Havent trapped to many squirrels, I was wondering what size trap to get. All we have around here is western grays. Some get pretty big, shot one on the last day of the season a full 24 inches from nose to tail.

Also, pan vs panless. I would think a pan would be better for squirrels

I've used both, pan/pan less.
Using Jim Comstock's "swing panel" squirrel traps more and more.
They are a double doored trap that can be used with just one or both doors set. Pass through/force sets as well as "bait-n-wait".

x2 for Comstock's swing panel traps. The 5x5x24 size is what I use for eastern grays, with room to spare, so they should be large enough for westerns. I've even caught small opossums in them. They're also great for rats.

I have started using some of Jim's double doors also, with the panel in the center. Is anyone else having issues with the Squirrels bending the actuating rod that holds the doors up ? I like the traps, but each time we catch a Squirrel I have to bend the two ends back in shape to make it set again, and after just a few it is getting pretty beat up. These are a little larger of a trap than needed for Squirrels, I believe his 6 X 8 X 30 model flush mount.

Yes, I have to bend the trigger wire back into shape after each squirrel capture. On the good side, the bendable wire allows for fine tuning the trigger, but a heavier gauge wire would be better. I'd hate to see what the wire would look like if you caught a small coon in one of the larger traps.

I use the traps too, for the past few years so this is very surprising, because I never have had anything distorted myself in any way to date and no one has ever contacted us with issues. If anyone has issues with anything please contact us directly, send pics etc. Without feedback there is no way to know if there is an issue and know way to improve. I can only guess or speculate with nothing to go on. There are several clips to hold the rod in place strategically located to prevent bending, maybe one is missing or the clips were assembled out of place. We always appreciate feedback, so please contact us directly as we encourage everyone to do. Albert, we will be in Syracuse at NYSMA, see you there? Please email us some pics and give us a call. If this is the issue, its a quick fix with a couple of extra clips.

Hello Jim, I have been meaning to contact you and ask you about this, but it has not really been a big problem, since I could bend the ends back and make it function again. These were new, and a friend of mine picked them up from you, for me at the NYSTA Convention. I will get some pictures of it for you, and was going to see if you did make any with a heavier gauge wire. Either way, I like the traps and the flush mount set up.

I have a 7x7 comstock I may try as well ad ordered a safeguard and a was simple trap. Found a cheap one in my dad's shop that's a 5x5x17 I may try.

Had two squirrel jobs so far and seemed to be able to just exclude them. We have Grey's here, no reds.

I use 3, 4 and 5 inch wide Comstock squirrel traps pretty much the only trap I use and have zero problems to date.

The area you are in plays a big role as far as exclusion. Some areas like mine the grey squirrels have been one way doored for years. The get it done fast mindsets performed by most. The squirrel knows the drill. So a full seal up is needed. If folks will not pay the price for a full seal up, then my squirrels are just going back in. If there is young in there the female is going back in. They chewed in the first time, why wouldn't they a second time? Also unless I am holding the squirrel and looking at it, I do not know what phase I am in on that job, and the method I do next is just a rut or guess. I always try to get a full seal up but some folks are not going to do it, and I am not going to let my competition get a job off of me if I can help it. so I will remove the squirrels from that job and close the hole or holes, and only warranty the holes. I tell the customer that most likely squirrels will be back in 6 months to a year and they can't get mad at me when it happens. When that happens they call me back and I get a full seal up. If the squirrels are not excluded a lot in your area and you can get the full seal up then go for it. Just my thoughts.

Jonesie, when you say full seal up, are you talking about steel siding the entire house and replacing the roof? I had a customer who

was talked into vinyl siding by the salesman. The new hole in the vinyl matched the old hole in the wood perfectly. And it was right

in the side of the house. Apparently squirrels can hold on to vinyl just like wood.

Paul, to address your post fully I would have to give my four hour squirrel lecture! None of us wants that. LOL But, you hit the nail hard on the head. This is why I do not believe in only exclusion, unless the structure is a brick or block structure or wood structure where the soffits and roofline tight with drip edge. The first question that has to be asked is, what is it that allows a squirrel into the structure? The answer to that is a gap or movement. When a squirrel goes on a structure for the first time you will see that they go to every little corner or along the roof lines looking for gaps, pushing their head into tight soffits corners and feeling for movement. The gap the squirrel needs is anything it can get its teeth on. If you take a gap away and movement away, the squirrel even though it could chew through say vinyl soffit, if there is no movement or gap, to them it is solid. If there is a gap say between the fascia and roof deck under the shingles, or a small gap where the vinyl J channel of the soffit on the dormer where it touches the lower roof, and they want to go in, they will simply push in or they will simply chew the wood or vinyl. The drive for a new squirrel entering a new structure will not be the same as if a squirrel has been living in that structure or HAS lived in that structure. This is why I want to catch all the squirrels that are living there, but also any squirrel that may want to live there. My average number squirrels per job is 4 to 7 with sometimes the eighth being a big breeder male. I want to deal with the dominant female first, then the family unit. Although sometimes on a lot of jobs the family unit comes first. If I’ve done my inspection correctly, meaning got the history from the customer on how long they have had squirrels in the structure. I will make a decision on if I think I need to catch a few more squirrels. I will do this when the customer has had squirrels for year or so, and the family group I just removed was under six weeks. I said I wasn’t going to go into my lectures and I’m not, in a nutshell, I have found that if I remove all the squirrels living there and want to live there, I can box off dormer soffits, screened off the attic fans, on older homes with drip edge in at the valleys and hips and seal any other gaps that I see and keep squirrels out for two years. If they stay after two years I when I hear from most of my customers for 6 to 10 years. A lot of my customers call me back after they have a new roof put on years later because of the gap that the roofers leave between the fascia board and a roof deck a large gaps 1 to 3 inches under the shingles we will drip edge the house. Okay I have said enough.

That is just my thoughts I may be wrong! Also does anyone have the links to Robbs podcasts that I did for him on squirrels A lot of folks are asking for them and I do not have them at my finger tips.

Well, as I am always told, different areas act different. Right now I am pushing exclusions, tree trimming and repair, and telling them to call me if problems continue and that I will redo repairs free of charge and they will pay for necessary trapping.

May cost me time in the short term, but if what I do works in my area it will be for the better.

To a large degree (and nothing new to either Wink or Jonesie), squirrels will work an edge where materials were installed poorly - or in many cases, just not installed all the way over the gap. I used to do some fascia/soffet/siding installation, and I tell customers that they are made so that they can be installed by idiots -cuz they usually are!
Never seen that a gray squirrel can climb vinyl siding, except for edges.

About twenty years ago we had a building boom. Houses when up so fast that the owners could walk right in shortly after the basement

was dug. Unfortunately, the construction was so hurried that the squirrels could also move right in without having to sharpen a

tooth. And these houses were in the $500,000.00 to $750,000.00 range. The customers screamed at the builders, the builders screamed

at the foremen, the foremen screamed at the carpenters, but I was the hero. No screaming at me. ( Oh yeah, except for that one female

gray squirrel that practically broke my ear drums )

Agree 100% with this entire post from Jonesie. 25+ years in this business has PROVEN how squirrels react/respond to exclusion only in my area. It doesn't work very often. I hear guys claim they have a 60 to 70% success rate with it. Can't say I'd intentionally run my business figuring on a 30 to 40% failure rate.

My average is about 6 to 8 squirrels per job also... and this includes ZERO ground trapping. I don't charge per animal, I charge to solve the problem. Sometimes I'll catch 8 to 14, just from the areas in direct proximity to the entry holes. Start with a couple days of "open" trapping, then install one-ways for a couple days while continuing the trapping program. Seldom use posi-set multi-catches, as too often they'll chew holes to get OUT of the structure without going through the one-way into the multi.

Interesting to see how these methods vary so much from region to region. Time will dictate what each operator needs to do to end up with a solution. You can ask all you want, but until you experience the results first-hand, don't be too quick to "push" one type of method.

I use the Comstock squirrel traps and really like them, I have both 5x5's and 6x6's. The 5x5's are good most of the time but during the winter with the extra fur and fat the 6x6's are my go to trap.

Of course you're not wrong. We only stray into the territory of being wrong when we insist that our way is the only 'right' way.

I certainly agree with you and Ron on the animal count.

Here is the link to Robb's podcasts. Your stuff can be found in there along with a whole lot more.

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=16456&cmd=tc