Oypla Medium Humane Animal Rodent Rat Pest Trap Cage - 61.5 x 19 x 21cm

My garden was inundated with squirrels digging up the plants and the grass. The birds stopped visiting the garden. Within 24 hrs of setting the trap up, it has already caught four squirrels, which I have promptly transported out of town to a forest where I’m sure they will be happy.The trap is good value, easy to set up and well built, dose its job, hence the five stars.

Much too small for catching cats. Might be good for catching mice.

I bought this to deal with a rat or two in the compost. I decided to do the job myself because, living in the new forest and making compost, there's a fair chance that rats will be an on/off problem for the foreseeable future. The cage has a good, sturdy construction and the trapping mechanism is ingenious. It's not hard to set once you've had a couple of goes and, due to the anti-opening mechanism on the trap door, the vermin aren't going anywhere once caught.I had a couple of false starts because the catch to hold the door open can be set quite stiff or on a hair-trigger. I initially had it set stiff and the rat/rats were walking in, munching on the bait before skipping off into the sunset. After a little thought I set the trap to be a little more sensitive. There aren't graduations on the mechanism or anything - but you can get the hair-trigger effect by *just* catching the door on the hook. The first time I did this, when I placed the trap (gently) on the ground it sprang the trap. This little change in set-up immediately paid dividends and I had caught one the following morning.The best advice I can give anyone thinking of using this, or any humane trap, is be prepared to come face to face with a very frightened, very vocal (they scream!) wild animal. Regardless of whether you are going to kill it or release it - you'll need a pair of stout gloves to avoid bites. Opening the trap door will be a little fiddly with gloves on, so I would practice until you can do it with your eyes shut.8-Jun-2012 UPDATE: I have now caught a significant number of rats with this trap - it's been through lots of weather recently (strong sun, high winds and lots of rain) andcontinues to work effectively. For the record - i've used peanut butter and bread as my bait.5-Jul-2014 UPDATE: I've had some more rats turn up recently due to now keeping chickens (they'll eat the feed if it's left unattended). Thought I'd come back and mention that the trap is still going strong and catching the rodents. No corrosion or loss of 'springiness' in the trapping mechanism. I keep it in the shed when not in use and haven't done any maintenance on it since buying it.

Was quoted £500 from pest control to sort out squirrels living in my eaves and causing damage.This trap worked a treat. Took a few days but eventually got them.Used hazelnuts outside and inside of trap.Top tip ... don't leave out over night or you'll catch a hedgehog like I did !Once caught I dispatched quickly with an air rifle. (Make sure it's .22, anything less wont work effectively).

I read many reviews and think they are entirely consistent with my experience. But i have to rate only three stars for two reasons.1) I underestimated the stiffness of the trap, so had some trial and error with getting the sensitivity right - this was mentioned in other reviews, but I still didn't focus enough on it.2) My rat was about 8 inches long in body, which I think is medium sized. probably about 14" with tail. But the holes in the grid/mesh were a little large. So when the trap worked, the rat believed it could escape, and managed to get it's head and front body through, the trap then got stuck.I woke up at night wondering what the screaming was, now I know!So instead of removing it, I just dumped the whole thing, trap and rat, at the local council dump, i couldn't bring myself to cut it up.See photos of the trap, you'll see what I mean.Having said that, I would definitely buy this sort again, and might even put a extra mesh around it.Also, just to let you know I tied different baits. the one that worked in the end was a thin slice of cheese which i placed across the trigger step.hope this helps.Matt

This trap has a simple, standard design and I have used similar traps previously. It is mainly constructed from thick steel wire which is effective and secure. The trap can be set in seconds by lifting the door open and holding it open with a small catch located in the roof.The location of the trap and the type of bait requires some thought. I discovered rats in my garden living in the compost bin, and I know that they have been feeding on my chicken's grain. So I put the trap by the side of a shed near to the compost bin, and sprinkled some grain close by and also at the back of the trap.The trap is sprung by pressure on the small metal plate on the floor of the trap. This releases the door catch, and the door springs shut.On the second evening of leaving the trap out at night, I caught a huge brown rat. The disadvantage of this trap is that the pest is still alive, so that you need to have a plan for dealing with it. Also, it should be dealt with in a timely manner to prevent excessive stress to the animal.Dogs and foxes may try to attack the caged animal, so check the trap regularly.The trap is effective for grey squirrels and rats, and I have used it for both.Its important to deter domestic pets like cats and small dogs from getting trapped or injured by the trap when it is set. I suggest putting some bricks in front of the opening to narrow the entrance, or position the opening at an angle against a fence or wall.This method of dealing with vermin is simple and effective, but not for the squeamish. However, I believe it to be more humane than poisoning if used correctly