Live traps, often referred to as box traps, stand out as one of the most straightforward trapping devices you can construct using basic tools in your workshop or garage. Their utility is twofold: they are effective for catching and humanely relocating nuisance animals, or they can be employed for harvesting food sources. This comprehensive guide from Shock Naue provides a step-by-step process for building your own functional live animal trap.
Constructing these box traps requires minimal tools. You will need a tape measure, a square, a pencil, a saw, a hammer, a drill with a selection of bits, and a sheet of sandpaper. The necessary building materials are also relatively simple: an 8-foot piece of 1” x 10” lumber (note: actual dimensions are typically ¾” x 9 ½”), an 18” by 2-foot piece of ¼ inch hardware cloth, some nails, 4 small screw-eyes, and some string. For dealing with potential nuisance animals, understanding resources like animal control toms river new jersey or animal control oak ridge tn can be helpful alongside having a live trap.
We will begin by constructing the main box structure and the door. Once these components are complete, we will move on to building the trigger mechanism and setting up the trap. The dimensions provided in this guide are designed for a medium-sized box trap. This size is suitable for capturing smaller creatures such as squirrels, rabbits, possums, small raccoons, feral cats, and, unfortunately, skunks. Let’s start by cutting out the necessary pieces for the box and door from your ¾” lumber.
Preparing the Lumber: Cutting the Pieces
To build the trap, you will need to accurately cut the following pieces from your lumber:
- 2 pieces measuring 24” x 7” for the top and bottom panels.
- 1 piece measuring 8 ½” x 8 ½” for the back panel.
- 2 pieces measuring 4” x 8 ½” for the back side panels.
- 2 pieces measuring 6” x 8 ½” for the front side panels.
- 1 piece measuring 7” x 8 ½” for the door panel.
- 2 pieces measuring ¾” x ½” x 7” for the inner door guides.
- 2 pieces measuring ¾” x ½” x 8 ½” for the outer door guides.
Additionally, you will need to cut two strips of ¼ inch hardware cloth. Each strip should be 8 ½” high by 22” long. These mesh panels will form the sides of the trap box.
Assembling the Trap Box
Now that all your pieces are cut to size, it’s time to assemble the main box structure of the live animal trap.
First, take the back piece and nail it to the top and bottom panels. The top edge of the back piece should be flush with the top edge of the top panel, and similarly, the bottom edge of the back piece should be flush with the bottom edge of the bottom panel. The back piece is wider than the top and bottom panels, so it should extend out ¾” on each side of both the top and bottom pieces. This creates a slightly recessed area on the sides where the hardware cloth will attach.
Trap back attached to top and bottom panels
Next, you will attach the hardware cloth panels to the sides of the box structure. While short roofing nails are recommended for this task due to their wide head, you can also use carpet tacks, small U-shaped nails, or even heavy-duty staples. The key is to ensure the hardware cloth is securely fastened, strong enough to contain a trapped animal. The hardware cloth should butt up against the back panel and be flush with the top edge of the top panel and the bottom edge of the bottom panel.
Attaching hardware cloth sides to the live trap frame
The next step in building your live animal trap is to nail on the back side pieces. These pieces fit into the ¾” recessed area created when attaching the back panel. Simply align them and nail them securely in place.
Nailing the back side panels onto the trap box
The front side pieces are added next, but before nailing them on, take your sandpaper and smooth the insides of these pieces. This sanding is crucial to reduce friction, ensuring the trap door will fall quickly and completely when triggered, effectively capturing the animal.
Sanding the interior surfaces of the front side pieces for the trap
Once the sanding is complete, nail the front side pieces onto the box. Position them so that 1 ¾” of the sanded section extends out in front of the top and bottom panels. This extended portion forms part of the channel for the trap door. Protecting gardens or newly planted saplings often requires keeping certain animals away; knowing how to protect newly planted trees from animals might be another approach, but trapping offers a solution for relocation.
Attaching the front side pieces with an overhang for the door channel
Installing the Door Guides
Now it’s time to install the door guides, which are essential for the smooth operation of the trap door. Before nailing them in place, sand the edges of the guides where the door will slide. Smoother guides mean a faster, cleaner, and more reliable drop of the trap door.
Sanding the edges of the wooden door guides for the trap
With the guides smoothed, first nail on the shorter, inner guides. Position these guides so they are flush with the edge of the top and bottom panels. You can use paneling nails or similar small nails to attach the guides.
Nailing the inner door guides onto the trap box
Next, install the outer guides. Place the outer guides so that the gap between them and the inner guides is approximately 1/8 inch wider than the thickness of your trap door. This slight clearance allows the door to slide freely without binding.
Nailing the outer door guides, creating the channel for the trap door
With all the guides nailed firmly in place, take your trap door piece and sand its edges smooth. Slightly rounding the edges and corners will further help prevent the door from binding or sticking as it slides down the guides.
Sanding the edges and corners of the trap door
Slide the door down between the installed guides to test the fit and ensure it slides easily and smoothly.
Testing the trap door’s fit and movement within the guides
If the door slides correctly without issues, you are ready to proceed to the next critical stage: building the trigger mechanism.
Constructing the Trigger Mechanism
The trigger system for this live animal trap is designed for simplicity and effectiveness. It involves a trigger stick located inside the box, connected to a rocker arm. The rocker arm pivots on an upright support mounted on top of the trap, and its front end is attached to the trap door. When the trap is set, the trigger stick holds the rocker arm in a position that keeps the door lifted. An animal entering the trap and interacting with the trigger stick releases the rocker arm, causing the door to drop and close.
The first step is to drill two holes in the top panel of the trap box. The first hole, which will accommodate the trigger stick, should be 8 inches from the back of the box and 1 inch in diameter. The second hole, used for mounting the upright support for the rocker arm, should be 16 inches from the back of the box and ¾ inch in diameter. Measure carefully and drill these holes.
Drilling holes in the top panel for the trigger and upright support
Once the holes are drilled, you will fashion the trigger stick. This stick is made from a ¾” x ¾” piece of wood, cut to a length of 9 inches. Round off the edges and give the stick a light sanding to ensure it moves easily. Cut a notch in the stick that is ¼” deep, with the bottom of the notch located 2 inches from the top end of the stick. Finally, screw a small screw-eye into the very top of the trigger stick.
Crafting the wooden trigger stick with a notch and screw-eye
The completed trigger stick should fit easily into the 1-inch hole drilled in the top panel. When the trap is set, the notch you cut should catch on the underside of the top board. In this position, the trigger stick should hang freely and not touch the bottom of the trap.
Testing the fit and position of the trigger stick in the top panel
Now, prepare the upright support that the rocker arm will pivot on. Cut a piece of your ¾” lumber that is one foot long and 1¾” wide.
Cutting the wood piece for the upright support
On one end of this upright piece, cut away wood on each side to leave a ¾” wide by ¾” long tab in the center. Use a knife or wood rasp to round off this tab, forming a peg designed to fit easily into the ¾” hole in the top of the trap box.
Shaping the end of the upright support into a rounded peg
On the opposite end of the upright, cut a slot that is ¾” wide and 3 inches long. The easiest way to do this is to drill a ¾” hole three inches down from the top using your drill and ¾” bit, then use a saw to cut down from the top edge to each side of the hole, creating the slot.
Cutting the slot into the top of the upright support
When finished, the upright support should have a peg on one end and a slot on the other, ready to be incorporated into the live animal trap’s triggering system.
Completed upright support with peg and slot
Side view of the completed upright support
The rocker arm itself is a simple ¾” x ½” stick cut to a length of 20 inches.
Measuring and cutting the rocker arm piece
Orient the rocker arm so one of the ¾” sides is facing upwards. Drill a 3/16” hole directly in the center of the stick (10 inches from each end). Then, drill a corresponding 3/16” hole through the slotted end of the upright support. This hole should be placed one inch down from the top edge of the upright. When the rocker arm is placed in the slot of the upright, these holes should align to allow for a pivot point.
Drilling the pivot hole in the rocker arm and upright support
You can now mount the peg end of the upright support into the ¾” hole on the top panel of the box. Align the rocker arm within the slot of the upright and insert a nail or a small bolt through the aligned holes in both pieces. The rocker arm should pivot freely on this nail or bolt. The construction of a live animal trap involves precision, much like maintaining classic cars requires careful attention to detail.
Attaching the rocker arm to the upright support on the trap top
Final Assembly and Setting the Trap
You are nearly finished building your live animal trap. The remaining steps involve connecting the trigger stick and the trap door to the rocker arm using screw-eyes and string.
Screw a small screw-eye into the rocker arm about ½” from each end. Screw another small screw-eye into the top edge of the trap door. Take a piece of string and tie it from the screw-eye on the trigger stick to the screw-eye at the back end of the rocker arm, leaving approximately 5 inches of slack between them when the trigger stick is engaged. Lastly, tie a piece of string from the screw-eye on the front end of the rocker arm to the screw-eye on the top of the door. Again, aim for about 5 inches of slack when the door is fully raised.
When everything is connected and the trap is set (trigger stick engaged, door held up), the string setup should look like the illustration below.
Diagram showing trigger stick, rocker arm, and door connected by string
A useful modification is to use a small wire hook instead of tying the string directly to the trap door. Attaching a hook to the end of the string connected to the door makes it much easier to quickly disassemble the trap for transportation or storage.
Using a wire hook for easier trap disassembly
