going after some squirrels in the attic of an older home in WI, they are running amok in the attic and also up and down inside the walls, easy access for them as the walls are open at the top to the attic.
First I tried a rather conventional set up with a few rat traps and some cages of different sizes. Peanut butter, sunflower seeds, and black walnuts as bait. In the first 3 days, I got completely cleaned out!!! Almost every trap was sprung, every rat trap was licked clean. Cages flipped over, it was a nightmare!

What just happened?

Now trying to go after them with a little bit of outside the box trapping. Setting some 110 with silicone pucks, with peanut butter and sunflower seeds, one wire trigger with a black walnut fixed to it. And also a make shift positive set made from a colony trap over one of the main holes.

What do you think - Any critique?

Uwe- What species of squirrels are in the house- eastern gray squirrels, pine squirrels or flying squirrels?

grey squirrels

The victor rat trap probably gave the squirrels a nasty smack on the noggin and a great education. In many cases the colony trap doors will be opened buy the squirrel in a matter of minutes.
With Un educated squirrels your cages should work like a charm.
I seldom get educated squirrels. I trapped for about 10 days once without a capture, only to find out that the home owner previously had cages at the same location for about 2 1/2 months (ouch). Fortunately the critters had never seen 110s in mink boxes with a little bait. I then took all the squirrels out in two days..
Loose the traps that are doomed to failure.
Set more traps than you think you need. Kiss. If it is easy to trap the home exterior consider keeping out of their home area (attic ). Quickly followed by location, location, location.. Just a few thoughts

thanks Bob! it is very urban area so setting outside has too many unknowns, I was thinking to try the good old water bucket with seeds next, probably would do that outside as upstairs might not be too good an idea.
I do suspect the critters are very educated in handling traps. I have a weasel box set with a round hole in the front and Victor inside, that is pretty much the only thing that was left untouched.
Thanks, again for the input!

If you're good on ladders and roofs then get outside and set 110s over the holes so they have no choice but to get caught. Be sure to anchor off the chain though. A box swivel j-hooked to the ring leaves the other swivel hole to put a screw as an anchor.
Ultimately you will need to fix all the holes and potential holes or you will be doing this again.

Half of your problem, aside from educated critters, is location. Greys are hard wired to go out to eat. They cache/bury their food outside. Food/eating inside is not natural to them.
Fliers cache food inside so trapping inside works well for them. Plus they are "litter box" animals so setting on latrines works as well. Replace the 110s on the outside with snaps screwed around the entry for these.
Someone else will have they weigh in on pines as we don't have them down here.

That 110 in the top pic needs to have the safety removed! LOL, (sorry) Might try an oversize pan on the trigger and lay them flat in the runs to suitcase them. No bait.

the top pic is still on my work bench, but gee, now I know why I never catch anything!

I cut a sponge into 1"x3" strips, thread onto the 110 wires, which I've pulled tight together, then smear PB on both sides, and catch them 2 at a time.
Also, 110's over the entrances.

Did you tune the triggers of the cages for SMALL weighted critters? Most squirrels don't weigh enough to trip a standard treadle. You can also add a wood ramp to extend the treadle which by default adds some weight.

good ideas, trigger are pretty light on these.

Personally I'd 86 that whole setup and run double door 5x5's with a greased trigger. With the right bait and lure in the cage even an educated squirrel as some may put it will enter into that cage. You shouldn't have to make a mess with all types of bird seed, feed and different grains. I would only use Colony traps or positive sets over the entry and exit points.

5×5's in an open area like that is the way to go. imo

Force them into tube traps (or your 110s) with hardware cloth at the hole they chewed in.

ok, quick update, all the hard work has finally paid off, caught the first critter today. Got his head stuck in one of the 110's with a walnut mounted to the trigger. I took some of the other traps down and set out a few cubbies with conibears and also a nifty little squirrel pole at 45 degrees. Will see what happens. not too much of the other bait was taken, most left untouched, but saw another one at the entrance today, so there are more.

I have found that 110s with baited triggers were not 100% capture.With Mink boxes and 120s suit cased squirrels are expected. Perhaps Trapper John could explain the fine points of baited 110s if there are any.

Bob,,I'll answer all I can, but I've told as plain as I can how I do it.

Sometimes I'll add a trip wire on the 110 triggers though....when set over an entrance.

ok, any further advice is appreciated. Can't seem to catch more of them. Homeowner says she still hears them in the attic and walls.
None of the traps or bait in attic were touched last week, not the baited trigger 110s, nor the cubbies, nor my little squirrel ladder. I added some live traps outside. no luck either, I am about running out of ideas.
what else could be done? Or is it just patience now?

Put a cam up, hopefully that will shed some light on what's going on. Personally I would not block off traps like you had in one of your pictures with the wood and the cage. I personally like to leave the trap's out in the open and obviously in the activity areas , and if you can't find an activity area set based off of an educated guess. No need to brush or cover them in an attic. Sometimes the more things you throw in during the setup sometimes tends to complicate the process. If you're hearing them in the wall still then I'd be looking for more entry points or activity areas. I use the homedepot specials which are the 5x5 double door traps. Little smear of bait on the pan, and a squirt of bait at the entry points to the trap. Just my opinion but bait and lure are big when it comes to squirrels in a stucture. It's not like throwing a bunch of seed out side along with a few cages. Those are easy to catch but when they have certain areas where they frequent the house what you can't get to at times is when it becomes complicated. Jmo

Okay... Here is my best solution. This picture bellow shows a couple of my 110 boxes.The one on top shows the closed box with side panel in place and traps set and waiting.

The one on bottom has the side panel removed so that you can see the inside construction. Note the bait tray in the center. Note the blocks where my 110's mount and stay secure. I normally start with the traps set but open so that the squirrels can go and come as they please and get comfortable feeding inside the box. Often, I just set the dog on the opposing jaw outside of the trigger, leaving the trigger to swing free. Then, after a few days of that, I return to set my dogs and leave then set for sure.



As you can see in the next photos, the results are excellent.




I can improve the odds by setting this box in a positive set where they are traveling in and out. Yes. That is a tripple box I have been experimenting with.



But, this triple set box and the double above it cleared out all the squirrels in this lady's attic from that one set in 4 days.

Crap! .... I just gave away some of my most protected secrets!
Okay! You guys owe me! BIG TIME!!

Very clever Muddawg!