Trap Shrews

Tips for How to Get Rid of Shrews

Are you tired of dealing with shrews wreaking havoc in and around your home? These small, elusive creatures can be a nuisance, causing damage to your property and posing a threat to your family’s health. In this article, we’ll share our expert tips on how to identify shrews and their habitats, shrew-proof your home and yard, and how to get rid of shrews by properly trapping them both indoors and outdoors, and relocating captured shrews to a more suitable location. By following our advice, you’ll be well on your way to a shrew-free home!

Short Summary

• Identify shrews and their habitats to effectively manage their presence on residential properties.
• Use exclusion methods such as sealing entry points, landscape management practices, and live capture traps for humane removal of shrews from home/yard.
• Relocate trapped animals in a safe manner by selecting appropriate release location with dense vegetation & food sources far away from populated areas.

Identifying Shrews and Their Habitats

Before you can effectively remove shrews from your property, it’s crucial to recognize their unique characteristics and locate their habitats. Shrew populations are small mammals, widespread throughout the United States, often found in urban and suburban areas with residential landscaping or surrounding natural habitat.

By understanding shrew behavior and appearance, you’ll be better equipped to deal with these pesky creatures.

Recognizing Shrew Characteristics

Shrews, such as the pygmy shrew, possess a long snout, diminutive eyes, five clawed toes, and dark-tipped teeth, making them easily distinguishable from other small rodents. Additionally, their powerful and pungent odor, often compared to a skunk, can help you identify their presence.

Locating Shrew Habitats

Shrews often establish their habitats near bird feeders, pets, and gardens in residential areas, creating typical shrew burrows in the ground for shelter. Signs of shrew activity include small holes in the ground, damage to roots, and small, dark brown to black droppings with a corkscrew shape. Additionally, their pungent odor may be present.

To locate shrew habitats, inspect areas near bird feeders, pet food, and gardens, as well as burrows and other signs of shrew activity. By identifying and monitoring these locations, you’ll be better prepared to take action against these small invaders.

Shrew-Proofing Your Home and Yard

Preventing a shrew infestation requires a proactive approach, including measures to shrew-proof both your home and yard. By implementing exclusion methods and proper landscape management, you’ll create an environment that is less desirable to shrews, reducing the likelihood of an infestation.

Exclusion methods include sealing any cracks or crevices in the foundation of your home.

Exclusion Methods

Exclusion methods are an effective way to deter shrews from entering structures by sealing entry points with hardware cloth, steel wool, or copper wool. To apply these materials, measure the entry points and cut the material accordingly, then secure it in place with nails or screws. By being aware of where shrew activity has been observed, you can monitor these locations and use them to set traps.

Landscape Management

Managing your landscape can also help reduce the presence of shrews on your property. Maintain a well-mowed lawn, plant seedlings instead of seeds, and remove potential food sources such as bird feeders, pet food, and fallen fruit.

Eliminate overgrown shrubs, exterminate insects, and prune vegetation to further decrease shrew habitats. By keeping your property neat and clean, you’ll lessen the likelihood of shrew infestations and create a more enjoyable outdoor space for yourself and your family.

Indoors Shrew Trapping

If you’re dealing with an indoor shrew problem, trapping is an effective method for capturing and removing these pesky creatures. Using live capture traps, you can humanely catch shrews without causing unnecessary harm.

In this section, we’ll discuss the steps involved in indoor shrew trapping, including trap placement, baiting, and maintenance.

Where to place the live capture animal trap indoors for shrews?

For optimal results, it is recommended to place live capture traps along walls where shrew activity has been observed. Signs of activity, such as droppings, may indicate travel paths.

Monitoring your traps regularly is essential to ensure the trapped shrews are removed promptly, preventing unnecessary stress or harm to the animal. By placing traps in strategic locations and checking them frequently, you’ll increase your chances of successfully trapping shrews inside your home.

How to bait a live capture animal trap for shrews?

Baiting your traps with shrew favorites such as bacon, or hot dogs will increase the likelihood of successful trapping. A combination of peanut butter and rolled oats is also an effective bait option for shrews, as well as adding a small amount of bacon grease or hamburger to enhance the bait’s attractiveness.

For optimal results, coat the entirety of the trigger of the trap with the selected lure. This ensures the shrew will be enticed by the bait and more likely to enter the trap and trigger it. You can also place a little of the lure inside close to the door to entice the shrew to enter.

What is the best bait for live animal trap shrew capture?

The best bait for shrew traps includes rolled oats mixed with peanut butter, Loganberry paste, or pecan paste.

Pecan paste, a nut-based paste, is particularly attractive to shrews when there is an abundance of nuts from trees or bird feeders in the vicinity. Loganberry paste, a highly fragrant attractant, is irresistible to shrews when fruits or vegetables in the garden or kitchen are being compromised.

Check the trap frequently

Checking traps regularly is crucial to prevent captured shrews from being left for extended periods, causing unnecessary stress or harm to the animal. It is recommended to inspect traps at minimum once daily, but two or three more times is recommended.

Regularly monitoring your traps will result in a more effective and humane trapping process, ultimately helping to resolve your indoor shrew problem.

Outdoors Shrew Trapping

For those dealing with an outdoor shrew problem, trapping is an effective method for capturing and removing these small pests from your yard. Using live capture traps, such as Sherman live animal traps, you can humanely catch shrews without causing unnecessary harm, making it a preferred alternative to methods that kill shrews.

In this section, we’ll discuss the steps involved in outdoor shrew trapping, including trap placement and maintenance.

Place the live animal trap at the entrance of the burrow where the animal is residing

To successfully trap shrews outdoors, position live capture traps at the entrance of shrew burrows. Signs of activity, such as fresh dirt mounds, tracks, and droppings, may indicate the location of the burrow’s main entrance. Place the trap directly on the pathway to the burrow or on top of the burrow itself for optimal results.

Guide logs can be placed on either side of the path between the burrow opening and the trap to direct the animal towards the trap. Regularly monitoring your traps will ensure the trapped shrews are removed promptly, preventing unnecessary stress or harm to the animal.

Relocating Captured Shrews

Once you’ve successfully trapped shrews, it’s important to relocate them to a more suitable location, far from your home and other residential areas. This will prevent re-infestation and reduce the chances of shrews causing damage to other properties.

Choosing a Release Location in wooded area far away from home and other population

Choose a release location in a wooded area that is distant from both residential and populated areas to prevent re-infestation. A location with dense vegetation and access to food sources is ideal for shrews.

It is essential to guarantee that the release location is secure and free from any possible risks or predators. Avoid releasing shrews near water bodies, as they are not proficient swimmers.

Transporting Trapped Shrews in a live capture animal trap

For the safety of the vagrant shrews and to prevent escape during relocation, it is recommended to transport them in a live capture shrew trap.. Handle the shrew trap with caution to prevent any potential harm to both yourself and the vagrant shrew.

By following these guidelines for transporting trapped shrews, you’ll ensure their safety and well-being during the relocation process. Once released in their new habitat, the shrews will have a better chance of thriving away from your property and causing no further damage.

Summary

In conclusion, dealing with shrews can be a challenging task, but with the proper identification, prevention methods, and humane trapping techniques, you can effectively control and eliminate these small pests from your property. By following the expert tips and advice outlined in this blog post, you’ll be well on your way to a shrew-free home and more enjoyable outdoor space. Remember, a proactive approach and regular monitoring are key to maintaining a shrew-free environment for years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

What attracts shrews in your house?

Shrews may be attracted to houses in pursuit of insects and mice, especially during the fall season. They may also follow food inside, making crickets, spiders, centipedes, lady beetles and seed bugs attractive sources of food.

How often should you check a trap?

Checking traps must be done on a daily basis. You should inspect them at least once every 24 hours to ensure the animal is not harmed from stress or bad weather conditions. Two or three checks daily is preferred.

Failing to do so is prohibited by law.

What are the distinct characteristics of shrews?

Shrews are characterized by their long snout, small eyes, five clawed toes, dark-tipped teeth, and a distinct pungent odor.