I paint in ultra flat black, rusty, is ok idea? Was reading ratz avoid black trsps ? Black show to rats ?

I dont think many guys put much thought into painting colony traps. I never did anything to the ones I use. But if you were going to paint them, you probably want to paint them to match the color of the bottom structure of the water you're trapping in. If nothing else, they won't stand out as much to people walking by and would-be thieves.

It would surely lengthen their life span but I would use camo colors and like tlguy, just to blend in for thieves. I would not use black. Incidentally, they are easy to speed dip in a tote, just brush it over them and let them drip into the tote and then pour the dip back in your can or bucket.

I have purchased some from a trap supplier that were coated with Speed Dip. So sticky the door wouldn't fall right. Some elbow grease and gasoline took care of that problem.

Rust color works great.

Lengthen life span,yes,i afraid speed dip to sticky, it was ultra flat black camo brand. Black bad color for ratz ?

I make a dip tank outa modified cardboard box and line with a trash bag
make 2
one for green paint
1 for tan paint
dip 2 sides tan and 2 side green in exterior latex paint and they won't rust for many years.
Do it to ALL my cage traps to make blending easier and rust proof them

Don't OTIT;
don't over think it;
depending on your water does and what it does to steel and what type of welding those traps have all is factors to consider.
Some of my traps are 35 years old and the welds are finely breaking when stressed, they have been used 50 times or more for 2 weeks or more at a time.my water is alkaline
Black funnel entrances are the standard with white or unfinished funnels. ( think of it, when a muskrat swims in a tunnel of what it sees= black hole is a opening)
match the color of the bottom of where the traps are going. Black on black is good.

I use a light coating of speed dip and that works well IMO!

Chris

Use some brown speed dip, that will blend in better with the bottom. At least it would here, not sure what your stream bottoms are like.

That is what I would do if I could use colony traps.

Some sand color, some dark mud. More sand.than dark mud, I guess it better than shiny new metal , which they are not

I've dipped thousands of cages and formula one trap dip was always my favorite.



Water based dip that really lasted. Easy and fast to use.

Put trap In den entrance.Put trap where rat has to swim no paint needed.
I have over a 100 colony traps they are at least 10 years old never seen any paint and they are as good as they day I made them. A nice dull grey color that blends In just fine.

I'm not all that sure a rat can even see that well under water.

I’m like Beav...no dip no paint on my colony traps but I tried dipping the first batch I bought. I found no real benefits as the metal wiring of the cage takes on a burnt coloration all by itself.

I paint the cage traps with a coat of smoke grey Rustoleum. Blends in great with the grey marsh bottoms around here. Use it on my conibears and stoploss traps as well. Holds up good and not "sticky" like dipped traps. Still use walnut hulls and wax on my land traps.

I paint my cages that are up on dry land with camo pattern using two or three different flat colors of rustoleum rattle cans. Light tan, dark brown, black, all work well.

But my handful colony traps, its interesting I haven't painted any of those and after reading this thread it just struck me...my own colonies have shown some interesting stuff have occurred to the wire over time. These were shiny metal wire when new but over time have turned dark on their own I have no idea why but I think from whatever is in the water in the mucky ditches I've used them in for many years. I hose them off and hang them up dry in my shed all during off season, but its weird what they look like I think its sort of like dying traps in walnut hulls or something, the wire turned dark on its own over time and hasn't really rusted hardly at all just got really dark colored. I might try to wax them one of these seasons but so far they look just like a dark brown walnut hull dyed trap and still work great on rats and mink in rat runs down middle of little waterways through cornfields and grassy ditches. I seriously never thought to dye or paint them like I do my other cages.

should I?

I built my own and I used wire that was galvanized after welding. This makes a huge difference In how they hold up. If I thought painting would improve my catch rate I would do so.
Here's a one day check story using colony traps. I set 26 traps on location the next day I had 52 rats no paint needed.
But If a person feels they need to paint then do It, It probably won't hurt but I wouldn't paint them BLACK.

Maybe BLUE would be the way to go.

Would of easily been over 100, had you painted them.

I didn't know you could afford paint?

If I were to paint my colonies it would be Rustoleum brown. Cut it to 60% acetone to paint. Lightly dipped or sprayed in a tray.

Let them dry and thats all thats needed in the way of painting. Otherwise the rust color gives them the camoflage they need.

Thinned out Speed Dip works really well...brown.