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Post by mnpestcontrol on Apr 10, 2012 21:51:07 GMT -5
Hey there fellas for next season i have making about 18 colony traps and im wondering what sizes you guys like and how u make them i have 1 by 2 inch wire fencing i am using
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Post by littlewolf on Apr 10, 2012 22:44:57 GMT -5
the few that i've made for rats were 7x7x36" made out of 1/2"x1" welded mesh such as one might find in the floor of a rabbit hutch with simple gravity doors of the same material that at rest stand at an aprox 60 degree angle. the body of the trap is all one peice bent 3 times to make a square tube then cage clipped together. in the adc season i use them for packrats and squirrels, just an extra thought. hope this helps you MN
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Post by bigtwinhd on Apr 10, 2012 23:03:04 GMT -5
I don't use em much, mostly because they are bulky. Well, that and i only seem to ever catch one rat at a time in em.
But the ones I have are the nesting type where one will slide into another slightly larger one and then again. I know guys make ones that fold flat and have heard mixed results on how they hold up.
Mark572 has a fancy brake at his place for bending the wire. It is on my to do list somewhere to make one too. My covered floats were less then pretty, and we all know rats are attracted to pretty!
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Post by Law Dog on Apr 10, 2012 23:12:00 GMT -5
7X7X24 and 36 inch long is what I have and a 1/2 doz funnel (oversized minnow trap) looking ones they are 12 in round and 36 in long, the max by state law here! The 12 inch round fit the smaller culverts real sweet and with the bigger culvert I just push the trap further in the culvert and the rats go into it even though they could go around it many other ways!!!
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Post by happersilderness on Apr 11, 2012 6:52:20 GMT -5
Anybody got tips on making folding colony traps? Or is it best to just use the regular ones?
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Post by ronnie on Apr 11, 2012 13:32:37 GMT -5
![](http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r529/ron250/modifiedcolonytrap001.jpg) I use a lot of colony traps, most are 7x7x36 made of 1x2 wire, but I also make various sizes to suit my needs. I noticed one gentleman commented that he was only getting one rat at a time in them, yeah that happens if you make the doors like the traps the suppliers sell. If you want more multiple catches in them try this modification. Add a piece of cage wire 4 inches long to the top of your cage, attach the front, drop the rear of it down 2 inches and attach, then put your door on the back of this. Using this space at the top will keep a trapped rat from wedging himself at your door connection, with the stock setup you are out of business, with this mod more rats can still get into the trap.
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Post by Furtrader on Apr 11, 2012 13:42:32 GMT -5
nice post ronnie. thats a great effective, and CHEAP modification to colony traps that many people overlook.
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Post by cmr2 on Apr 11, 2012 20:26:22 GMT -5
I run a wire at about where the door attaches on the extension piece , gives them some to bit on and frees them from wedging the door closed, used a piece od soft aluminum wire about the size of 11 ga or 1/8" , the rats bite on it and it has held up good last 4yrs
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Post by mark572 on Apr 12, 2012 0:02:22 GMT -5
If your laws allow you to run7x12x36 i would also have some of these! all mine are 6x6x24 with old style door on them and seems to work good for me!1 or 2 to a time is my avg with them but yet to have them set up on any really perfect locations yet!
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Post by bigtwinhd on Apr 12, 2012 5:35:33 GMT -5
Ronnie do you cut a bit off of the stock door when you do this mod? Just trying to picture the movement in my head on how it would work better.
Or is it because the rat will get caught in the stock wedge at the pivot point but not in the tighter one? Hmm, I think I see it now. Neat, Thanks Ronnie!
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Post by Law Dog on Apr 12, 2012 7:51:40 GMT -5
Here is a 7X7X24 with 4 rats in it! ![]() [/img]
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Post by Law Dog on Apr 12, 2012 7:53:30 GMT -5
Funnel type colony trap with a few rats! ![]() [/img]
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Post by happersilderness on Apr 12, 2012 10:14:56 GMT -5
Jerry. Could you take some pictures or give some details on making those round ones?
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Post by Law Dog on Apr 12, 2012 11:07:01 GMT -5
Jerry. Could you take some pictures or give some details on making those round ones? Heading out today happers but will get back to you in a week or so if you need pics sent, I get the funnel ends from Wynn Hall I would guess a guy could make some! I roll the wire to make a tunnel then use Rabbit cage clips where the wires meet and overlap a bit! The funnels I have just use a body panal air punch that punches the perfect hole for place hogrings to hold the funnels on the wire. Its a simple set up and I will add inner doors by next year as I put them together in a hurry!!
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Post by ronnie on Apr 12, 2012 12:43:37 GMT -5
I have made many different sizes 6x12, 8x12, your imagination is your only limit. But you need a 6 inch high trap to use that mod, you need a 4 inch entrance hole minimum. Most of mine are 7 to 8 inches high, plus I made a few round ones for culverts. A note to Mark, My state has no restrictions on colony traps, I can use any size. And if your using all 24 inch long traps, your missing some rats, the most I have caught in a 24 is 3, the most I have caught in a 36 inch trap is 8. I make my own traps, so door size is whatever fits for me and gives me the angle I want. You want to catch them quick, they wise up to a colony trap in a hurry, once they see it they soon start figuring out ways to go under, over, or around a colony trap and your catch drops like a rock. I may use them a week in a good spot, then pull them to be moved somewhere else, replace them with standard equipment if there are still more rats there to catch. A colony trap will only work a few days, then they become wise to it, so you still need your conis and footholds. I like the colony trap just because of the numbers of rats I can rack up in a hurry. I have about 75 of them, so do the math.
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Post by mark572 on Apr 12, 2012 13:10:32 GMT -5
I agree if you can go larger then i sure would!7x7x40 is the largest we can use here in Maine, I myself will try larger ones if i can find the wire around here shipping is a killer for me!
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Post by ronnie on Apr 12, 2012 13:34:14 GMT -5
Hi Mark I get my 1x2x36 14 gauge wire at my local farm supply store, its for building rabbit cages. I use the clips from F&T or Minnesota trap supply, they are a tighter fit than the clips I get from the farm supply. I buy my wire in 100 ft rolls. Its a good summer project.
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Post by lyonch on Apr 12, 2012 13:38:33 GMT -5
mark - i know it is a little more scrap for you, but you could just role the wire out at 40" and cut it off, and cut the other side at 28" for you full regulation size trap. Heck I would cut the entire role at 28 or 30 instead of 36 and use the left over for my doors. Just thinking out loud.
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Post by happersilderness on Apr 12, 2012 15:58:38 GMT -5
What size is best for them? 7X7? I was thinking about making 3 dozen for this coming season. Would it be best to make them folding? Or make some 7X7, some 6X6, and some 5X5 and put them all inside eachother?
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Post by happersilderness on Apr 12, 2012 16:14:59 GMT -5
I would guess a guy could make some! Anybody got info on making some funnels? I'm guessing a sheet metal roller?
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Post by ronnie on Apr 15, 2012 8:55:55 GMT -5
I was fortunate, I have a friend who works for a sheet metal duct outfit, he formed my funnels for me, all I had to do was trim them up, pop rivet the joint and make a little door. The simple way do do these is buy one and then copy it.
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