Ladder Trap

minktrapper

Is there any minimum size for a ladder trap. Hope to use one for greys.

Eddie B

Not sure how small you can make them and still be effective, but here's a nice tutorial on how to make one.

https://basc.org.uk/game-and-gamekeeping/how-to-make-a-ladder-trap/

And here's a smaller one by Solway Feeders. They give the basic dimentions, if you read down through it.

https://www.solwayfeeders.com/vermin-control/crow-magpie-traps/solway-ladder-trap-p1398-c426/

minktrapper

Good man Eddie I can always rely on you.

minktrapper

Is there need to have it so high.

bud2000

i would say the idea of the height is to keep birds away from he ladder as they seem to all go to the corners

minktrapper

You could be right. Or is it that the ladder is lower than the rest of it. As in they can fly above the ladder in an attempt to escape.

Eddie B

bud2000 wrote: »

i would say the idea of the height is to keep birds away from he ladder as they seem to all go to the corners

Yes and also the ladder part is lower allowing the crows to pop down through the rungs. If the ladder was as high as the corners, the crows wouldn't pop through.

minktrapper

There is still a lot of space between the ladder and the ground not being used as such. I am just thinking that if it was made lower it might be more manoeuvrable.

minktrapper

Would I have a problem with crows as they are everywhere here.

Eddie B

minktrapper wrote: »

There is still a lot of space between the ladder and the ground not being used as such. I am just thinking that if it was made lower it might be more manoeuvrable.

See the roof design is also to stop crows from climbing the mesh, and getting back out through ladder. It's an essentitled part of the design. Crows won't be a problem if you use meat. If you wanna catch crows use grain or bread.

minktrapper

But if you brought all of the roof design down lower. Or put it another way, take a foot off the bottom of it.

junospider

The ladder needs to be at least a metre above the ground or they will hop out.
Made one a few months ago and it is working well on mags though the odd one escapes.

Eddie B

junospider wrote: »

The ladder needs to be at least a metre above the ground or they will hop out.
Made one a few months ago and it is working well on mags though the odd one escapes.

I hear that it's important to put mesh around last couple of rungs on each end to stop them climbing up the sides and out through the rungs on the ends.

minktrapper

Great stuff. Thanks for the tips.

Vizzy

Our club built one last year but it hasn't got an awful lot of use TBH.

Two reasons that it needs to be a certain height is to stop crows being able to hop high enough to be able to reach the open ladder section.
Second reason is that if the ladder is less than 4ft or so, you will be constantly crouching when you go in to remove the birds, and believe me, you don't want to be compromised when you have sharp beaks and claws everywhere.

As regards portability, we built it in sections so it all lies flat when not in use and can be put on a medium trailer and assembled on site in a few mins using tiewraps.