Connect the base, tunnel, and entrance. Position within 50ā75 ft of active burrow openings ā not directly on top. Rub soil from nearby burrows onto the trap to eliminate human scent.
Fill the DIY lure basket with in-shell peanuts. Toss a few into nearby burrows to build squirrel confidence before the trap is armed.
Screw in the 16g canister. One canister powers up to 18 consecutive kills ā the same proven A18 mechanism inside every TerraTrap.
The trap fires, resets, and local scavengers clear the catch for you. Check monthly, not daily.
Automatic trap with CO2 reset
No poisons or chemicals, CO2 humane kill
Weatherproof housing, stainless components
No snap springs, quick CO2 canister setup
Why TerraTrap
See how the TerraTrap stacks up ā including against the A18 trap it's built on
See it in action
Watch the TerraTrap in the field ā from setup to results.
Certified installers
Got questions?
With proper setup, squirrels can show activity within a day or two ā sometimes even within hours. Most pre-feeding is complete within 3ā4 days, at which point you can arm the A18 inside. The key is the dirt bath: rub soil from nearby burrows onto the trap before deployment. This eliminates human scent and transfers familiar squirrel pheromones, making the trap feel like a natural part of the environment.
Unshelled, unsalted wildlife peanuts are highly recommended ā California Ground Squirrels are particularly drawn to them. Fill the lure basket generously and also toss 3ā4 peanuts down every open burrow within 40ā50 feet of the trap. This introduces the food source to squirrels with zero risk, building their confidence before they approach the TerraTrap itself. If peanuts aren't working, try corn or other dry seeds as local preferences can vary.
No. Unlike rodenticides, which often require a pest control license to apply legally, the TerraTrap requires no special licensing. It can be used by homeowners, farmers, golf courses, and commercial property managers without a permit. Always check your local regulations, as some areas may have specific rules around ground squirrel control.
Once scavengers in the area are routinely removing catches, the trap is largely self-maintaining. Plan to check weekly at first, then move to monthly servicing once the system is established. Monthly maintenance involves three steps: refill the bait, replace the CO2 cartridge if needed (one canister powers up to 18 kills), and relocate the trap if squirrel activity has shifted. The Digital Strike Counter tells you exactly how many kills have occurred between checks.
Yes ā completely. The TerraTrap uses no poison or toxic chemicals. The CO2-powered A18 mechanism inside is fully enclosed within the rock housing, so there is no exposed strike mechanism that pets or livestock could trigger. Because the system is 100% toxin-free, scavenging wildlife ā hawks, foxes, coyotes, bobcats ā can safely consume dispatched squirrels with zero risk of secondary poisoning. This makes it ideal for farms, ranches, vineyards, and any property where non-target animals are present.
Place the TerraTrap within 50ā75 feet of active burrow openings ā this is the typical foraging range for California Ground Squirrels. Do not place it directly on top of a burrow, as squirrels are neophobic and will avoid a new object directly at their entrance. Near bushes or rocks works well as it provides a sense of natural cover. Also dig a small trench a few inches deep at the tunnel exit ā this allows the squirrel to fall away from the trigger after being dispatched, preventing CO2 waste from repeated activations without a catch.
Overall rating: 4.1 / 5 from 82 reviews.
Wow! Couldnāt have worked better! Prebaited for a couple of days to get them comfortable. Within a few hours of final setup got two, one literally climbed on top of the other. Got several more to deal with but on the right trajectory. Dale, you have invented a fantastic solution to the problem.
Received and set up in 10 minutes. 1st kill 1 1/2 hours later. Very pleased. I had tried Hava heart, rat traps, bucket traps, These guys were not having it. This is a game changer.
Weāve been using the Grey Squirrel devices for awhile and now these mouse devices. Easy to use!
This thing is worthless. I have had it for weeks with no kills. I captured 20 squirrels with live traps with the same bait. I see squirrels in my yard every day but still nothing. I got tired of transporting the squirrels away and thought this would be the answer. What a scam.
After spending nearly $1000 on ground squirrel traps and pest control people, the Terratrap solved our problem almost instantly. I followed the directions to a tee, and within one week the kill counter was at 20, scavengers (I think skunks based on the smell) took away the dead bodies and I was able to fill the ground squirrel burrows. If you have a ground squirrel issue and natural predators/scavengers, this trap is a no brainer.
So far has killed one squirrel and two chipmunks. Took a week for them to investigate, because my bird feeders were full, when the feeders were low they started looking other places and found the trap. I need to check to see if CO2 is spent as there havenāt been any kills this last week. Itās pretty loud when it goes off, but Iām just glad it seems to be a very clean kill. It was set off early a few times before the squirrel stuck its head in by just a paw, worried the noise would keep them away but they came back. My tomato plants have been left alone which makes me happy. Only downers: Wish the CO2 lasted longer or the trap didnāt go off before the head is in.
The squirrels chewed right through the plastic, so they could get to the bait without triggering the trap. The bait that comes with the mouse traps becomes a liquid, sticky mess when it gets warm outside. I have yet to catch a mouse or squirrel with any of these traps. Considering the price, this is extremely disappointing.
Ive had this about three weeks and have tried two other locations on this tree; there are five trees on my property and probably more than two dozen squirrels. I have used Almond Butter, by itself. I've tried Peanut butter. I have tried mixed nuts. I've spread the butters on the tree on the lower inside of the opening. They smell it and leave. I am being mocked! lol
Before this, I tried many other items to thin out the number of squirrels (they caused $20k damage to solar panels and caught the roof on fire when they bit into the wires). This is easy to mount to a tree and easy to bait. Just remember it's loaded once you add the CO2. This is not a toy!
A little on the expensive side but is far less expensive than fixing the damage these rodents create. Once the squirrel has figured it out, this is the most humane way to get rid of these damaging pests.
10 squirrels in 17 days. Took about 3 or 4 days for them to get confident enough to stick their head in there but it works well.
We have killed 17 squirrels instantly with this device. We did have an issue with leaking CO2 canisters. We resolved this by using plumber tape around the new canisters. Each canister holds a charge a lot longer with the plumber's tape.
Goodnature is the best: A simple trap, most effective. This machine is very kind to the animals. They sleep quickly without pain. My squirrels and rats never know what happened. I spent thousands on devices and poisons before this. For bait I use a variety of natural nut paste - smear it in a line below the machine and on the tree. The squirrel will follow, eating merrily. It is impressive and effective.
Works great. We are using peanut butter it works to attract the squirrels better than the attractant that came with the trap. If you have squirrel problems it will definitely help get rid of them.
"7" count in the first 24 hours! ... Impressed overall with the build and functionality of this unit. The only drawback is that the counter has a malfunction. It arrived with "13" hits on the unit and I thought maybe product testing before shipping. Tried resetting it a few times, per instructions, but it would not return to "0". Maybe taking the battery out and restarting it might help, but I just made a note and "13" became the new "0" for now. Also, glad I bought the metal cover because the footprints all over it shows they were trying to get to the bait station on top. Only a few more pests left. Thanks again for an awesome trap.
So effective! Easy to assemble and install - already had 5 strikes in the first week.
We had two squirrels climbing a tree, getting into our attic, and ruining our important keepsakes. After trying other unsucessful efforts, I was desperate and started researching other options when I came across the A18 device. I immediately ordered it, installed it the day it arrived, and within 36 hours (probably because the following day had a heavy rain all day long), it had taken care of both squirrels. Money well spent! Thank you!!
Major issue with packrats in my community in Santa Fe, NM. The A24 will work and has worked but its size is better for mice. The A18 should be more effective with some testing. The A24 is in use throughout the community as a viable, logical, efficient, and intelligent to the snap traps, other zappers, and the dangerous use of rodenticides in a community that should know better.
The A18 Squirrel Trap is a well made product that installs easily.
Already got 4 of the bastards. Nothing else has worked. Getting ready to move it to another part of the property.
It's good, was going to move It's location and presto. Nailed two squirrels in two hours.
Our squirrels must be smarter than average. Put peanut butter in the bait holder and no interest. Put a cardboard shroud over it to peek their curiosity, and it got their interest but none went into the chamber of death. The instructions mention some kind of attractant included, but not in the box. Still holding out for success. Thanks for following up
the squirls won't go in it tried all kinds of baits nothing works
We nailed our problem in 2 days! WORTH IT!
Trap does its job
I got a squirrel on the first day and next day heard it pop and saw a squirrel running away. One more pop in the middle of the night but no kill. Iām using nuts and peanut butter for bait. Should I be using something else? I certainly have no shortage of squirrels in my yard. I have counted as many as 25 at one time digging for food. Thanks for any suggestions.
Waiting on the squirrels then I will no how good it works
it only trapped one ground squirrel super sad and disappointed. might send it back. thanks for asking
I don't think this works. After about a week, I have three strikes by the counter but no dead bodies. Do they crawl off and die?
Caught a big rat the first night - very encouraging. I patiently waited for squirrels to take the bait, but after a week - nothing. So I opened it up and discovered that all my peanuts were eaten! A tip for newbies - if you leave even the smallest crack between the rock and the base, mice will get in and eat all the peanuts. Also, mice can get the peanut near the trigger without triggering the trap - so check it often to ensure that the peanut is still there. After re-baiting, I caught two squirrels, much to the delight of the local ravens. I'm on another dry spell, so time to either move it or rebait it. There are still plenty of squirrels eating all my fruit and destroying my concrete slab - so hopefully this very expensive trap will send them to squirrel heaven soon.
I followed all the advice and instructions ... Bathed in dirt from an active ground squirrel hole, under a tree about 15' from 3 active burrows, but not right on top of a burrow, peanuts piled in the interior cavity where not accessible but " there" for scent. I installed a peanut as instructed in the holder inside the trap cut a 6 inch deep trench to the opening and baited each active burrow with peanuts, corn, seeds (provided in box along with device) left a trail of peanuts from the active burrows to the trap and implanted several down the hole where other animals couldn't steal em'... waited 9 days now and not a single peanut has been taken and the squirrels haven't shown any interest in the trail to the trap let alone the trap. I watch squirrels come and go and scavenge the ground all around the trap and they aren't interested in the trap at all. The trap is overpriced and I cannot see this costing more than $50 bucks maximum to produce, $500.00 dollars is insultingly high markup considering it isn't reliable and could be a total waste of money. So far "0" squirrels after 9 days.
I assembled it and tested it and it worked. I put it outside and watched the squirrel go up in it and get the bait and it did NOT fire. I heard it click when the squirrel pushed up on the little metal bar, but it did not fire. Please call me 480-628-5844. My email is william.fabricius@asu.edu.
IT WORKS AS ADVERTISED!
3 for 3 ! Neat, efficient, good for the natural environment- no poison. Easy to maintain. Well done! Waste of money to do anything else. Highly recommend/ worth every penny. Very helpful company.
I have had it for a year and it no longer works. When I put new co cartridge in it, it only works one time. It appears to leak out all the co. It is too expensive to last only a year.
I've gotten 2 in the trap but there are about 12 more that have learned not to go into the trap.
I've had this set up for over a month with no interest other than something cleaning off my "lure" bait leading up to the trap. I've had tons of squirrels and rats causing property damage, and I wanted a humane method of removal. I was so pleased this afternoon when I actually saw a squirrel all curled up under the trap! I got a shovel and was ready to scoop him into a bag for disposal, but HE'S STILL ALIVE!!! I called my sister to cry on her shoulder, and the squirrel is still there breathing heavily 2 hours later. My sister bought this for me to make it easier for me to deal with pests since losing my husband. Watching an animal suffer at my back door (where I set the trap because squirrels were digging up my flowers and breaking pots daily, despite the spike deterrents I have set up everywhere) or anywhere else is so wrong, especially after spending $200 on a "Humane" trap. UPDATE: Two hours later, he was sitting up, very shaky, but upright. Next morning, he was gone. Not as in dead, as in not there anymore. He recovered enough to leave the area on his own. (No, a predator didn't "carry him off" like they claim. This is a fenced off courtyard that only small things can access.) 24 hours later: I found him, still alive. Heartbreaking š. HUMANE TRAP?? $200 torture chamber!
It has not killed one squirrel or had one shot! I bought two, should have only bought one first to try it out I would like to return the second unit, it is still in the box
Haven't caught a squirrel (or any rodent) yet. May change out the factory bait for something else.
Works great if the squirrels come to it. Placed a soup can over the top to keep them from chewing open the bait area.
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