Best Animal Trap Reviews 2018

How many times have you wished that that naughty squirrel or rabbit is gone from your garden, or that those destructive mice are eliminated from your home once and for all? Thanks to the wide availability of advanced animal traps, your worries end here. As more complaints of animal nuisance continue to be witnessed, more and more animal traps are introduced to the market, including some substandard models. We’ve therefore done the dirty work to sieve through the pack and bring you 5 of the best animal traps from some of the best animal trap brands in the market right now to help you make the most well-informed choice possible.

Overview

PROS

CONS

SPECS

Type

Design

Size

Assembly

Material

Our Top Choice

Miller Single Door Live Animal Trap

Since its inception in 1941 as a family business, Miller Manufacturing has remained committed to American manufacturing values in making farm, ranch and pet products.

Spring-loaded door with quick release; catches animal without injury; heavy galvanized wire mesh for catching bigger pests; helpful carrying handle.

The quick-release spring could cause injury to a rookie

Porcupines, raccoons, foxes

Spring-loaded door

32.9 x 13.2 x 11.2 inches

Quick bait and set

Steel wire mesh

Best Value

Advantek Catch & Release Trap Value Pack

Thanks to the strenuous efforts of Advantek, whose focus is on providing tomorrow’s products today, getting dependable products for farms and pets has never been this easy.

The gravity flow activation mechanism makes setting the trap much easier; heavy duty construction improves strength; has a separate rodent trap compartment for rats and mice.

Rodent trap part doesn’t work as well as expected

Rats, rabbits, possums, squirrels

With gravity flow activation

32 x 11x 12 inches

Comes fully assembled

Heavy duty steel

Duke Heavy Duty Cage Trap

Being one of the largest manufacturers of animal traps Duke has its focus in catering for all trappers, whether professional or hobbyist.

It’s large enough to trap more than one animal at once; especially good for armadillos; highly durable; green plastic coating over wire prevents harm to trapped animals.

Animal can escape if it manages to tip the trap over

For raccoons, armadillos, cats

Single door

30 x 12 x 12 inches

Comes fully assembled

Steel

Hoont Instant-kill Electronic Rodent Trap

Some animals are nothing more than a nuisance and Hoont understands this too well, which is why it’s continually coming up with effective yet humane ways to get rid of them once and for all.

Works perfectly without the need of dangerous poisons; leaves no traces of blood; kills instantly and humanely; also operates with 4 ‘D’ batteries.

Some users may find the trap uncomfortable considering it kills the animal trapped.

Rats, mice, chipmunks

Electronic, smart detection

11 x 4.5 x 5 inches

Ready for power plug in

Plastic

Havahart X-Small One Door Animal Trap

Havahart has remained true to its mission of eliminating animal nuisances from homes and farms by designing top notch traps and repellents that meet its users at their point of need

Smoothened internal edges prevent and protects the animal from injuries; large handle guard helps offer protection when transporting; gravity action door keeps the animal trapped.

Isolated complaints of weak spring mechanism for bigger animals

Chipmunks, rats, weasels

Gravity-action door

16.8 x 6.8 x 7.1 inches

One step set and release

Steel

(Updated August 20, 2017)

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Watch Our Animal Trap Review

How Do I Choose the Best Animal Trap?

To trap or not to trap? Well, this is a question that’s sure to elicit different reactions in different people. However, for someone who has faced the nuisances, destruction and discomfort some animals can cause, they won’t think twice about getting a trap. Some cunning animals such as squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks and raccoons can be stubborn and simply scaring them away won’t do the trick. You’ll need something that’ll complement the use of repellents. While the use of traps has in the past elicited a lot of criticism from animal rights activists, this shouldn’t be a license to put up with the nuisance that these witty animals bring. Getting a proper trap therefore ought to be at the top of your to-do list if you’re to solve this menace once and for all. For small rodents at home, getting a befitting mouse trap will go a long way. However, other, larger animals need more advanced traps.

But what really goes into getting the best animal trap? There’s so much that goes into this, including the location, size and target animals. You don’t want to set up a trap that eventually traps your farm animals, or even your children! It's important to ensure that you’re operating in a safe environment that wouldn't lead unexpected victims into it. It's important also to consider material used for the trap by going for a quality trap. Since most of these traps can sometimes be left for a while in the field, it's important that they're durable enough to withstand the harsh weather conditions. It shouldn't be forgotten that a trapped animal would be struggling to save its dear life and so the trap should withstand this and keep the animal trapped till you get there.

Convenience of assembly should also play a vital role in choosing the right animal trap. You don’t want to spend 20 minutes setting up a trap with the help of two other people. The way that you’d consider size and comfort when buying a dog crate is also the way you want to follow for the animal trap because, at the end of the day, they’re also animals that need humane care even after being trapped.

Price

When buying an animal trap, price considerations inevitably come up. While some traps are fairly priced, others are pricy, but this probably doesn’t compare to the loss and destruction that some pests can bring to your home or farm. As such, the price of an animal trap would be determined by several factors. One of these is the size of the trap. This would be dependent on the type of target animal as bigger traps meant for larger animals cost more than smaller traps for small rodents like rats and mice.

The other factor is the trapping mechanism used. The most common of these are gravity oriented, spring/coil and electric mechanisms, and they all have different price ranges. Gravity-aided traps cost less compared to electric traps, for example. Based on these factors, expect a good animal trap to cost between $25 for a basic trap and $60 for traps with advanced trapping mechanisms, accurate precision and stronger material. As expected, there are also cheap animal traps out there, but these are of poor quality and seldom manage to trap the target animal or keep it there for long.

Features

Before the advent of the latest technology in traps, farmers and homeowners used any means possible to get rid of an animal, including giving it a brutal death. Lately, however, a good animal trap would be rated based on how humane it does its job. This factor goes into the design of the trap to ensure that the animal either remains alive or gets killed instantly without feeling pain as in the case of electric traps. A good trap should have an appropriate size for its purpose— not too big to camouflage and not too small for your intended catch.

Here are some notable features to consider in a good trap:

Door: This should be a make or break aspect for you trap. The door should not only be firm enough but well-disguised so the animal doesn’t notice they’re sneaking their way into captivity.
Handles: A good trap should have well-designed handles to help transport the trapped animal conveniently without risks of injury to the animal or the transporter.
Springs and coil mechanism: Most cage traps make use of the spring mechanism that’d snap back to close the door once the animal gets in. These should be strong enough to trap and keep the animal enclosed till you get there.
Material: Based on the location and type of target animal, traps come in varying materials. Whether it’s steel, plastic or other material, it should be strong and sturdy enough to keep the animal in once trapped and durable enough to serve the user much longer
Bait hook section: This part of the trap not only needs to be strategically located but should also not give any clue of danger to the targeted animal.

Construction and Design

Some animals can be witty and would notice a trap from far away. As such, its design should be key in making sure the trap doesn’t raise any suspicion. Most traps are made to look just like any other cage that the animal may enter and exit again at will. Whether the trap employs the traditional coil-spring release, a gravity-action closure, or more advanced electronic detection technology, its prime quality consists in how it can fool the animal into thinking that it’s just another day on the ranch, and not its last day.

The doors are made of strong materials to ensure the animal fails in its attempt to get out of its initial entry. Most importantly, traps are made the right size depending on the target animal so it doesn’t get uncomfortable or struggle to fit in. The interior often consists of a fine finish with dulled edges to prevent bruises and cuts to the animal as it struggles to untangle itself.

Performance and Ease of Use

To save on time and the expertise needed to set up, traps come fully assembled. All you have to do is put your bait at an appropriate position and wait for the magic. Some are camouflaged to mirror the surrounding environment so it doesn’t raise any suspicion in the target animal. Save for the electric traps, most traps don't need any source of energy, thereby making it possible to be used even in remote areas.

Of course, you may want to clean out the traps after every time you use them, as the smell of other animals may ward off fresh prey the next time you install your trap out in the woods. On the other hand, perhaps that smell may act as extra bait for the next round of poor, unfortunate cretins! These are things that you may experience and learn on your own as you get more familiar with animal traps and the particular animals in your area.

What is the Best Animal Trap?

Now that you have a clue on what to consider in an animal trap, it’s our pleasure to introduce you to some of the best models from popular brands. You deserve your peace at home and in the field and thus the reason to go for that ideal animal trap. Let’s have a look at 5 of these animal traps.

Our Top Choice

The Miller Single Door Live Animal Trap, from its Little Giant subsidiary, features a spring-loaded door that releases quickly enough to trap the animal alive. Specifically concerned about trapping mice? Well, in that case Little Giant’s The Better Mouse Trap will serve you beautifully.

Miller Little Giant, Single Door Entry Live Animal Trap — Available in 5 Sizes

Miller Animal Trap LT4 — 32.125-Inch

Features

Miller Manufacturing is yet to let down its clientele since its inception in 1941. With its customer-driven approach, it’s managed to capture the imagination of animal trap enthusiasts, homeowners and farmers. Its international reach for pet ranch and general animal products has seen it gain trust in the market they serve. This has seen them gain a substantial amount of market share, not only in the United States and Canada but in 30 other countries as well. Its time-tested products have made it one of the most sought after makers of animal products for users looking for cost effective but quality merchandise.

The Single Door Live Animal Trap has a spring-loaded entry that’s easy to set and bait and can release very quickly. Its handle makes it easy to carry while its large size is suitable for trapping turtles, foxes, porcupines, raccoons, as well as other animals of similar size. Moreover, it’s designed to catch animals without inflicting injury to be relocated or humanely disposed of. You’ll love its galvanized, heavy mesh wire with steel frame reinforcement that ensures the animal doesn’t escape once it’s trapped.

Based on the type of animal you hope to snare, you have the freedom to choose your preferred length of trap.

Still want to explore some more? Feel free to sample other animal trap options from Miller today!

Best Value

The Advantek Catch & Release Trap Value Pack comes fully assembled and is large enough to take on squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, and other small creatures of the woods. It also has a separate rodent trap that may come in handy for smaller pests. Prefer a trap designed specifically for rabbits and squirrels? Then you can have a look at the Advantek Squirrel\/Rabbit Quick Set Catch & Release Trap.

Advantek Outdoors Catch and Release Raccoon/Rodent Live Animal Trap

Advantek Animal Trap 20055B

Features

True to its word, Advantek has made it its mission to make tomorrow’s products available today thanks to its unmatched experience with modern and state-of-the-art technology. This has in turn inspired its customers to do more and be more than they ever imagined. With the exemplary focus on quality, innovation and unique designs, this brand can only get better with time. Moreover, the great relations between the management and its employees has made this company even more enthusiastic to spur creativity.

The Advantek Catch & Release Trap Value Pack features the new gravity flow activation that enables it to automatically trap your target animal. It’s also fully assembled, humane, and safe in order to cause no injury to the trapped animal. The heavy duty, powder-coated steel construction makes it impossible for any animal to escape once it’s caught. You’ll love the fact that it’s large enough for various animals including groundhogs, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, feral cats, and skunks. In fact, it’s also capable of catching rodents including mice and rats.

Still undecided? We got your back! Feel free to check out the other animal traps options from Advantek today.

The Duke Heavy Duty Cage Trap is a single door model specifically designed to trap cats, raccoons and armadillos Prefer a coil-spring version instead? Well, in that case you can go for the Duke Coil-Spring Animal Trap, which has a 5.5-inch jaw and targets Foxes, Coyote, Bobcat and Lynxx

Duke Traps Heavy Duty Single Door Large Cage Trap

Duke Animal Trap 1112

Features

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Nothing makes a company more relevant than its ability to read the needs of its customers and adapt accordingly. Duke clearly demonstrates this through its versatility, even if it wasn’t until 1986 that the company expanded from its fur and skin business to making animal traps. Since then, the business and steadily grown and can now make more than 30 different trap models that range from long-spring to body gripping and even coil-spring traps. Duke has dedicated its energies on humanely harvesting and controlling the population of wild animals, especially those known to cause nuisances in homes and farms. This has in turn given it one of the top positions in terms of market share for animal traps. Whether you’re a part time tapper, lobbyist or simply a retailer, this company promises to convert your imagination into reality.

The Duke Heavy Duty Cage Trap features reinforced steel rod spring doors, making it strong and able to trigger quickly. It also features a strong cage mesh that’s bait-protected. What’s more, the complete internal steel rode frame ensures the animal doesn’t break the trap and escape. Additionally, it has a pressure-sensitive trip mechanism that enables it to trap any unsuspecting animal. The concealable green powder-coated finish enhances its unmatched durability that guarantees no injury to the trapped animal.

Still curious? Feel free to check out other animal trap models from Duke today!

The Hoont Instant-kill Electronic Rodent Trap is fitted with advanced rodent detection technology to help kill rodents instantly without giving them the chance to escape. Uncomfortable about killing an animal? Well, you can also chase them away with the Hoont Indoor Plug-in Ultrasonic Pest Repeller that has highly-effective ultrasonic frequencies to keep rodents and other small animals away.

Hoont Powerful Instant-kill Humane Extermination Electronic Rodent Trap

Hoont Animal Trap Ultra Humane

Features

Since inception, Hoont has adopted a business model that sees them redefine the way animal trap enthusiasts go about their business. Its products are designed to work both indoors and outdoors, thus giving greater freedom to the user. Its aggressive nature in constantly seeking cool, innovating and quality products to add to its feather is a clear indication of a company out to offer its best at all costs. You’ll love the integrity and passion with which it makes each product in its line.

The Hoont Instant-kill Electronic Rodent Trap employs an advanced smart detection technology which sees that rats and other rodents are quickly trapped without a possibility of escape. It’s also ultra humane considering it instantly kills the rodent without inflicting pain by emitting a 7000v electric shock. Its design and components makes it an easy-to-use device. Since it involves no chemicals and dangerous poisons, discarding the rodent is safe and doesn’t lead to any mess. Its design also allows disposing of the rodent without touching it because all you have to do is to slide the rodent out of the trap.

The Hoont Electronic Rodent Trap’s other features include:

A 5-foot plug-in adapter that makes it suitable for use in remote places.
4D batteries where one set of batteries can make over 30 kills.
A plug-in indicator light to enable you check for the trapped rodents from a distance.

Still want to explore more? Well, Hoont has other Animal trap devices you can go for today!

The Havahart X-Small One Door Trap has a patented design with its trigger rod located outside the trap to prevent the trapped animal from damaging it Would you like a collapsible design instead? Well, you can check out the Havahart Collapsible One-Door Live Animal Cage Trap that’s ideal for space-saving storage.

Havahart X-Small One-Door Animal Trap for Chipmunk, Squirrel, Rat, and Weasel,

Havahart X Animal Trap 0745

Features

Havahart is no doubt one of the leading producers of wildlife control products in the world. It prides itself in offering conscientious animal repellants, live animal traps, and safe electronic solutions. Since its introduction to the industry more than 70 years ago, it’s grown to become one of the most innovative brands, thus capturing the imaginations of most animal trap enthusiasts. The company constantly strives to provide the latest and most efficient technology while at the same time remaining sensitive to the increasing demand for a clean and healthy environment. You’ll love the fact that most of its animal repellents are USDA- and OMRI-approved for organic gardening use while its electronic repellents are energy-conserving and safe for the environment.

The Havahart X-Small One Door Trap is designed, used, and tested by professional trappers, thus ensuring a secure and safe catch. It has a sensitive external trigger rod that eliminates damage from the animal, and a sturdy, high tensile wire mesh that makes it suitable for pest containment. The large handle guard provides protection when transporting while the strong gravity-action door easily locks into place to keep the animal trapped. To prevent and protect you and the animal from injuries, this trap has smoothed internal edges.

Here are its additional features:

It’s carefully constructed to make it useful as a trap for witty animals like the flying squirrel, chipmunk, or weasels.
The sensitivity of the trip plate is enough for the lightest of animals to effectively trigger the door.
The guillotine-style door makes it easy to lift from its top, thus avoiding animal contact.
Its galvanized steel prevents corrosion and rust.
Its simplicity makes it safe to use even when children are around.

Not the design you’re looking for? No worry, feel free to check out other animal traps from Havahart today!

Get the Best Animal Trap of 2018!

There you have it mate! We hope that our review has truly been comprehensive and that it’ll help you in making up your mind about what kind of trap you need for your specific target animals. If you’re not yet convinced about any one of these, then you’re free to check out other models from these brands that have been tried and tested over time. Get your help from the best animal traps brands today.

Our Top Choice

Miller Single Door Live Animal Trap

Best Value

Advantek Catch & Release Trap Value Pack

Duke Heavy Duty Cage Trap

Hoont Instant-kill Electronic Rodent Trap

Havahart X-Small One Door Animal Trap