping nature to trigger
2880-464: The animals in with bait that is placed inside. Upon touch, it forces both sides closed, thereby trapping, but not killing, the animal, which can then be released or killed at the trapper's discretion. A historical reference is found in Alciatis Emblemata from 1534. The conventional mousetrap with a spring-loaded snap mechanism resting on a block of wood first appeared in 1884, and to this day
2960-665: The average 2019–2020 pelt values for a red squirrel was CA$ 0.54 and for a black bear was $ 153.41 Sherman trap The Sherman trap is a box-style animal trap designed for the live capture of small mammals . It was invented by Dr. H. B. Sherman in the 1920s and became commercially available in 1955. Since that time, the Sherman trap has been used extensively by researchers in the biological sciences for capturing animals such as mice , voles , shrews , and chipmunks . The Sherman trap consists of eight hinged pieces of sheet metal (either galvanized steel or aluminum ) that allow
3040-416: The back must be closed to control the animals approach. The bait and/or lure is placed in the back of the cubby. The water set is usually described as a body-gripping trap or snare set so that the trap jaws or snare loop are partially submerged. The conibear is a type of trap used in water trapping and can also be used on land and is heavily regulated. The regulations vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. It
3120-401: The cages or boxes without exerting pressure on the animals; it generally does not include suitcase-type traps that restrain animals by containing them inside the cages under pressure. A deadfall is a heavy rock or log that is tilted at an angle and held up with sections of branches, with one of them serving as a trigger. When the animal moves the trigger, which may have bait on or near it,
3200-406: The center or a scent may be added to the adhesive by the manufacturer. Glue traps are used primarily for rodent control indoors. Glue traps are not effective outdoors due to environmental conditions (e.g., moisture, dust), which quickly render the adhesive ineffective. Glue strip or glue tray devices trap the mouse in the sticky glue. Glue traps often do not kill the animal so some people opt to kill
3280-517: The cost of trapping exceeds the return on the furs sold at the end of the season. Beaver castors are used in many perfumes as a sticky substance. Trappers are paid by the government of Ontario to harvest the castor sacs of beavers and are paid from 10 to 40 dollars per dry pound when sold to the Northern Ontario Fur Trappers Association. In the early 1900s, muskrat glands were used in making perfume, or women just crushed
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3360-471: The dead mouse so it can be disposed of without being sighted. Glue traps are usually considered disposable – the trap is discarded with the mouse adhered to the trap. Similar ranges of traps are sized for to trap other animal species; for example, rat traps are larger than mousetraps, and squirrel traps are larger still. A squirrel trap is a metal box-shaped device that is designed to catch squirrels and other similarly sized animals. The device works by drawing
3440-613: The environment. In the US, non-target catches reported by users of snares in Michigan were 17 ± 3% . Snares are regulated in many jurisdictions, but are illegal in other jurisdictions, such as in much of Europe. Different regulations apply to snares in those areas where they are legal. In Iowa, snares have to have a "deer stop" which stops a snare from closing all the way. In the United Kingdom, snares must be "free-running" so that they can relax once an animal stops pulling, thereby allowing
3520-632: The first such ban in the United Kingdom. A ban on the sale and use of rodent glue traps is due to come into force in West Hollywood, California, in January 2024, making it the first such city ban in the United States. Glue traps are also banned in the Australian Capital Territory , Tasmania , and Victoria in Australia. The most productive set for foothold traps is a dirt hole, a hole dug in
3600-564: The front folds inwards and latches the treadle, trigger plate, in place. When an animal enters far enough to be clear of the front door, their weight releases the latch and the door closes behind them. The lure or bait is placed at the far end and can be dropped in place through the rear hinged door. Later, other variants that built upon the basic design, appeared - such as the Elliott trap used in Europe and Australasia. The Elliott trap has simplified
3680-411: The glands and rubbed them onto their body. Trapping is regularly used for pest control of beaver , coyote , raccoon , cougar , bobcat , Virginia opossum , fox , squirrel , rat, mouse and mole in order to limit damage to households, food supplies, farming, ranching, and property. Traps are used as a method of pest control as an alternative to pesticides . Commonly spring traps which holds
3760-405: The ground with a trap positioned in front. An attractant is placed inside the hole. The hole for the set is usually made in front of some type of object which is where medium-sized animals such as coyotes, fox or bobcats would use for themselves to store food. This object could be a tuft of taller grass, a stone, a stump, or some other natural object. The dirt from the hole is sifted over the trap and
3840-413: The ground, or built from stone, in order to trap animals. Like cage traps they are usually employed for catching animals without harming them. Cage traps are designed to catch live animals in a cage . They are usually baited, sometimes with food bait and sometimes with a live "lure" animal. Common baits include cat food and fish. Cage traps usually have a trigger located in the back of the cage that causes
3920-587: The latter and injuring himself in the process with the traps. Mouse Trap (originally titled Mouse Trap Game ) is a board game first published by Ideal in 1963 for two to four players. The game was one of the first mass-produced, three-dimensional board games. Over the course of the game, players at first cooperate to build a working Rube Goldberg-like mouse trap. Once the mouse trap has been built, players turn against each other, attempting to trap opponents' mouse-shaped game pieces. Mousetraps loaded with table tennis balls or corks have been used to demonstrate
4000-465: The limbs, especially if used improperly and leave the animal unattended until the trapper comes. [depending on the laws in the state it could be 24 to 72 hours] The animal might die from the injury, starvation, or attacks from other animals. Many states employ the regulation that a trap must be checked at least every 36 hours to minimize risks to the animals. Trapping requires time, hard work, and money but can be efficient. Trapping has become expensive for
4080-564: The lynx's plight, more than a dozen environmental groups petitioned FWS in 1991 to list lynx in the lower 48 states. Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) regional offices and field biologists supported the petition, but FWS officials in the Washington, D.C. headquarters turned it down. In March 2000, the FWS listed the lynx as threatened in the lower 48. The prices of fur pelts have significantly declined. Some trappers have considered forgoing trapping because
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#17328697290754160-415: The mice may kill and eat each other to avoid starvation. To avoid this outcome, non-lethal multi-catch traps should be checked and emptied regularly. There are several types of one-time use, disposable mousetraps, generally made of inexpensive materials which are designed to be disposed of after catching a mouse. These mousetraps have similar trapping mechanisms as other traps, however, they generally conceal
4240-479: The mite will remain on the animal's body while it is still alive and the glue would also trap mites leaving the animal after the animal's death. Animals that come into contact with the trap can be released from the glue by applying vegetable oil and gently working the animal free. Glue traps are effective and non-toxic to humans. Death is much slower than with the traditional type trap, which has prompted animal activists and welfare organisations such as PETA and
4320-512: The mouse cannot jump out. A style of trap that has been used extensively by researchers in the biological sciences for capturing animals such as mice is the Sherman trap . The Sherman trap folds flat for storage and distribution and when deployed in the field captures the animal, without injury, for examination. Glue traps are made using natural or synthetic adhesive applied to cardboard, plastic trays or similar material. Bait can be placed in
4400-635: The much shorter stick (sometimes called catch stick or trigger stick) with one of the longer sticks, plus a rock or other heavy object. Snares are anchored cable or wire nooses set to catch wild animals such as squirrels and rabbits . In the US, they are most commonly used for capture and control of surplus furbearers and especially for food collection. They are also widely used by subsistence and commercial hunters for bushmeat consumption and trade in African forest regions and in Cambodia . Snares are one of
4480-567: The napkin and the destroyed egg case as garbage. Domestic animals accidentally captured in glue traps can be released by carefully applying cooking oil or baby oil to the contact areas and gently working until the animal is free. Many animal rights groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States and In Defense of Animals , oppose the use of glue traps for their cruelty to animals. Glue traps were made illegal in Wales in October 2023, marking
4560-468: The new Abingdon Trap Company in 1899, the Animal Trap Company moved to Lititz, Pennsylvania, and fused with the J.M. Mast Manufacturing Company in 1905. The new and bigger company in Lititz retained the name Animal Trap Company. Compounding these different but related patents and companies may have contributed to the widespread mis-attribution of priority to Mast rather than Hooker. An electric mousetrap delivers
4640-529: The practice of traditional medicine . Trapping may also be done for hobby and conservation purposes. Most of the traps used for mammals can be divided into six types: foothold traps, body gripping traps, snares, deadfalls, cages, and glue traps. Some of the traditional kinds have changed little since the Stone Age . Foothold traps were invented in the 17th century for use against humans (see mantrap ), to keep poachers out of European estates. The device uses
4720-475: The principle of a chain reaction . Mousetraps had become a subject of "challenges" on YouTube where people attempted to trigger them quickly with their hands, fingers or even tongue without getting trapped, as well as setting up multiple mousetraps as a prank . YouTubers Gavin Free and Daniel Gruchy created an experiment using a trampoline lined up with hundreds of mousetraps, triggered all at once by jumping into
4800-404: The ring or hoope with two clickets" [ sic ]. The mousetrap , with a strong spring device mounted on a wooden base, was first patented by William C. Hooker of Abingdon, Illinois, in 1894. Trapping is carried out for a variety of reasons. Originally, it was for food, fur, and other animal products. Trapping has since been expanded to encompass pest control, wildlife management,
4880-466: The rock or log falls, crushing the animal. The figure-four deadfall is a popular and simple trap constructed from materials found in the bush (three sticks with notches cut into them, plus a heavy rock or other heavy object). Also popular, and easier to set, is the Paiute deadfall, consisting of three long sticks, plus a much shorter stick, along with a cord or fiber material taken from the bush to interconnect
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#17328697290754960-474: The simplest traps and are very effective. They are cheap to produce and easy to set in large numbers. A snare traps an animal around the neck or the body; a snare consists of a noose made usually by wire or a strong string. Snares are widely criticised by animal welfare groups for their cruelty . UK users of snares accept that over 40% of animals caught in some environments will be non-target animals, although non-target captures range from 21% to 69% depending on
5040-408: The smaller traditional type: increased leverage, which requires less force from the rodent to trip it; and the larger surface area of the trip increases the probability that the rodent will set off the trap. The exact latching mechanism holding the trip varies, and some need to be set right at the edge in order to be sensitive enough to catch the mouse. In 1899, John Mast of Lititz, Pennsylvania, filed
5120-403: The squirrel. In some locations, the traps can be placed in alignment with a building, wall, or fence (nearly under one edge of a bush). The wall does not present a threat to the squirrel, and the bush reduces the exposure and view of the squirrel. A blind area (by using natural or cardboard materials) surrounding the end of the trap presents a darker, safe hiding space near the trigger and bait of
5200-493: The target animal. For example, deer stops are designed to avoid the snaring of deer or cattle by the leg; they are required in some parts of the US. Other precautions include setting snares at specific heights, diameters, and locations. In a study of foxes in the UK, researchers were unintentionally snaring brown hares about as frequently as the intended foxes until they improved their methods, using larger wire with rabbit stops to eliminate
5280-573: The term became attached to this tactic. The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer also references mouse traps in the prelude written sometime between 1387-1400. In the prelude introducing the Nun, Chaucer writes in lines 144-145, "She wolde wepe, if that she saugh a mous/Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde." There is an earlier reference to a mousetrap, found in Ancient Greek The Battle of Frogs and Mice : "... by unheard-of arts they had contrived
5360-471: The trampoline, and recorded it in slow-motion. Animal trap Neolithic hunters, including the members of the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture of Romania and Ukraine ( c. 5500–2750 BCE ), used traps to capture their prey. An early mention in written form is a passage from the self-titled book by Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi which describes Chinese methods used for trapping animals during
5440-401: The trap to be collapsed for storage or transport. Sherman traps are often set in grids and may be baited with grains and seed. The hinged design allows the trap to fold up flat into something only the width of one side panel. This makes it compact for storage and easy to transport to field locations (e.g. in a back pack). Both ends are hinged, but in normal operation the rear end is closed and
5520-525: The trap. Body-gripping traps are designed to kill animals quickly. They are often called "Conibear" traps after Canadian inventor Frank Conibear who began their manufacture in the late 1950s as the Victor-Conibear trap. Many trappers consider these traps to be one of the best trapping innovations of the 20th century; when they work as intended, animals that are caught squarely on the neck are killed quickly, and are therefore not left to suffer or given
5600-417: The trap. Where two-door traps are not available, a piece of cardboard held in place with a brick can be put behind the rear of the trap. In cold climates, cockroaches may move indoors, seeking warmer environments and food. Cockroaches may enter houses via wastewater plumbing, underneath doors, or via air ducts or other openings in the walls, windows or foundation. Cockroach populations may be controlled through
5680-538: The trapper to decide whether to kill the animal or release it. Following a consultation on options to ban or regulate the use of snares, the Scottish Executive announced a series of measures on the use of snares, such as the compulsory fitting of safety stops, ID tags and marking areas where snaring takes place with signs. In some jurisdictions, swivels on snares are required, and dragging (non-fixed) anchors are prohibited. Trapping pit s are deep pits dug into
5760-651: The trapper, and in modern times it has become controversial. In part to address these concerns, in 1996, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, an organization made up of U.S. state and federal fish and wildlife agency professionals, began testing traps and compiling recommendations "to improve and modernize the technology of trapping through scientific research" known as Best Management Practices. As of February 2013, twenty best management practice recommendations have been published, covering nineteen species of common furbearers across North America. Trapping in Manitoba, Canada
5840-435: The triggering mechanism is between the jaws, where the bait is held. The trip snaps the jaws shut, killing the rodent. Lightweight traps of this style are now constructed from plastic. These traps do not have a powerful snap like other types. They are safer for the fingers of the person setting them than other lethal traps, and can be set with the press on a tab by a single finger or even by foot. The spring-loaded mousetrap
5920-596: The unwanted catch of the brown hares. Any type of trap—whether it be a foothold/leghold, conibear, or snare/cable restraint—can get an unwanted catch, including endangered species and pets. Wildlife Services , a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture , estimated that between 2003 and 2013 hundreds of pets were killed by body-gripping traps, and that the agency itself has killed thousands of non-target animals in several states, from pet dogs to endangered species. The number of non-target animals killed has caused national and regional animal-protection organizations such as
6000-637: The use of glue board traps or insecticides . Glue board traps (also called adhesive or sticky traps) are made using adhesive applied to cardboard or similar material. Bait can be placed in the center or a scent may be added to the adhesive. Inexpensive glue board traps are normally placed in warm indoor locations readily accessible to insects but not likely to be encountered by people: underneath refrigerators or freezers, behind trash cans, etc. Covering any cracks or crevices through which cockroaches may enter, sealing food inside insect-proof containers, and quickly cleaning any spills or messes that have been made
6080-425: The use of foothold traps in trapping and hunting has become controversial. Anti-fur campaigns have protested foothold traps as inhumane, with some claiming that an animal caught in a foothold trap will frequently chew off its leg to escape the trap. The practice has been banned in 101 countries as well as 10 states in the United States. Modern variations of the foothold trap have been designed to reduce instances of
6160-464: The world to prevent damage to personal property, including the killing of livestock by predatory animals . Many wildlife biologists support the use of regulated trapping for the sustained harvest of some species of furbearers. Research shows that trapping can be an effective method of managing or studying furbearers, controlling damage caused by furbearers, and at times reducing the spread of harmful diseases. The research shows that regulated trapping
6240-425: The world will beat a path to your door ." The Mousetrap is a popular play by Agatha Christie . Mousetraps are a staple of slapstick comedy and animated cartoons . Episodes of the cartoon Tom and Jerry usually have plots based on Tom attempting to trap Jerry with different (and sometimes ridiculous) methods of trapping the mouse with a device realized as a Rube Goldberg machine , often being outsmarted by
6320-408: Was first patented by William C. Hooker of Abingdon, Illinois , who received US patent 528671 for his design in 1894. A British inventor, James Henry Atkinson , patented a similar trap called the "Little Nipper" in 1898, including variations that had a weight-activated treadle as the trip. In 1899, Atkinson patented a modification of his earlier design that transformed it from a trap that goes off by
6400-415: Was patented on 4 November 1879 by James M. Keep of New York, US patent 221,320. From the patent description, it is clear that this is not the first mousetrap of this type, but the patent is for this simplified, easy-to-manufacture design. It is the industrial-age development of the deadfall trap , but relying on the force of a wound spring rather than gravity. The jaws are operated by a coiled spring, and
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