Why can't they get out of the colony traps? I understand muskrat because they are under water. The squirrels never lift it up or escape when a new squirrel arrives? I have never trapped a squirrel. Is it a regular colony trap with one side closed off with wire?
Sometimes they figure out how to open it but not often. I wouldn’t really say they figure it out, they just get lucky.
Most of mine have two doors. The first door catches them. They go further into the cage and the second door holds them in a different part of the cage and allows other squirrels in. Best seen in the photo with the trap below the satellite dish.
As NE said they have a lip at the bottom. The squirrel is typically standing on it preventing itself from being able to lift the door.
Some cages, like the ones from Viking have a little roll of wire at the bottom of the lip that prevents them from being able to get their nose under the door and open it. I wish they all had this.
I’ve only seen it once where I know the squirrel learned to open the door. I had traps set on gables on each side of the house and the customer sent me pictures of the squirrel in both cages. Going back and forth all day but not able to get out of the house. Of course by the time I got there it wasn’t in either cage so I set tube traps in the attic and caught it that way.