I stumbled onto most of a 50’ roll of 16 gauge 1/2”x1” hardware cloth I had bought a couple years ago. Thought I’d turn it out some colony traps and wondered what everyone’s preference was. The 5”, 6” and 7” ones that slip inside each other or the collapsible style?

8x16x24 four doors with a bite bar. Was my favorite.
I like bite bars.
It would depend on my address.

I bought 4 dozen 6x6x 24 collapsibles a few years ago,they worked fine for what I am doing. I have about thirty tube traps under construction.

Prefer 12" round funnel type. Bulky, cumbersome compared to square/collapsible ones. Tried multiple sizes, shapes, materials etc. through the years. Set the funnel in a den run and pick it up the next day - all rats that travel the run are caught. Use them between beaver dams where the stream narrows. This works for me. .....................the mike

6,7,8 x 24 that nest. 5 inch are about useless, Funnel traps are to bulky, Fill the boat or pickup way to fast.

Bigger always better . If you're trying to save space, make multiple sizes that you can nest traps together.

As a guy that has to use cages in two states is….. bite me on the bite door

I used up the rest of the roll. Ended up with two sets of 6,7,8x24. You'll have to forgive my ignorance but is a bite bar critical. I've been trapping pretty much all my life but have rarely used colony traps. I understand the concept of a bite bar but are rats going to really tear up a 16 gauge colony trap in the few minutes it take to drown them? Not trying to call anyone out over this, I am truly curious about it. And where is the optimal placement?

Bite bar keeps them from locking on the door making it harder to open.

What is the preferred placement of the bar?

Pictures needed

I found that the whole trap is a bite bar. I don't use them and most if not, all rats will have thier teeth hooked in the top section of the trap.

I agree almost all rats will be in the corner or top locked in. I did see where a colony trap door was an inch or two under the edge where you would normally put the top of the door. They added a section of 1x2 or 1x1 across the front along the top, then put the door on to the bottom of the section across the top . This way the rats would be up in the corner or above the door and the door could still swing freely. I know I saw a pic on it here somewhere. Hopefully someone can put it in

Look up two posts

Bs,,,,, cage for a while and learn

Have used all types of repeating colony traps through the years. The Funnel type still outperforms the square 6X6 and 7X7 for me, especially in the narrow beaver channels between dams (Trapping tip). Assume it has the circle entrance attraction and the rats are always at the top, jaw locked away from the recessed door so it keeps working with 8-9 rats (and a mink) in it. My record is 10 rats/day in 1 funnel type (105 in 1 day in drought prone Nebraska) but can't count the # of 7 and above individuals I have had in them. If you live where rats are abundant I'm sure you could do a lot better.....3 lb largemouth is the biggest non target fish caught but will get catfish and panfish occasionally that I release. Really, if you are catching 1-2-3 rats in a square colony wouldn't it make more sense to put 2-3 110 type BG's in the run? For the life of me I see every square colony on YouTube videos with 1-3 captured rats/trap. A 110 size BG with any stake takes up a lot less room and its easier to retrieve the quarry. Depends on the site but I will stick with the funnels if I use a colony. MY Experience. .................................. the mike

Wife aka The Mike...good point...that is a big bass! My biggest and best is three bass but only 1 1/2 and 3/4 pounders. Love it. For nuisance control work colony traps all the way...very specific. Still haven't used round colony all square. But have used some of the two layered traps and they have paid for themselves quickly. I'll throw this out for discussion as I have yet to make a BIG catch using this set. I believe it was Neil O. and maybe his trapping partner Paul Grimshaw described a set placing a 110 beneath a culvert on the bottom creek channel. I figured that a colony trap there would be a killer at these golf courses I trap at...nothing??
Any words of wisdom.

Can someone post a picture of a round colony trap with the funnel ends? I get the concept, (big minnow trap with large funnel-shaped ends), but how big is the opening? How far is the recess? How long is the trap? Just one end, I assume? Or both in some instances?

Here In WI, we have to have the colony trap completely submerged. I don't see how you could do that with a round colony trap in shallow water situations. I'm sticking with the square ones.

Mine will have a couple of pigeon trap wires hinged at the top of each funnel opening…

Please explain the advantages a round colony trap has over a square one.

Please explain the advantages a round colony trap has over a square one.

Only thing I can see right off the top is easier to make.

Well maybe. But you still have to make the cones, and you have to make a door so you can remove the rats. and you have to make swinging doors on the ends of the cones.

I would use round colonies before square colonies every time. We can put colonies in culvert so it’s a no-brainer. I’ve probably built about 1000 round colonies. They are very easy to build just takes a little longer than square colonies. The only time I use Square colonies is when there is very low water. If I can put a round colony in the water, that’s the first thing I’ll use and the only thing I’ll use. round colonies need a gate on them. I put a U-shaped wire coat hanger over the opening flips up flips down once some muskrats swim in. I’ve rolled a trap upside down with a live muskrats in it and it took about 30 seconds for him to find the opening and was gone out of the trap. You need a gate on a round colony! most I’ve caught in a round colony was 23 muskrats in an overnight soak. With a round colony I average 8 to 12 muskrats on the first check in a culvert.
Few pics



This picture is underwater. Very easy to get a run cleaned out in one night



Muskrat drip/dry hanger system while checking colonies. Usually the first ones caught are dry and ready to skin in a hour or so of driving around

Best I ever did was 12 rats In a 8X8X24 trap.
We could trap culverts In N D and I found that if the culvert was full, I had better luck using colony traps. It seemed to me when the culvert wasn't full the rats swam on top.
By placing 8" wings on a colony trap I could use a 8X8 trap and cover up to 30 inches. In a round culvert the rats swam right in the center and right on the bottom. So, my square trap with wings covered that area.
The big problem I see regarding the round trap is that the cones take up so much room you have to build the trap so long to get the added room for more rats.

I could see if you had lots of 18" culverts to trap and you made 18" round colony traps; they would be rat killing machines.

Saskbone sent me a few cones for a pattern, and one roll of wire makes 32-33 of them and I have them cut out and stitched together,just have to complete before I can take over the world.

Dang Sask that's getting it done!

Beav

Where I trap is a grid road system. Farmland with a road every 2 miles by 1 mile. Rectangle you could say. Most all culverts put in are 18 or 24 inch. One colony on each side of the culvert. When the culvert is under water most muskrats will swim up to it and dive and go in At the the top. Coming out the other side they 99 percent of the time come out at the bottom. That’s why two traps. You will miss a lot of rats on the side you don’t have a trap. When the culvert is not full they will swim the top of the water right to the other side then dive down before they come out. No Ive watched a lot of muskrats over the years. I think it’s a survival thing. When they exit they swim out the bottom of the culvert and a few yards into the water so they can see above them before they come up. I could be wrong but that’s what I believe. Lots of the rectangle grids 1x2 miles will have 10 to 20 culverts on them. We used to have lots of water. Last 8-9 years water has disappeared. Culverts I used to trap that were under 3 feet of water now have crop growing beside them. I could catch 2-3 hundred rats a day .. now I would be lucky to trap 100 in a spring and fall season.
You are correct they are big. At three foot long by 1 foot round they fill up a truck quick. But I could dump 50 in 1/2 hour where I trapped. I could set 100 opening day. Go back where I set the first ones and pull a bunch of rats and check the whole line that day.

If water was low where I could get a trap under water I switched to the 6x6 square. 2 or three at each end worked great.

I always say use what works best for you.

I used to have 100 floats. Once I built enough colonies the floats got left in the shed. Way too much time wasted setting them. Plus you were limited on catches. Colonies keep catching.. floats get full and stop producing

The problem I found In ND was that lots of those culverts got plugged up or the ends got smashed flat by equipment driving over them. But the ones we could set were a trapper's dream. Some of those culverts we checked twice a day, and we still were catching rats. That one spring we caught 1500 rats and averaged $7.00 each. I would say that 1/3 of those rats came out of colony traps. If I had lots of viable culverts I don't think I would ever set another foot hold.
But we can't set culverts here in WI.

Yep I hear you. If I couldn’t set culverts I would have worked a lot harder getting big numbers. Where I am most of the muskrats are bank denners. Never get crazy amounts of huts on the lakes for the amount of rats we used to have. Always had lots of push ups though. Culverts with standing water on both sides is the easiest way to catch rats. Natural funnel for them and they just keep swimming through.

I dont understand some rules from south of our border. Like the no trapping in culverts. I’m sure there is some logic to it. We have no limits on any animal here. I guess every area is different and I’m lucky where I’m at. I don’t think I’ve ever been denied trapping or hunting permission where I’m at.

I can set culverts, but if you are referring to The Beav’s state, believe he doesn’t have “right of way “ trapping, which probably includes culverts.

Saskbone,

Some great pictures. Now I have to build some round ones. Are you using galvanized steel for the cones or aluminum, or does it matter? The reason I ask is that aluminum flashing is cheaper than galvanized or painted steel. Which surprises me.

I guess I started this so blame me when I said I would not use a square colony anymore. The rounds hold more "jaw locked rats" and they are away from the entrance door for me so rats/trap is higher. Colony funnel traps are set at den entrances and moved after 1 - 24 hr period. You have caught 90-100% of the current residents and its not worth it to me to leave one in front of a bank den entrance here any longer. Narrow stream between beaver dams in a beaver colony, I will leave longer as these are travelers and if we get permission from the landowner(s) we can trap county roadside culverts. Can't trap any type on state roadways or federal highways here. Contracts with USDA - Wildlife Services keep private trappers out. LIKE I TRIED TO SAY, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of videos showing square (both rigid and collapsible) colony trap usage. Their catch rate is 1-2-3/trap so wouldn't a spaced staked # of 110 size BG's in a den entrance run be a better choice for speed and space? My funnels, when I use one, far out produce square ones for me HERE and I have made and used all types of colony traps since 1972. This is just MY EXPERIENCE. ....................the mike

Why place 2 or 3 110s in a run when you "might" catch 2 or 3 rats. But if you place one colony trap, you're going to catch them all in one trap. I can drop a colony trap in a location in seconds, and I don't have to stake it down. And if the water is deep, I can use my hook to place the trap and recover the trap. And with a 6" opening my odds are a lot better then using a 110 4" opening.
So, if I place a square colony trap at a den entrance, I'm not going to catch all the rats. Why Is a round colony trap better at a den entrance then a square one?

It’s understandable that you don’t understand the rules we have, most Canadians don’t! Not their fault, you live in Canada. It’s actually pretty easy to understand though, it has to do with ownership of property! Property boundaries, property rights, and Riparian water rights at least here in Michigan and the other 49 State’s have their laws & regulations!

If anyone thinks their Experience, testing and data is right for their area that is OK by me. I know from MY Experience, testing and data that a funnel colony trap beats a square colony hands down here. I once saw a rat moving under some clear ice headed for a den run that I had a square colony set in. I had seen rats get caught in square colony traps before so this was going to be another one. The rat took a detour around the run about 2 ft. from the square colony trap entrance so I said "what the heck". Chopped out the square and it had 2 rats "jaw locked" on the doors so the rat I saw swimming may have come down the run from the bank earlier and found out it couldn't get through there anymore with the current rats plugging the doors. Muskrats are stupid but they aren't STUPID. Plus, the round shape of the funnel entrance shows a lighter visible round opening in a darker underwater trail (no data on that as I haven't had a live caught rat in one I could ask). Suffice it to say "Try both side by side in the same area(s) and see which one works for you. P.S. Three 110 size BG's take up a lot less space in my sack compared to any colony trap.. My experience............................. the mike

Where I live the rural municipality (RM) owns all ditches. No private ditches. All ditches can be trapped and the RM prefers it for all the damage rats and beavers do to the roads. Could be different in other provinces but I don’t know. Just info from my experience. We don’t have a lot of trappers in our province, maybe 4-5000 licens sold every year. That being said some people were asking about making funnels. Snapped a few pics and gave some info on why and how I do things. Most of the metal I use is scrap pieces from an eave’s trough business. Always have end rolls they can’t use so the give them to me or I get them for next to nothing. Aluminum, metal whatever I could get for as cheap as possible.


Still have a hundred or more cones waiting to be built into colonies. No muskrats no one buying traps


Wire coat hanger gate. Can be bent in or out for size of hole. Flips up and down like butter. Bad picture cause the hole looks huge , next picture is the same hole
I make the gate clips out of the same material as the cones. Best tip I can give you for this is when you fold it over put a nail where the coat hanger sits. Make sure the nail is bigger than the coat hanger wire. Take a pair of plyers and squish the metal around the nail. It makes the gate flip up and down easy. Built a few traps before I learnt a huge upgrade to the gate.

Two rivets to hold the gate. I always try to put white side out. Gates I always put the attachment to a dark color. Sometimes I forget. The reason is when I put them in a culvert I know the topside of my colony and know the gate is down. You learn a lot of info when you put the colony in with the gate open and check and find no rats

Insides are usually brown, green or black on the metal I get, or I spray paint them a dark color. The rats see the opening in the cone and it looks like a den entrance to them. At least that’s what I believe

Three rivets to close the cone. Vise grip on each end and it’s easy

Wood pattern I clamp my blanks on to drill holes for hog rings to attach to wire cage

Blank pattern I had a buddy who is a tin basher make. Very thick and I trace my pattern with it on to my pieces

Finished cone before I rivet it together

I miss trapping high numbers of rats. Probably have 1000s of pictures on my old phone. Maybe with all the rain we are getting they’ll make a comeback. Got 3 inches yesterday an another 2 today. Forecast says rain for the next week. The been dry here for the last 7-8 years.

So, Mr. Saskbone I have a bunch of 8X8X24" colony traps and I can't use them in WI. So, I thought I could make a funnel and place it in the end of the square trap. The entrance would have to be 6" so what size would the exit have to be? And how long would the finished funnel be? I'm thinking maybe 24" cage length won't be long enough.
Or I could just make the entrances smaller by using some wire to get down to the 6" size. But I would like to try out the funnel type trap and see If it has any advantage over the square trap.

Beav my guess is you would have trouble attaching it to the square colony. Plus with the funnel wider than your trap your trap will sit funny on the bottom. You could cut the funnel square at the bottom but it would be more of a C then a round cone. The gate might have to be modified too. My gates go an inch lower than the hole so that if a rat tries to swim out the gate hits the bottom of the cone and stops them. Not sure how a gate would work on a square trap, but I guess you could just use the original door on the square trap. Never thought about putting a funnel on a square trap.

Few more pics

You can stuff little colonies. Two side by side colonies in a low water culvert. Water was over the trap 1 inch. 11 rats

Mink will fill a small colony. Never caught more than one in a square. Did catch 3 in a round colony twice before

Another underwater pic. Square had 3 , round one 10 feet away had 9

Traps I make. The 16 wide by 6 high has wings to the door. I think the doors are 6x6. Great in low water ditches or culverts

Just over 800 in a 2 day check

Save your rat glands. Easy to sell

One of the better years when I averaged $12 on over 2000 rats

In 2011 I started using wings on my colony traps. No sense using more then one trap in a culvert. An 8X8 with wings can fill most culverts.


Thanks. I guess I'll stick with the square colony traps.

Thanks for the pictorial Sask.

YUP