Please see my earlier video on unboxing and setting up the A18 trap. This video has more information on how the trap operates and how to install it - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html All the best.
@UCTl0_H51Vu671TGA_oLuIEQ Hi, I recognise that not everyone supports the culling of grey squirrels. Of course I respect the right of others to hold views that differ from my own. For this reason I put a very clear warning about the content at the beginning of the video. The invasive grey squirrels were introduced to the UK from the USA less than 150 years ago. In the short time since those ill thought out introductions the greys have driven the native red squirrels from virtually all of England. The grey squirrels carry the squirrel pox to which they are immune but which is fatal to the native red squirrels that then suffer a horrible lingering death. The greys also do untold damage to UK wildlife and to our trees. The greys strip the bark from young trees which often then die. On more mature trees the squirrels strip the bark from the branches up in the crown of the tree which leads to damage that over a period causes the decline and even demise of the trees. The greys predate on our native birds by hunting their nests to steal their eggs and chicks. So yes they may be cute and innocent and it was man's interventions that have brought us to this sad position. However, with a huge effort we can reverse this invasion and reintroduce pockets of native red squirrels in reserves in England - see cornwallredsquirrels.co.uk/ So, in conclusion, I would invite everyone to do their own research on the grey squirrel issue in the UK. All the best.
@@markhinchberger7925 Hi Mark, Many viewers in the USA have asked this question but it seems that the A18 is not licensed for use in the US. If you read through the comments on this channel you will see that other users in the US have reported that the very similar, but smaller, Goodnature A24 trap that is aimed at rats is also effective against squirrels. I don't have an A24 trap so can't speak from experience on this model. The A24 trap is readily available in North America. All the best.
@@markhinchberger7925 . goodnaturetraps.co.uk/shop/a18-grey-squirrel-sentry-kit/ seems expensive but I’ve had 16 kills in 5 weeks had the in my attic moves this around the garden fence a couple of times used peanut butter as lure and bird seed brilliant tool.
Squirrels are firmly in the "r" camp. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R/K_selection_theory They don't really care about their buddies. Indeed, in some situations, a pile of dead squirrels on the ground will attract more.
This is so satisfying 🤤 I have squirrels chewing through my sprinkler heads and now my water bill is $250 a month we just got it all fixed for $5000 a year ago and they are eating ALL my fruit in my peach/pomegranate tree I’m done with these fuckers!!!
Hi Jaxxon, You have my sincere sympathy. Here in the UK the greys destroy our trees and our native birds. They do also strip the fruit and nuts before they are fully ripe and so deny other species the valuable food source. Other viewers in the US have told me that the A18 is not available in the North America and I haven't been able to find a supplier. I believe it is a licensing issue because you have protected red squirrels too. Here the greys grow very large because they have virtually unlimited food available from cattle, sheep and bird feeders. If your local squirrels are reasonably small you may find that the Goodnature A24 will be beneficial. Another viewer wrote a comment saying that he found his catch was 50/50 rats and squirrels. if you have a airgun shooting club near youthen it could be worthwhile asking if shooters would like to visit your property to shoot the greys. If you provided a seed feeder and a hide about 20-30 yards away the shooters can sit in comfort and shoot the squirrels when they visit the feeder. Wheat in the feeder will bring the squirrels in but a handful of peanuts at the start of a shooting session will keep the squirrels still for 30 seconds as they consume their last nut... All the best.
I absolutely love watching this video - I see it to be perfect justice for all of the damage that these vermin cause....really brightened my day...!! Thanks....!
Hi Pat, I had a good day myself yesterday. I shot 2 in the morning then when I visited the 2 traps they had clocked up another 3 between them. Oh happy day... I had to take urgent action with the gun because the greys were clambering over an owl box trying to drive the female tawny out so that they could rob the eggs. All the best.
Me too! I had a company trap them and relocate and more just pop up I’m tired of being nice they damaged $5000 worth of sprinklers and now my water bill is $250 a month 🤬🤬🤬
@@jaxxon4972 Squirrels chewed into my attic and ate completely through 120V wires. We had to call an electrician to find and fix the damage and it could have easily caused a fire (they showed me several charred lengths of wire they replaced... pretty scary to see). The other day one of the damn things literally tried to attack me three times in my yard, I don't know if it was rabid or just really territorial. The first two times he came at me from under my parked car I had to swat him away with a board, it barely scared him off. The third time he charged me I didn't have the board at ready, so when he came running at me full speed yet again I had no choice but to punt him with my boot. 😂 I swear this really happened although I can still barely believe it myself. I had no idea squirrels could be so aggressive and fearless. At that point I was done playing. Out came the new pellet rifle I bought the day before specifically to hunt these little buggers. He was still trying to hang around my driveway acting aggressive so he got it right between the eyes from about six feet away. So satisfying...
@@rustyjeep2469 Hi, Several viewers have told me about squirrels damaging house wiring and nearly causing fires. Here a neighbour called me for help when squirrels were waking her daughter at first light because they were chewing on the wooden trim around the eves and dormer on her house. All the best.
Didn't know they were as destructive as rats, so knowing how destructive rats are, and how much damage they did to my cars and other properties, and even when i consider squirells cute, i am glad you and others are doing this.
Look into damage to car wiring harnesses in North America each year. And squirrels being ADHD a**holes they will return to the same car AFTER it has been repaired and repeat the damage. My son is a mechanic at MAZDA. Same car done 4 times in 1 summer. Insurance refuses to cover repeat damage. Next let's talk wiring in attics. Number 1 cause of house fires starting in attics. Cute? Maybe. So are some hookers.
Hi Theodore, Yes the grey squirrels are very destructive. It was less than 150 years ago when the grey was introduced to the UK from the USA. In that short time they have driven the native red squirrel from most of England and they have had a drastic impact on our trees and wildlife. That is why I put so much effort into shooting and trapping these invasive pests. All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 That's why I don't understand idiots who complain about this. Grey squirrels are the meanest, nastiest, most destructive vermin, right behind rats. They're AWFUL. It makes me happy seeing these invasive pests get what they deserve.
I was from the city and thought they were so cute, I moved to the country and soon learned to loathe those rodents. Turns out I'm pretty dang good at killing them with a pellet gun. I could write a book on how destructive they have been to our house. I could have had a nice down payment on a new car but instead I had to use it for repairs.
Got one of these six days ago and today the fifth squirrel was "despatched" as it is euphemistically phrased. Absolutely amazing device. I found there's a trick to getting the right amount of peanut butter on the tree and a dab on the back plate. Doesn't take long for them to take the bait then. Maybe we'll have a chance of some strawberries ripening now. The little bushy-tailed little *******s. You can only get away with so much looking super cute.
Well done and glad to hear that you have got good results straight out of the box. I admit that I struggled initially but once you have got the method sorted out these traps work amazingly well. I am thinking of making another follow-up video to show my routine when I visit the traps to re-bait them. I always squeeze a little of the bait through the mesh of the bait basket so that it is hanging down inside the trap near to the trigger wire. This ensures that there is plenty of enticing aroma inside the trap. I always smear a bit of extra bait on the tree just under the entrance to the trap. When the count stops going up I move the trap to a new site and go through the above baiting routine. For the first couple of days I also scatter a few chopped peanuts or sunflower hearts on the ground under the trap just to help them find it. All the best.
Well done. I am glad that you have got straight off to a good start with your A18 trap. I have to admit that when I got my first trap, 18 months ago, I struggled at first but I persevered and tried different baits until count starting rising. There are very few squirrels now visible so that is a big reduction in numbers. I will keep the traps in action to prevent the numbers of squirrels rebounding. I did reply earlier but UA-cam is still indicating that I haven't replied so not sure what happened there. Yes, smearing a little bait under the tree really helps to bring the squirrels over to the trap. JUST BE VERY CAREFUL AND KEEP YOUR FINGERS WELL AWAY FROM THE TRAP ENTRANCE ! All the best.
Hi Rusty, You would have to be quick because other critters quickly carry away the dead squirrels from the ground under the trap. If you fitted a basket beneath the trap it would give you a fighting chance of enjoying a squirrel stew. I trap these invasive pests to protect the native birds and our trees. All the best.
@@karenhaupt4321 He's not kidding. Squirrel is eaten by the millions in the United States. It's actually quite good. Squirrel is one of the game animals that beginning hunters are first tought on, but are challenging enough to interest experienced hunters also, especially when the method of take is head shooting with a small caliber rifle.
Yeah these traps are fantastic, and well worth the price tag, since it is basically a self sufficient trap that resets and can end 18 squirrels. The one thing about these traps is how fast they end the pest. a seriously hard blow the the head, enough to crush the skull and kill the brain and it does it in less than a second, which is less time than it takes for the creature to even register what has happened. I still like doing this with my Rifle though, and I use ammo that hits so hard that the animal is dead in a very short time, plus all my shots are head shots and the Stingers are brutally fast moving ammo. Now if you do not want to shoot an animal yourself, this trap is your best friend.
@@4321grp The direct approach, I like it, but it's only good for the first time and the others run away, the cowardly things! There needs to be a more subtle solution, say a .22LR motion detecting minigun? But then again, you'd need a power source for the electric motor. Although you could make it out of DC current and then utilize the solar panel... LOL
Just got the A18 in the states. The A24 couldn’t handle these ginormous squirrels here locally. Luckily GoodNature is a great company and honored their warranty.
I am pleased that the Goodnature A18 is at last available in the US. For anyone purchasing the A18 I would suggest that the metal cover is also purchased to prevent squirrels chewing through the top of the trap. All the best.
Hi Breana, Sorry to hear that the squirrels are giving you a hard time. Could you get a squirrel live trap are bait it with peanuts/peanut butter. Hopefully maintenance would block the entrance holes after you are able to temp the squirrels out into a trap. My experience has been that squirrels will readily enter the open wire traps and so are fairly easy to trap. You would then have to despatch the animal in the trap or take the trap out to a rural location to release it. In the UK it isn't legal to release grey squirrels. Hope that this info helps. All the best.
My understanding is that the grey squirrel is very destructive and invasive and reproduces so fast that basically becomes a problem for other species and habitat so it meeds to be controlled.
@@franciscoramirez4179 Hi Francisco, You are spot on. The grey squirrels were introduced to the UK from the USA less than 150 years ago. In the short period since the introductions the greys have had a disastrous affect on our native red squirrels which have been drive from virtually all of England. The greys carry the squirrel pox to which they are immune but which kills the reds in an agonising slow death. The greys are bigger and heavier than the reds and so can also out compete them for the available food supplies. There are a couple of projects underway that aim to clear the grey and reintroduce the red squirrels in small managed reserves. The greys have also had a huge impact on our UK forests damaging and killing trees by stripping the bark. They also predate on our native birds hunting their nests to steal their eggs and chicks. This is the reason that I am trying to do my bit to limit the grey squirrel numbers where I live. All the best.
These monsters will burn your house down. They chew on wires then arc and set your house on fire. Fire Marshall in my town says in most cases these monsters are the culprit. If you ever catch the news reporting a house fire that began in the attic, more than likely a squirrel started it.
Excluding all the squirrel deaths that looks like such a peaceful place to be at, listening to the birds sing while reading a nice book in the sun, absolutely heavenly 😌
Hi, Yes this is a beautiful place. With some regret with have to chose between our native birds, wildlife and trees versus the invasive albeit cute grey squirrel. I want to hear the birds sing so the grey squirrels have to go. All the best.
Yes I would agree with incognito's comments below about Autumn. I shoot the little bar stewards in the spring but by autumn they get tricky to find. I own an ancient oak woodland in Worcestershire and the damage they do is appalling, so a couple of these 'A18' (aka Bofors 88mm Panzer AcAck Squirrel Killers) for me please. When one sees the increasingly rare and beautiful native red squirrel in the wild (e.g. Northumberland) it makes it all the more important to reduce the population of these aerial rodents - their numbers really do need to be reduced if a more diverse, balanced and healthy arboreal habitat is to be encouraged. The Greys are all I have in the wood and sadly no pine martins yet to predate them, which I would welcome. If they were native red squirrels they could east as many acorns, lawn, bark etc as they want to. Very useful video and thanks for the extra information and advice below.
Hi Johnny, It is very refreshing to read your well informed and considered comments. A nice change from the all too common hate mail. I am on a similar mission to yourself - to reinvigorate woodland strips. We plant huge numbers of trees (181 since Christmas) but all too often when the trees get to 5 years old and the plastic shelter tubes are removed the squirrels strip the bark and kill or at least stunt the trees development. The squirrels also have a huge impact on our native birds since they actively hunt their nests to steal their eggs and chicks. I therefore take great comfort from the fact that the squirrels culled by my A18 traps fall to the ground and provide welcome meals for our native wildlife. Several times last year I disturbed a buzzard near one of my traps as I visited it to check the count and refresh the bait. I don't think that this was a coincidence and I believe that the buzzard had learned that a free meal could be found under the trap. When I can find the time in the spring I do shoot the squirrels on feeders and it is a good way to get large bags quickly. Whereas the A18 is more of a marathon than a sprint and just clocks up slowly and steadily throughout the year. Even in January mine have clocked up 3-4 each. So although these traps aren't cheap they are effective have made a visible difference to the numbers of greys here. One other bit of good news is the ongoing research that aims to develop a birth control measure that can be fed to the greys to reduce the population but so far as I know this is still some years away. So keep up the good fight. All the best.
I totally understand. Definitely get a couple. They have done some awful damage in my garden (of which I'm proud) and two of the traps have dispatched 15 of them in about 6 months. I have one attached to my 150 year old oak tree. I'm getting better with the traps now and refreshing the lure more regularly. I've also got a trail cam set up so that I can monitor their behaviour and adapt as necessary.
Yes, indeed. Nice and humane way to take out the invasive grey squirrels. The native wildlife have learned that they can often collect a tasty free meal from on the ground under the trap. The squirrel carcasses never go to waste. It is amazing that these traps can fire 18 times before the tiny 16g CO2 cylinder needs to be changed. I now have 3 of these traps in constant operation and I highly recommend them. All the best.
Great video. The box seems to intimidate them. Maybe a plastic window on one side. Ground squirrels probably less skittish about the dark tunnel element than tree squirrels.
Hi, When I first started using the A18 and I wasn't having much success I also was thinking about a glass bait basket cover to allow some light into the tunnel. However, I pretty quickly realised that the choice of bait is more important. If you put the bait that the greys really want then they are willing to overcome their reservations and stick their head right in. I have found that squeezing a lit bait through the mesh so that the tempting strands of hazlenut paste are hanging down on the trigger wire provides plenty of scent to draw in the squirrels. Bingo. To see the trap without the metal cover please see my earlier video on unboxing and setting up the A18 trap. This video has more information on how the trap operates and how to install it - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html All the best.
No the dark hole bit doesn’t bother them at all, after all they live in holes in the trees sometimes. My first one worked straight away with hazelnut lure. I got 12 in one week and then I changed the bait to an almond paste and again success. You can make your own bait up, so easy. They won’t work in any position or situation. I’m a professional pest controller and I use them mainly in woodland where the dead ones get predated upon.
Hi Jimmy, You would have to get in quick - I find that the squirrel carcasses are quickly carried away from under the trap by foxes, buzzards and other predators. A couple of years ago I kept noticing a buzzard flying off as I approached a trap to check the bait and the count. After this had happened 3 times I realised that the buzzard was also visiting the trap or even waiting at the trap to see if an easy meal was available. Smart bird. All the best.
Hi Max, I totally agree with your assessment - the best bit about these Good-nature traps is that they are automatic and on duty 24/7/365 with only minimal maintenance needed. Provided that users visit the trap regularly to replenish the bait basket and check the strike counter and change the CO2 after the trap has fired 18 times. If you are shooting from a hide at a peanut feeder then you can often rack up a big bag quickly. These A18 traps keep up a trickle of culls on a continuous basis so keep the squirrel numbers down. All the best.
We bought our property in 1987 and it was a bare cow pasture with not a rabbit or squirrel to be seen. 35 years later, we have been growing nut trees, and squirrels have been raising families on us. Besides the theft and consumption of our crop, they bury nuts that may contain weevil larvae or have other issues that won't get looked at because they are gone. A few years back, I tilled up about a 10 x 20 spot near one of my nut fields. When I came back later to remove the soil (for use elsewhere and to direct waterflow) I found chestnuts planted at nearly the rate of 1 per square foot in that loose soil. When the trap has prevented the theft of 347 chestnuts, will have have paid for it. (13.33 lbs) $15.00 lb/ 26 to the pound.
Hi, I do feel for you. Suffering this damage after all your years of hard work to produce nuts must be heart breaking. I feel the same way when I see the invasive grey squirrels here in the UK damaging/killing the tree saplings that I plant. Unfortunately, this A18 trap is not licensed for use in the US and other viewers have told me that it is not on sale in North America. Some people have commented that the very similar but smaller Goodnature A24 rat trap (which is on sale in the US) is also effective against small squirrels. I don't have an A24 so I can't offer confirmation. If you have the time available then I would suggest that you try to control the squirrel numbers by shooting. A PCP air rifle with a moderator fitted is virtually silent. Shooting from a hide at squirrels on a feeder can produce big bags of squirrels. While the squirrels eat nuts on the feeder these, normally jittery, creatures actually sit still allowing the shooter to place a pellet between the base of the ear and the eye leading to a rapid humane death. Alternatively, you could advertise for keen hunters in your area to come to your property to cull the squirrels. All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 But, good news for us. They just started selling them for the US market and I have mine on preorder for del in early April. Thanks for the video and reply!
@@Qingeaton Hi, Yes, good news indeed. The availability of the A18 in the US market will make many people happy. Please let me know how you get on with the A18. I have previously emphasised the need for the trap user to play their part but it is worth reminding everyone that the trap isn't a magic bullet that can simply be deployed to gain instant success. The key tips I would offer are: a) Carefully choose the site for the A18 where the squirrels regularly pass by and will discover the trap quickly. If you don't get success within a couple of weeks then be prepared to move the trap to a new position. b) Experiment with a variety of baits until you find the one that the squirrels simply can't resist. Here I find that hazlenut based paste works well. I sometimes also add a little Nutella hazlenut and chocolate paste. In your case I would suggest making a paste from whichever nuts the squirrel are raiding at the time. Peanut butter is also a reliable choice. I have also used almond butter with success. c) Smear a little of the bait on the tree directly below the trap to provide even more scent to draw the squirrels in towards the trap. Hopefully they will then explore into the trap... d) Purchase the metal cover that fits over the trap - this will protect your investment. The cover prevents the squirrels getting to the bait directly by chewing through the plastic cover of the bait basket. The cover also protects the trap from exposure to the UV in sunlight and protects the plastics. e) Wear a pair of disposable plastic gloves when handling the trap, baiting it and checking the counter to make sure that you don't impart a human scent that could deter the squirrels from entering the trap. f) When putting bait into the bait basket push a little through the mesh to form short dangling strands to ensure that it creates an irresistible scent inside the trap... g) Monitor the trap regularly to check the counter and replenish the bait. If you have a trail camera then it is well worth setting it up to observe the trap and watch the squirrels behaviour. You will then be aware if the squirrels are being drawn in to the area but are for some reason hesitant to put their head deep enough into the trap to trigger it. h) Obvious I know but worth saying never put a finger into the trap - it won't end well. If you repeatedly observe squirrels putting their head well into the trap but it not firing then try changing the CO2 cylinder. Always change the cylinder after the trap has fired 18 times. If the trap still isn't triggered then be careful about triggering the trap using something like a stick because it can damage the mechanism because the piston/bolt is over extended since there isn't a squirrel's head in the way to slow down the bolt. I have used a cane with a tough foam sleeve wrapped with several turns of gaffer tape to trigger the trap - but best avoided. i) Above all adopt positive mental attitude and keep making changes until you get a successful string of kills. All the best.
Hi James, The grey squirrels are a destructive invasive pest here in the UK. They destroy so many young trees by stripping the bark. Last year a neighbour asked me for help when squirrels were chewing on the boards around her roof trying to find a way in. A combination of trapping and shooting quickly reduced the numbers and the problem stopped. Unfortunately the squirrel numbers bounce back quickly because there is virtually unlimited food available to them from the cattle, sheep and bird feeders - combine this with the mild climate here in the SW of the UK and you have a squirrel production line. I now run 2 x A18 traps and this help keep the numbers under some control. All the best
Hi Karen, These traps certainly are powerful but of course the squirrels are tough and it is important to have enough energy to ensure a clean humane kill. Yes the greys wreck my feeders too. They are taking the bird's food and they raid their nests of the eggs and chicks. These invasive pests are having a huge effect on UK wildlife and trees so we have to control their numbers. All the best.
Lol Karen,I thought u were gonna complain more about the " brutality of it" ,but then u changed course n went into " those lil Bastards", omg, you've got sand, lady. Too cool.
I wonder why youtube rides Shawn's back so hard about the content of his videos,when I have seen videos of different mousetraps in action, and pretty gruesome, but youtube never took those down. Hell I could provide links,but I dont think Shawn would like that. And I think Shawn is a pretty good fellow.
@@fkyew this ,coming from someone who obviously read,and most likely searched out,every single person who complained about it being gory or whatever. Dude u couldnt just take your own advice & not read them? Of course you coukdnt,yiu came here SPECIFICALLY to rant. Honestly,nothing on this video bothers me, but clearly something in your life bothers you ,that why u had to come here and look for something to blow off steam with. Geez,I really hope your life gets better
Brilliant devices that are quick and effective. If I were a country landowner trying to maintain precious woodland, I’d have a few of these around, and wild foxes would take the dead ones away!
Hi, Yes you are exactly right. I operate 2 of these automatic traps and it is very rare to find a dead squirrel under the trap because they are carried away by scavengers very quickly. Last year I kept seeing a buzzard fly off as I entered a small woodland strip to check on an A18 trap. It happened too many times to just be a coincidence and I am convinced that the buzzard had learned that a free meal could often be found under the trap. At the moment I have one trap near to an owl box that has tawny owls nesting in it. When I got my first peep into the box via an endoscope camera I could see a whole egg and some broken shell. A trail camera has revealed that, as I have seen on previous occasions, the grey squirrels are constantly clambering over and peeping into the box desperate to drive out the female and get at the eggs. I immediately shot 2 greys and the trap quickly accounted for another 2 so the owls got a bit of relief - but the trail camera shows that other greys are still visiting the box. Fingers crossed for the owls that I, or the trap, can get the greys before they can do more damage. The second A18 is in a different small woodland to protect the 200+ new tree saplings that have just been planted. All the best.
@@briansefring4981 the grey squirrel is an invasive species in the UK and in other places ,, they will out compete native species , and they also will destroy nesting birds eggs and eat their hatchlings ,,and they are also very destructive ,they chew on sapling trees killing them , they can also severely damage personal property ,,a squirrel can chew through almost anything including wire mesh and thin sheet metal ,,i live in the USA and we have red squirrels here and they are worse than greys if there are a lot of them ,, i live on a farm and we have no squirrel problems becausei have a dog and many outdoor cats
I love these little critters but, they've gotten in my attic. And now I have to get rid of them there's too many of them. I'm making my own pneumatic trap inspired by this $250-$300 trap. I think I'll spend around $10 for a 12v dc solenoid valve. The rest I can get from my scrap bin. Thanks for posting.
Hi Pete, Sorry to hear that you have squirrels in your attic. You are right to take action - the squirrels can do a lot of damage including to the electrics. Hats off to you if do manage to build your own pneumatic trap. Please let me know how you get on. A simple cage trap can also be very effective but of course you have to check the trap every few hours to ensure that any live trapped squirrels are humanely despatched quickly. All the best.
Ya so...having the same thought, I've got some 1" stroke cylinders, mini valves, a lathe, a mill and too many trying to get into my attic. Did you ever build anything?
Hi, I trap the invasive grey squirrels to protect our native birds and trees. The grey squirrels actively hunt the nests to steal the eggs and chicks. The trees are damage and killed by the squirrels strips the bark from the trunks of young trees and from the branches up in the canopy of more mature trees. The grey squirrels are a destructive invasive pest and I make no apology for controlling their numbers using humane methods. All the best.
Seriously, most people don't know the damage large groups of squirrel can cause. They can rip apart your home quite quickly, among other things. Also? If I had this I'd be eating squirrel so damn often and I LOVE squirrel.
They cost me 100s on my new sprinkler system that we fixed for $5000 and they rape my fruit trees. I’d be ok if they didn’t eat them all but no!! They eat EVERYTHING AND DAMAGE EVERYTHING. Only good squirrel is a dead one.
Hi Malsy, The A18 trap is operated by small high pressure CO2 cylinders. So it is similar to an air pistol but instead of a pellet it fires a captive bolt rather like a slaughterhouse gun. The squirrel receives a heavy blow to the head which kills it cleanly and it drops from the trap to the ground. The trap then automatically resets itself and is ready for the next squirrel to come along. The CO2 cylinder is capable of firing the trap 18 times before it needs to be replaced. Please see my earlier video on unboxing and setting up the A18 trap. This video has more information on how the trap operates and how to install it - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html All the best.
Hi Chris, Many viewers in the USA have asked this question but it seems that the Goodnature A18 is not licensed for use in the US. If you read through the comments on this channel below you will see that other users in the US have reported that the very similar, but smaller, Goodnature A24 Rat Trap is also effective against squirrels. I don't have an A24 trap so can't speak from experience on this model. The Goodnature A24 trap is readily available in North America. I suspect that the effectiveness of the A24 will depend on the size of the squirrels. Where I live in the SW of the UK the invasive grey squirrels, that were introduced from the USA less than 150 years, grow to a huge size. Here the greys enjoy a very mild climate and virtually unlimited food supplies from cattle, sheep and bird feeders. All the best.
Hi Sara, The A18 trap is operated by small high pressure CO2 cylinders. So it is similar to an air pistol but instead of a pellet it fires a captive bolt rather like a slaughterhouse gun. The squirrel receives a heavy blow to the head which kills it cleanly and it drops from the trap to the ground. The trap then automatically resets itself and is ready for the next squirrel to come along. The CO2 cylinder is capable of firing the trap 18 times before it needs to be replaced. Please see my earlier video on unboxing and setting up the A18 trap. This video has more information on how the trap operates and how to install it - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html All the best.
Hi Derf, The squirrels drop from the trap dead and usually they are very quickly taken away by scavengers such corvids, birds of prey, foxes, badgers etc. I shoot them too but use a 12ftlb PCP air rifle in 0.177 calibre. I shoot them on feeders while they enjoy a last peanut. Head shots only and preferably with JSB Hades pellets - they rarely need a follow-up shot. My best day ever was 14 in the morning and a further 4 in the afternoon all from the same feeder. All the best.
Hi, Actually it is quite rare to find the culled squirrels under the trap. Scavengers such as birds of prey, foxes, badgers etc very quickly carry away the corpses. Last summer I noticed that a buzzard flew away as I entered a small woodland to check on the trap. After this happened several times it dawned on me that the buzzard had learned that there was sometimes a tasty free meal to be found under the A18 trap so I think that the buzzard visited the trap regularly. All the best.
Hi everyone, I just wanted to share some information provided by another viewer about the new hazlenut lure/bait which will be of particular interest to UK viewers: excitedofharpenden Harpenden • 1 hour ago (edited) @Incognito just a little more info for your video. Goodnature rang me today as I'd emailed them with regard to the reduced size of the lure I'd received with the trap. Apparently they are now using a second generation lure. The first one in the larger pouch was made in New Zealand. After receiving mixed reviews of it they now make it here in house in the UK. And it's supplied in a smaller pouch, but is said to be stronger and a better attractant. The traps are now supplied wth a pouch of 125g. You can also buy these online for £9 or they are also available in 200g size. It's expensive stuff! They were really helpful and will send me a 200g pouch free of charge so I'll see how I get on. Kudos for Goodnature's customer service. Just thought you and others might like to know.
Hi Incognito. Just an update. The lure is working very well and I'm now up to 8 or 9 dispatched, but young were born later in the summer, so there are still a few around. I'm hoping for frozen ground during the winter making it harder to get to their food store (my garden!) and will try for the glorious smell of hazelnut! Goodnature continue to impress me with their response. The lure is not yet on their website as of writing this so you have to email them, but they are very good at coming back to you. The hazelnut lure is expensive. I tried peanut butter and almond butter at your suggestion, but the hazelnut seems to have a more alluring scent to them. Keep up the good work 👍
@@dellara100 Hi, Thanks for your feedback. Your experience of squirrel behaviour through the autumn mirrors what I have experienced here in Devon, UK. The glut of natural food at the end of summer and in autumn means that the squirrels aren't drawn to the traps so easily. And yes the numbers that I see here now has increased a little. The winters here are generally very mild so I think that the greys may continue breeding. We always get an explosion in the numbers in February onwards. The sweet hazlenut paste still remains the best bait here. One viewer has suggested adding a dash of chocolate sauce to the mix. I will be giving that a try. I have had an idea, based on the old TV cat food adverts, to set-up the trail camera to view a 'tasting board' on which I will place blobs of several baits and then review the footage to see if they show a preference for particularly baits. The main learning point for us all is that we need to keep up our efforts to control the numbers of grey squirrels because their numbers bounce back so quickly when we slack off. All the best.
@@rodneymunch9545Hi, I am not sure what lure is supplied as standard with the A18 these days. When I bought mine back in 2019 the lure was in a pouch. I have to say that it wasn't very effective here in SW UK. The latest bait that I have got from Goodnature was supplied in small round clear plastic tubs. This bait is a sweet hazlenut paste the colour of digestive biscuits and it is brilliantly effective. I have always recommended that people experiment to find the bait that the local squirrels really want and can't resist. Try peanut butter, almond butter and a dab of Nutella. I always smear some of the bait on the tree under the trap to provide a good scent trail that draws the greys in. When you load the bait basket press down on it to squeeze10mm long strands through the sieve end before putting the bait basket into the trap. This puts some bait just on the inside of the trigger wire and provides lots of enticing scent inside the trap. If you haven't bought a metal cover then I would recommend that you consider doing so. The greys chewed through the top cap on one of my traps to get to the bait direct. I made a Ned Kelly style cover out of a baked bean can as a temporary solution but have since got the official Goodnature covers on both of mine. Let me know how you get on with your trap. All the best.
@@rodneymunch9545 , yes, it's in a clear pouch. I ordered some more and they sent me the wrong size (125g instead of 200g). There is no label so you have no way of knowing. It was only because of my previous experience I spotted this. Anyway, as always the company were very helpful and are sending me some more arriving tomorrow, no charge. The labels are on order, but with covid they aren't sure when they will get them.
Have you been around to monitor the effectiveness of the despatching. I have one of these and on more than one occasion I have had to go out and 'finish the job' to stop any further suffering.
Hi Jonathon, I share your concern and I do my very best to avoid anything other than a responsible humane cull. It is important to use one of the Goodnature counters with the A18 so that you can monitor the number of times that the trap has fired. When the CO2 cylinder pressure falls the trap may not be able to deliver a sufficiently forceful blow. So it is important to change the CO2 cylinder when the count reaches 18. If you want to be doubly sure then change the cylinder even before the count reaches 18. I also recommend test firing the trap regularly to make sure that it is firing correctly. Take a long thing twig and insert it into the trap MAKING SURE THAT YOUR FINGERS DO NOT ENTER THE TRAP. When the end of the stick touches the trigger wire the trap should fire with a THACK that snaps the twig. All the best.
Its refreshing to see that least you give a damn. Alot of people in the comments are talking about how" fun" it is to use this trap, or " fun" to kill the squirrels with a pellet rifle. I grew up hunting, because WE NEEDED THE MEAT from deer,wild hoggs,bear,squirrels,etc. But there is never any joy in taking any form of life for me. .. Plus people shooting the squirrels n not even using the meat,it just breaks every hunter "" rule of ethics" that I was ever taught
I could watch this all day! Where I live, we have fox squirrels, which are quite a bit larger than the gray squirrels. I wonder if this trap could dispatch them.
Hi, I am not familiar with the fox squirrels. The Good-nature A18 trap is not available in the US or Canada due to licensing issues other viewers have told me. All the best.
The work going on in the Aberdeen area to eradicate the grey squirrels is very heartening. This success shows that where there is the will positive change can happen. I can only imagine the joy of seeing red squirrels again inside the city of Aberdeen. All the best.
Hi Yes - the pouch of hazlenut lure (bait) is 250g (which is just under 9oz). I personally didn't get great results with the supplied bait so I always recommend that new users experiment with different baits to find the best bait for your local squirrels. Peanut butter, almond butter and hazlenut paste all work well - but sweet hazlenut paste seems to work best here. See my earlier video of unboxing, setting up and installing the A18 - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html All the best.
Incognito, thank you very much for your reply. I've just bought one based on your video amongst others. I've been plagued by these pests doing damage to my garden including bark stripping of a beautiful tree that losr its first limb in the wind last week just above a bark stripped area. Situation not helped by an obsessive squirrel feeding neighbour. It's caught two so far since the weekend. :) The reason I asked about the lure is that I received a very small see through pouch with it which doesn't look like the one in your video or others and is now nearly finished. I've found the very same available online and it's 125g. Very misleading and I intend to take this up with them. The squirrels have been causing me a lot of stress as the tree is of particular sentimental value. A verbal request to the neighbour to stop has achieved nothing so I'm hoping this is the solution. Thanks once again for your video info and reply.
@@dellara100 Hi, Glad to hear that you have got off to a good start with your new trap. Do try other baits. Peanut butter is generally very good. Lidl sells jars of Almond butter that was also successful. Remember to keep putting a little bait (several baked bean size blobs) on the tree under the trap to provide a good scent trail that draws the squirrels in. They lick it off so you do need to keep reapplying it. All the best.
@Incognito just a little more info for your video. Goodnature rang me today as I'd emailed them with regard to the reduced size of the lure I'd received with the trap. Apparently they are now using a second generation lure. The first one in the larger pouch was made in New Zealand. After receiving mixed reviews of it they now make it here in house in the UK. And it's supplied in a smaller pouch, but is said to be stronger and a better attractant. The traps are now supplied wth a pouch of 125g. You can also buy these online for £9 or they are also available in 200g size. It's expensive stuff! They were really helpful and will send me a 200g pouch free of charge so I'll see how I get on. Kudos for Goodnature's customer service. Just thought you and others might like to know.
@@MartinHealy , I had 2 but I didn't think people would get the other one right away , I see trees of green I smell hazelnut too There is plenty for me and some for you And I think to myself , my head hurts Woohoo
Hi Tim, Another approach that you could take is to deploy a wire live trap in your attic. The downside is that you will have to keep visiting the trap every few hours for the welfare of any squirrels that have been caught. You then of course have the unenvious task of despatching the squirrel in the trap. In the UK it is illegal to release a grey squirrel from a live trap. All the best.
FYI, a grey squirrel will die in 12 hours if deprived of food and water. I generally take the wire live trap with squirrel to my garage where I have a pellet gun. I curse at him in Russian, then shoot in head. Much more humane.
@@tony-lx6cz sorry I meant to update this, it was definitely a squirrel and it is definitely gone. Dark clothes and a BB gun. An added benefit is my edible garden is no longer being damaged.
Another viewer has recently told me that the Goodnature A18 Trap is now available in the US. '@Incognito But, good news for us. They just started selling them for the US market and I have mine on preorder for del in early April. Thanks for the video and reply!' All the best.
I'm watching your video love it as I have squirrels in my garden destroying it so I went to Walmart bought a ruger break barrel .22 max light I put them to sleep and redtail Hawks come for breakfast lunch or dinner.
Hi Sam, I like your style. I also shoot the squirrels when I get the time. I like to setup a feeder with whole raw peanuts sold as bird food. The squirrels sit up and take 20 seconds or more on each peanut. They get one free... I just sit with a soft mesh camo net over me and the squirrels never seem to spot me.
Hi Leanna, You do need to look behind the cute mask they wear to see these grey squirrels as the vicious predators that they really are. In the UK the invasive grey squirrels hunt birds nests to steal eggs and chicks. They also cause huge damage and often the demise to our native trees. I feed the squirrel carcasses to the local birds of prey,l foxes and badgers so they certainly don't go to waste. All the best.
@Guksu Hi, Many viewers in the USA have asked this question but it seems that the Goodnature A18 is not licensed for use in the US. If you read through the comments on this channel below you will see that other users in the US have reported that the very similar, but smaller, Goodnature A24 Rat Trap is also effective against squirrels. I don't have an A24 trap so can't speak from experience on this model. The A24 trap is readily available in North America. I suspect that the effectiveness of the A24 will depend on the size of the squirrels. Where I live in the SW of the UK the invasive grey squirrels, that were introduced from the USA less than 150 years, grow to a huge size. Here the greys enjoy a very mild climate and virtually unlimited food supplies from cattle, sheep and bird feeders. All the best.
Hi Paddy, The original hazlenut based bait supplied with the A18 trap did not work very well for me. I would encourage everyone to experiment to find the bait that your local squirrels really can't resist. So if you have say walnut trees locally then make some walnut paste and try that. Peanut butter and almond butter worked well for me but the best bait has been the new sweet hazlenut paste that Goodnature now sell. Another viewer has suggested adding a little chocolate spread to the mix and I will be giving that a go soon. All the best.
Hi Paddy, The A18 trap is operated by small high pressure CO2 cylinders. So it is similar to an air pistol but instead of a pellet it fires a captive bolt rather like a slaughterhouse gun. The squirrel receives a crushing blow to the head which kills it cleanly and it drops from the trap to the ground. The trap then automatically resets itself and is ready for the next squirrel to come along. The CO2 cylinder is capable of firing the trap 18 times before it needs to be replaced. Please see my earlier video on unboxing and setting up the A18 trap. This video has more information on how the trap operates and how to install it - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html All the best.
@@minktrappingpaddy Hi Paddy, I have only used the Goodnature branded cylinders so far but there are 16g screw thread cylinders available cheaper from other suppliers. Just make sure that the cylinders are 16g screw thread (and not the more common 12g cylinders with no thread that are used in pistols). I am not sure if the Goodnature cylinders contain anything other than just CO2 - they may have some lube in them. I will try to find out and if I get any info then I will post it here. For my CO2 pistols I only buy branded cylinders because the cheaper bulk buy cylinders available on Ebay are of unknown quality and may not be a real bargain after all if they don't have a full fill or contain contaminants such as moisture. If you do try other brands of 16g screw thread cylinder then I would suggest that you put a single tiny drop of pure silicone gun oil onto the end of the cylinder before inserting it into the trap. The silicone oil protects the seal and a tiny amount gets blown through the valve and lubricates it. This is what I do with my CO2 pistols. I am busy at the moment producing some reviews of the pistols which I will be putting up on this channel in the next day or so. All the best.
Hi, The A18 trap is powered by small high pressure CO2 cylinders. So it is similar to an air pistol but instead of a pellet it fires a captive bolt rather like a slaughterhouse gun. A nut based bait is inserted into a chamber in the top of the trap. When a squirrel enters the trap it touches a trigger wire that fires the trap. The squirrel receives a heavy blow to the head which kills it cleanly and it drops from the trap to the ground. The trap then automatically resets itself and is ready for the next squirrel to come along. Scavengers or birds of prey carry off the carcasses usually within a day. The cylinder is the standard 16g thread CO2 which are readily available and cheap. Each CO2 cylinder is capable of firing the trap 18 times before it needs to be replaced. Please see my earlier video on unboxing and setting up the A18 trap. This video has more information on how the trap operates and how to install it - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html All the best.
Hi, You would be surprised how many people sit through the bold warning message at the beginning of this video just so they can be outraged. I don't put my money and effort into reducing the number of invasive grey squirrels where I live in the UK for fun. I do it to save the trees which die after the squirrels strip the bark off them. I also want to support our native birds because the squirrels steal their eggs and chicks. Luckily I have a thick skin! All the best.
@@donaldbrown7715 Hi Donald, Yes - the grey squirrels do strip the bark from young tree in long strips. They use the bark to line their dreys. I see such squirrel damage on a daily basis. When large areas of bark are removed the young trees usually die. If the squirrels strip the bark from small branches on older tree then that branch dies. So please do a little research before you comment negatively on subjects with which you are unfamiliar. All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 wow,I just reread my earlier comment,and apparently,I felt like being an arsehole,for some reason. I think it was because...I had a hunting accident,to make a long story short,I have to inject myself with testosterone. Sometimes ,a day or two after an injection,my testosterone levels jump really high, and I'll say something rude like that without really noticing. So...u didnt deserve it, and I am man enough to apologize. I'm sorry man. :-)
I wish someone would post a link or an address to a source selling this device to U.S. residents. I spent an hour crawling the web and all I could find available was the smaller A24 trap. What's up with that?
Hi Roger, I have had many people from North America saying the same thing. Check through some of the comments below. A couple of UK sellers were selling these A18s on Ebay.com and they were able to ship them to US so I expect they will do so for Canada. Search for Good Nature A18. I contacted one of these sellers and they said that they couldn't ship the CO2 cylinders but they are readily available in the US. All the best.
Another viewer has recently told me that the Goodnature A18 Trap is now available in the US. '@Incognito But, good news for us. They just started selling them for the US market and I have mine on preorder for del in early April. Thanks for the video and reply!' All the best.
Hi Julien, A squirrel's tail really is a multi-tool. They use it for balance and as a rudder when making leaps from branch to branch. But even more importantly as a communication tool - a bit like semaphore signalling with flags. When several squirrels are within sight of each other they constantly communicate between them with flicks of the tail. All the best.
Hi Will, The smaller A24 Rat Trap is available in the US. Other viewers have told me that they have the A24 and that it is effective against squirrels. I don't own an A24 so I can't give any more detail. I guess it will come down to the size of your squirrels locally. All the best.
Another viewer has recently told me that the Goodnature A18 Trap is now available in the US. '@Incognito But, good news for us. They just started selling them for the US market and I have mine on preorder for del in early April. Thanks for the video and reply!' All the best.
Hi Marie, Many people, me included, are put off from cleaning squirrels because they find it a fiddly job and the skin can be difficult to remove. I recently found a video from a gentleman who shows how to skin, clean and cook squirrels - and he has it down to a pure art! Take a look at his demo here: ua-cam.com/video/qFitQn0W-Ns/v-deo.html All the best.
Hi, Yes, the squirrels continue to visit the trap even if there is another dead squirrel on the ground below. I have also noted that the squirrels aren't put off when I am static shooting at a peanut feeder. They occasionally check out dead comrades below the feeder before climbing up to feed. I have even seen them attack dead comrades below a feeder. With the A18 traps I rarely find dead squirrels when I visit the traps because scavengers such as foxes and birds of prey carry off the carcasses. All the best.
Another viewer has recently told me that the Goodnature A18 Trap is now available in the US. '@Incognito But, good news for us. They just started selling them for the US market and I have mine on preorder for del in early April. Thanks for the video and reply!' All the best.
Hello, I'm from an area of the world where these gray squirrels are actually supposed to live. I think the one hangup I have about all this, after reading some of the comments and responses, is whether there's an art to placement/bait/etc. that ensures you only get these to-you-invasive grays and not the native red squirrels caught up in it. Or are the red squirrels really THAT depleted in population from a century and a half of these gray ones squatting over there? You've mentioned some of the disease and competition issues, but the full scope of how quickly an invasive species can destroy the locals eludes me.
Hi Firuthi, Yes it is hard to believe but sadly it is true that the grey squirrels have driven the native red squirrels from virtually all of England. There are small populations of reds still in the far north and Scotland. There are some surviving on Brownsea Island near Poole where they are isolated from the mainland and are protected by wardens. So yes in less than 150 years an invasive species has completely displaced a native squirrel. As there are now no red squirrels left in the SW the A18 is licensed for use. I would of course love to see the greys eradicated but this is never going to happen without a major government backed initiative. I continue to do my bit to control the grey numbers in the hope of protecting the young trees that we plant and our local birds. All the best.
Red squirrels are extinct from most of southern & midland England & Wales. There’s only one pocket left on a constantly monitored & guarded island in a harbour in the South Coast. Greys have eradicated them, not because they physically attack reds or compete for food, but because they carry a (particularly hideous) virus to which they themselves are immune but which is lethal to reds within days of contact. If a grey appears in a red squirrel area, chances are that within a month or two no reds will have survived. So, yes, the population is not depleted but gone. When I was growing up the red squirrel was so common that a cartoon character called Tufty was the mascot of the campaign to educate children about road safety. I had never seen a grey. Now millions of children have only ever seen the UK’s own beautiful little native squirrel in the books of Beatrix Potter.
Hi, There isn't a consistent global market for these traps so availability depends where you live. I live in the UK and purchased my traps from: goodnaturetraps.co.uk/humane-squirrel-traps/
The A18 trap doesn't seem to be available in the USA. I believe that this is because of licensing issues where there is a population of protected red squirrels. However, the smaller A24 trap is available in the US - just search online for 'Goodnature A24' or 'Good Nature A24'. Another viewer has kindly posted the following info about his experience with the A24: Highwireformoney @Incognito Of the 30 confirmed, about half have been rats ,and half have been gray squirrel, in those 30, the counter shows about 80 times it was triggered, and I don't know if, or how many of those where kills or not, due to two factors, first we don't seem to have carry off by predator's, that I can confirm, and 2nd I have seen both squirrels and rats on my cameras shrug off the hit. sadly there has been some collateral damage, and a half complete...2 small birds, and one critically injured squirrel, that I was going to half to finish myself, but another squirrel attacked, killed, and ate that one right in front of me, before I could do anything about it. Our A24 has taken down some pretty big gray squirrels, and some scary big rats. I'm thinkin the A18 would do a better job with the squirrels not because it is more powerful but because its just easier for them to get into. But to be sure, the A24 works for squirrels, and way better than the other hundreds of dollars worth of stuff I have tried. The A 18 is not for sale in north America because of the endangered Red squirrel, ( and the blue tooth counter because of the FCC ). Some counties have a ban on commercial sale/ export to the US, and many seller resources including E bay conform to this. I have found an online seller in NZ that has them for $100 with free shipping, and their page accepts My US address so I am going to try them...I will let you know what happens.... I hope that this info helps. All the best!
Another viewer has recently told me that the Goodnature A18 Trap is now available in the US. '@Incognito But, good news for us. They just started selling them for the US market and I have mine on preorder for del in early April. Thanks for the video and reply!' All the best.
The squirrels are naturally cautious especially around new feeders and traps. This highlights the importance of using a bait that they are unable to resist. Eventually they will be drawn in by the tempting smell. Thwack. All the best.
@@psalmno.51COVID fucked me up, I survived all kinds of shit overseas got home in July of 2021 caught COVID not knowing all the damage done by blowing shit up (was a Combat Engineer) fancy name for dud who blows shit up. Anyway got COVID and had blood clots everywhere had a hemorrhagic stroke, died had brain surgery clot went to my brain and burst. I uses to make fun of the people wearing gloves and masks not anymore, 5 months in hospital and rehab cured that shit fast.
What is the difference between the A18 (shown here) and the A24 which is sold on Goodnature's website? The A18 doesn't seem to be on offer... why is that?
I have been asked this question several times and I did make earlier enquires with the UK website. From memory, I believe that the answer is that the A24 is licensed for use in the USA but the A18 is not licensed. In the UK the invasive Grey Squirrel has completely displaced the native Red Squirrels from whole swathes of the country. We can therefore deploy the A18 to cull the invasive greys without the possibility of inadvertently despatching any reds. All the best.
Apologies, I realise that I did not fully answer your query. I don't have a A24 trap but from what I have read and the reviews that I have seen on UA-cam the A24 is very similar to the A18 but it is physically smaller and less powerful. The A24 is primarily intended for controlling rat and mouse populations and it was I believe designed before the A18. All the best.
Another viewer just let me know that the A18 is now available to US buyers via Ebay.com. Two UK suppliers offer free shipping to the US. On Ebay.com just search for A18 Squirrel Trap and scroll down if necessary to the section Items from International Sellers. I would suggest that you contact the sellers through Ebay because one of them THWhiteLimited has told me that their courier cannot ship the CO2 gas cylinders by air mail - but the cylinders are readily available in the US anyway. See my other video on setting-up the A18 - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html I would recommend that you experiment with different baits to find what works best in your area. The bait supplied with the trap did not work very well for me. I have found that sweet hazlenut paste, peanut butter, almond paste all worked well. So well worth experimenting. All the best.
@@emmetthawkins5468 Hi Trey, I just searched on Ebay.com for Good Nature A18 and found 2 x UK sellers offering the A18. Try again and just search for the item number - 124119793427 or the other item number - 173700164639 Hope that this helps. All the best.
For those that are considering buying one and for those that have one but have had little or no success hopefully my experience will help you decide to buy one and use it effectively. I've had one for just over a month, the first kill was on the second day then a few days later another was caught. Then they all seem to ignore it for a couple of weeks until a few days ago where it trapped three in one day. It's all about patience and trial and error, find the right place and the right bait. Clean the bait holder only in fresh water and wear gloves to reduce any human scent left on the trap. Also I found not filling the bail holder completely helps, leave a little gap for the scent of the paste to mix with the air, that speeded up their interest. Consider it a long term investment, the price can seem high but not using poisons and killing them humanely makes it worthwhile as despite trying to discourage them and buy expensive Squirrel proof bird feeders that failed after a few months, for me the final straw was them raiding a Blackbird nest in our garden last spring. I'm also going to get the A24 soon as we also have a rodent problem. PS. I have no connection with Good Nature other than being a satisfied customer.
Hi, Well done with getting your counter clocking up! Your experience and feedback will hopefully help and encourage other viewers. On your point about part filling the bait basket - I would add that I press some of the bait through the basket mesh to form 10mm 'spaghetti' hangiing out of the bottom of the basket. When it is then installed in the trap the bait is hanging down to the trigger wire and putting out plenty of scent. I recommend trying different baits to find out what the local squirrels can't resist. Try adding a dash of Nutella. This was recommended to me by another viewer and it works. Smear a little bait on the tree directly under the trap to provide a scent trail to bring in the squirrels. I will heed your advice about wearing gloves. If you get any bait transferred on to the plastic top cap it could encourage the squirrels to chew through the top cap to get directly to the bait. This did happen to my first trap. I made a Ned Kelly style armour out of a baked bean can to go over the top of the trap but then GoodNature produced some metal covers and I got a couple of them for my traps. I recommend the covers because they protect the trap from the squirrels but they also help it to blend in to the woodland. The covers also protect the trap from the sun so the plastic will last much longer. The squirrel numbers will spike up here now that spring is upon us. I don't own an A24 but I am sure that they will work well given their GoodNature pedigree. Again I would definitely recommend Nutella for rats I don't have any connection with GoodNature other than as a satisfied customer. Their after sales customer service has also been good. All the best.
Why is there a warning in the beginning about this video being offensive to some people.??? This is hilarious and entertaining......I wish this video ran in a one hour loop so I could continuously watch it and laugh my ass off....🤣🤣🤣
Hi Jim, You would be surprised how many people sit through the warnings, watch the video and then complain that they don't like the squirrels being culled. Most often these people have no knowledge about the grey squirrel issue in the UK. So they have no understanding that I am attempting to control the numbers of these invasive pests which are destroying UK wildlife and trees. The greys were introduced to the UK from the USA less than 150 years ago but they have already driven our native red squirrels from most of England. The grey squirrels tear strips of bark from our trees which stunts or kills the trees. I put a lot of effort into planting hundreds of trees every year so these grey invaders have to go. All the best.
Hi Tom, I am sure that we would all prefer to be able to purchase these traps cheaper. But I also think that we need to be realistic and recognise that the research and development then the field trials of these traps must have required serious investment. The trap is well made I would expect many years of service. So yes they are pricey but like so much else in life you tend to get what you pay for. From my experience of operating 2 of these traps now for 18 months I can recommend them. All the best.
@@joanneshepard5694 Hi Joanne, It's confusing but there isn't a consistent global market for these traps. I live in the UK and bought my traps from goodnaturetraps.co.u¬k Other viewers have told me that the A18 is not available in USA and when I enquired at Goodnature I believe it is a licensing issue. Another viewer thought that they were available from www.automatictraps.com in North America but I have contacted them and they have no plans to introduce the A18 to their product line in the near future. I found that eBay.com had adverts from a couple of UK suppliers who can ship from UK to USA - search for 'Good Nature A18'. Contact the seller because they may not be able to send the CO2 gas cylinders, however, the cylinders are readily available in the US at the above supplier. All the best.
Hi Bernard, The squirrels don't get the chance to learn - they only make one trip into the trap! However, I strongly recommend fitting the metal cover to prevent them chewing on the outside of the trap. When I setup my first trap the squirrels chewed through the top cover to get to the bait directly. Prevention is better than cure - fit a metal cover. All the best.
Amen to that. I like to shoot too and yes I too use a target PCP air rifle because shot placement is vital and only head shots to the brain shots will produce a clean humane kill. I also have 2 of these A18 traps because I don't have time to shoot as often as I would like and the traps can be on duty 365 keeping the population under control. I want to limit the amount of damage the squirrels can do to young trees and the local wildlife. All the best.
For sure! And airguns are the best! Can't shoot as many of the squirrels as I'd like, though, or in all the spots they appear without alarming and/or endangering neighbors or their dogs or property. If I had to choose between no more squirrels and enough squirrels to shoot, I'd choose no more squirrels every time.
Hi Colin, Yes, some of the squirrels are very cautious. However, the results slowly count up and it is definitely worth operating these traps to keep the numbers in check. I now have 3 out in woodland strips. All the best.
I live in a heavily wooded area with many oaks, maples, pine etc. There are many squirrels but they never present a problem. I don’t understand why their numbers become so problematic for you guys. Maybe the local red tailed hawks here keep their numbers down and you lack similar squirrel predators. 🤷♂️
That is a good question and I suspect that you are right about lack of predators being one of the factors in the plaque of squirrels we have to contend with. Another factor is the warm winters in the SW of the UK which provides a long breeding season for the the squirrels. There is also virtually unlimited food sources - cereals and maize crop in the summer, cattle and sheep feeders, and bird feeders year round. Equals squirrel heaven. All the best.
Please see my earlier video on unboxing and setting up the A18 trap. This video has more information on how the trap operates and how to install it - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html
All the best.
@UCTl0_H51Vu671TGA_oLuIEQ Hi, I recognise that not everyone supports the culling of grey squirrels. Of course I respect the right of others to hold views that differ from my own. For this reason I put a very clear warning about the content at the beginning of the video.
The invasive grey squirrels were introduced to the UK from the USA less than 150 years ago. In the short time since those ill thought out introductions the greys have driven the native red squirrels from virtually all of England. The grey squirrels carry the squirrel pox to which they are immune but which is fatal to the native red squirrels that then suffer a horrible lingering death.
The greys also do untold damage to UK wildlife and to our trees. The greys strip the bark from young trees which often then die. On more mature trees the squirrels strip the bark from the branches up in the crown of the tree which leads to damage that over a period causes the decline and even demise of the trees. The greys predate on our native birds by hunting their nests to steal their eggs and chicks.
So yes they may be cute and innocent and it was man's interventions that have brought us to this sad position. However, with a huge effort we can reverse this invasion and reintroduce pockets of native red squirrels in reserves in England - see cornwallredsquirrels.co.uk/
So, in conclusion, I would invite everyone to do their own research on the grey squirrel issue in the UK.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 where can I purchase this trap from atlantahandymen@yahoo.com
@@markhinchberger7925 Hi Mark, Many viewers in the USA have asked this question but it seems that the A18 is not licensed for use in the US. If you read through the comments on this channel you will see that other users in the US have reported that the very similar, but smaller, Goodnature A24 trap that is aimed at rats is also effective against squirrels. I don't have an A24 trap so can't speak from experience on this model. The A24 trap is readily available in North America.
All the best.
@@markhinchberger7925 . goodnaturetraps.co.uk/shop/a18-grey-squirrel-sentry-kit/ seems expensive but I’ve had 16 kills in 5 weeks had the in my attic moves this around the garden fence a couple of times used peanut butter as lure and bird seed brilliant tool.
@@markhinchberger7925 get the metal cover as they will chew the product
Pile of buddies at the base of the tree, yet hazelnut is soooo good....
Squirrels are firmly in the "r" camp.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R/K_selection_theory
They don't really care about their buddies. Indeed, in some situations, a pile of dead squirrels on the ground will attract more.
Hawks and Foxes love the Squirrel feeder with a hint of hazelnut.
Yum yum
Love to see it!
@@puppetsock Yes,they aren't the brightest critters. But since they breed like rabbits,they will never go extinct.
@@mikedunn7795 They will be extinct because of the bobcats
This is so satisfying 🤤 I have squirrels chewing through my sprinkler heads and now my water bill is $250 a month we just got it all fixed for $5000 a year ago and they are eating ALL my fruit in my peach/pomegranate tree I’m done with these fuckers!!!
Hi Jaxxon, You have my sincere sympathy. Here in the UK the greys destroy our trees and our native birds. They do also strip the fruit and nuts before they are fully ripe and so deny other species the valuable food source.
Other viewers in the US have told me that the A18 is not available in the North America and I haven't been able to find a supplier. I believe it is a licensing issue because you have protected red squirrels too.
Here the greys grow very large because they have virtually unlimited food available from cattle, sheep and bird feeders. If your local squirrels are reasonably small you may find that the Goodnature A24 will be beneficial. Another viewer wrote a comment saying that he found his catch was 50/50 rats and squirrels.
if you have a airgun shooting club near youthen it could be worthwhile asking if shooters would like to visit your property to shoot the greys. If you provided a seed feeder and a hide about 20-30 yards away the shooters can sit in comfort and shoot the squirrels when they visit the feeder. Wheat in the feeder will bring the squirrels in but a handful of peanuts at the start of a shooting session will keep the squirrels still for 30 seconds as they consume their last nut...
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 kill them, all of them
@@speen9430 except the red ones
They destroy everything! Loathe them! I would celebrate each one I got!
@@Incognito1-1 us Americans find a shotgun works best for squirrels lmao
There are old Squirrels and bold Squirrels. There are no old, bold Squirrels.
Pilot?
I absolutely love watching this video - I see it to be perfect justice for all of the damage that these vermin cause....really brightened my day...!! Thanks....!
Hi Pat, I had a good day myself yesterday. I shot 2 in the morning then when I visited the 2 traps they had clocked up another 3 between them. Oh happy day...
I had to take urgent action with the gun because the greys were clambering over an owl box trying to drive the female tawny out so that they could rob the eggs.
All the best.
Me too! I had a company trap them and relocate and more just pop up I’m tired of being nice they damaged $5000 worth of sprinklers and now my water bill is $250 a month 🤬🤬🤬
@@jaxxon4972 Squirrels chewed into my attic and ate completely through 120V wires. We had to call an electrician to find and fix the damage and it could have easily caused a fire (they showed me several charred lengths of wire they replaced... pretty scary to see).
The other day one of the damn things literally tried to attack me three times in my yard, I don't know if it was rabid or just really territorial. The first two times he came at me from under my parked car I had to swat him away with a board, it barely scared him off. The third time he charged me I didn't have the board at ready, so when he came running at me full speed yet again I had no choice but to punt him with my boot. 😂 I swear this really happened although I can still barely believe it myself. I had no idea squirrels could be so aggressive and fearless.
At that point I was done playing. Out came the new pellet rifle I bought the day before specifically to hunt these little buggers. He was still trying to hang around my driveway acting aggressive so he got it right between the eyes from about six feet away. So satisfying...
Squirrels are destructive. Like any rodent their teeth never quit growing so they chew constantly. And if you have bird feeders....
@@rustyjeep2469 Hi, Several viewers have told me about squirrels damaging house wiring and nearly causing fires. Here a neighbour called me for help when squirrels were waking her daughter at first light because they were chewing on the wooden trim around the eves and dormer on her house.
All the best.
Didn't know they were as destructive as rats, so knowing how destructive rats are, and how much damage they did to my cars and other properties, and even when i consider squirells cute, i am glad you and others are doing this.
Look into damage to car wiring harnesses in North America each year. And squirrels being ADHD a**holes they will return to the same car AFTER it has been repaired and repeat the damage. My son is a mechanic at MAZDA. Same car done 4 times in 1 summer. Insurance refuses to cover repeat damage. Next let's talk wiring in attics. Number 1 cause of house fires starting in attics. Cute? Maybe. So are some hookers.
This is awesome. They destroy so much around here . I can watch this all day
Hi Theodore, Yes the grey squirrels are very destructive. It was less than 150 years ago when the grey was introduced to the UK from the USA. In that short time they have driven the native red squirrel from most of England and they have had a drastic impact on our trees and wildlife.
That is why I put so much effort into shooting and trapping these invasive pests.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 That's why I don't understand idiots who complain about this. Grey squirrels are the meanest, nastiest, most destructive vermin, right behind rats. They're AWFUL. It makes me happy seeing these invasive pests get what they deserve.
@@WobblesandBean Thanks for your understanding of the problem and support. Ii is nice to receive some positive comments.
All the best.
I was from the city and thought they were so cute, I moved to the country and soon learned to loathe those rodents. Turns out I'm pretty dang good at killing them with a pellet gun. I could write a book on how destructive they have been to our house. I could have had a nice down payment on a new car but instead I had to use it for repairs.
What do they destroy?
It does work exceedingly well. I had a very similar squirrel count; 7 in 5 days. Amazing result.
Got one of these six days ago and today the fifth squirrel was "despatched" as it is euphemistically phrased. Absolutely amazing device. I found there's a trick to getting the right amount of peanut butter on the tree and a dab on the back plate. Doesn't take long for them to take the bait then. Maybe we'll have a chance of some strawberries ripening now. The little bushy-tailed little *******s. You can only get away with so much looking super cute.
Well done and glad to hear that you have got good results straight out of the box. I admit that I struggled initially but once you have got the method sorted out these traps work amazingly well.
I am thinking of making another follow-up video to show my routine when I visit the traps to re-bait them. I always squeeze a little of the bait through the mesh of the bait basket so that it is hanging down inside the trap near to the trigger wire. This ensures that there is plenty of enticing aroma inside the trap. I always smear a bit of extra bait on the tree just under the entrance to the trap.
When the count stops going up I move the trap to a new site and go through the above baiting routine. For the first couple of days I also scatter a few chopped peanuts or sunflower hearts on the ground under the trap just to help them find it.
All the best.
Well done. I am glad that you have got straight off to a good start with your A18 trap. I have to admit that when I got my first trap, 18 months ago, I struggled at first but I persevered and tried different baits until count starting rising. There are very few squirrels now visible so that is a big reduction in numbers. I will keep the traps in action to prevent the numbers of squirrels rebounding.
I did reply earlier but UA-cam is still indicating that I haven't replied so not sure what happened there. Yes, smearing a little bait under the tree really helps to bring the squirrels over to the trap. JUST BE VERY CAREFUL AND KEEP YOUR FINGERS WELL AWAY FROM THE TRAP ENTRANCE !
All the best.
I love squirrel stew. This thing beats the hell out of a shotgun! Put a basket under it and you have something to carry your groceries home in.
Hi Rusty, You would have to be quick because other critters quickly carry away the dead squirrels from the ground under the trap. If you fitted a basket beneath the trap it would give you a fighting chance of enjoying a squirrel stew. I trap these invasive pests to protect the native birds and our trees.
All the best.
Lol sick!
@@karenhaupt4321 He's not kidding. Squirrel is eaten by the millions in the United States. It's actually quite good. Squirrel is one of the game animals that beginning hunters are first tought on, but are challenging enough to interest experienced hunters also, especially when the method of take is head shooting with a small caliber rifle.
Ain't eatin no tree rat.
Yeah these traps are fantastic, and well worth the price tag, since it is basically a self sufficient trap that resets and can end 18 squirrels. The one thing about these traps is how fast they end the pest. a seriously hard blow the the head, enough to crush the skull and kill the brain and it does it in less than a second, which is less time than it takes for the creature to even register what has happened. I still like doing this with my Rifle though, and I use ammo that hits so hard that the animal is dead in a very short time, plus all my shots are head shots and the Stingers are brutally fast moving ammo. Now if you do not want to shoot an animal yourself, this trap is your best friend.
@oculusangelicus8978, A grenade would work good.
@@4321grp The direct approach, I like it, but it's only good for the first time and the others run away, the cowardly things! There needs to be a more subtle solution, say a .22LR motion detecting minigun? But then again, you'd need a power source for the electric motor. Although you could make it out of DC current and then utilize the solar panel... LOL
Just got the A18 in the states. The A24 couldn’t handle these ginormous squirrels here locally. Luckily GoodNature is a great company and honored their warranty.
I am pleased that the Goodnature A18 is at last available in the US. For anyone purchasing the A18 I would suggest that the metal cover is also purchased to prevent squirrels chewing through the top of the trap.
All the best.
This is so satisfying to watch. I have squirrels in my wall and maintenance won't fix it and I can't reach it.
Hi Breana, Sorry to hear that the squirrels are giving you a hard time. Could you get a squirrel live trap are bait it with peanuts/peanut butter. Hopefully maintenance would block the entrance holes after you are able to temp the squirrels out into a trap. My experience has been that squirrels will readily enter the open wire traps and so are fairly easy to trap. You would then have to despatch the animal in the trap or take the trap out to a rural location to release it. In the UK it isn't legal to release grey squirrels. Hope that this info helps.
All the best.
Human - "How many licks does it take to the center of an A18 trap"
Squirrel - "one 💀"
I love this. Squirrels have chewed up my Solar System wires and have costed me big $$$$$ in repairs. I'm in !
Hi, Other viewers have commented that this A18 trap is now available in the USA.
All the best.
I must be sorta evil coz i absolutely love watching these videos
Humans are natural born killers
Nah, these things are assholes. They deserve it.
My understanding is that the grey squirrel is very destructive and invasive and reproduces so fast that basically becomes a problem for other species and habitat so it meeds to be controlled.
@@franciscoramirez4179 Hi Francisco, You are spot on. The grey squirrels were introduced to the UK from the USA less than 150 years ago. In the short period since the introductions the greys have had a disastrous affect on our native red squirrels which have been drive from virtually all of England. The greys carry the squirrel pox to which they are immune but which kills the reds in an agonising slow death. The greys are bigger and heavier than the reds and so can also out compete them for the available food supplies. There are a couple of projects underway that aim to clear the grey and reintroduce the red squirrels in small managed reserves.
The greys have also had a huge impact on our UK forests damaging and killing trees by stripping the bark. They also predate on our native birds hunting their nests to steal their eggs and chicks. This is the reason that I am trying to do my bit to limit the grey squirrel numbers where I live.
All the best.
These monsters will burn your house down. They chew on wires then arc and set your house on fire. Fire Marshall in my town says in most cases these monsters are the culprit. If you ever catch the news reporting a house fire that began in the attic, more than likely a squirrel started it.
Excluding all the squirrel deaths that looks like such a peaceful place to be at, listening to the birds sing while reading a nice book in the sun, absolutely heavenly 😌
Hi, Yes this is a beautiful place. With some regret with have to chose between our native birds, wildlife and trees versus the invasive albeit cute grey squirrel. I want to hear the birds sing so the grey squirrels have to go.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 i wish you the best as well ☺
Yes I would agree with incognito's comments below about Autumn. I shoot the little bar stewards in the spring but by autumn they get tricky to find. I own an ancient oak woodland in Worcestershire and the damage they do is appalling, so a couple of these 'A18' (aka Bofors 88mm Panzer AcAck Squirrel Killers) for me please. When one sees the increasingly rare and beautiful native red squirrel in the wild (e.g. Northumberland) it makes it all the more important to reduce the population of these aerial rodents - their numbers really do need to be reduced if a more diverse, balanced and healthy arboreal habitat is to be encouraged. The Greys are all I have in the wood and sadly no pine martins yet to predate them, which I would welcome. If they were native red squirrels they could east as many acorns, lawn, bark etc as they want to. Very useful video and thanks for the extra information and advice below.
Hi Johnny, It is very refreshing to read your well informed and considered comments. A nice change from the all too common hate mail. I am on a similar mission to yourself - to reinvigorate woodland strips. We plant huge numbers of trees (181 since Christmas) but all too often when the trees get to 5 years old and the plastic shelter tubes are removed the squirrels strip the bark and kill or at least stunt the trees development. The squirrels also have a huge impact on our native birds since they actively hunt their nests to steal their eggs and chicks. I therefore take great comfort from the fact that the squirrels culled by my A18 traps fall to the ground and provide welcome meals for our native wildlife. Several times last year I disturbed a buzzard near one of my traps as I visited it to check the count and refresh the bait. I don't think that this was a coincidence and I believe that the buzzard had learned that a free meal could be found under the trap.
When I can find the time in the spring I do shoot the squirrels on feeders and it is a good way to get large bags quickly. Whereas the A18 is more of a marathon than a sprint and just clocks up slowly and steadily throughout the year. Even in January mine have clocked up 3-4 each. So although these traps aren't cheap they are effective have made a visible difference to the numbers of greys here.
One other bit of good news is the ongoing research that aims to develop a birth control measure that can be fed to the greys to reduce the population but so far as I know this is still some years away. So keep up the good fight.
All the best.
I totally understand. Definitely get a couple. They have done some awful damage in my garden (of which I'm proud) and two of the traps have dispatched 15 of them in about 6 months. I have one attached to my 150 year old oak tree. I'm getting better with the traps now and refreshing the lure more regularly. I've also got a trail cam set up so that I can monitor their behaviour and adapt as necessary.
Dam that's quick and clean!
Yes, indeed. Nice and humane way to take out the invasive grey squirrels. The native wildlife have learned that they can often collect a tasty free meal from on the ground under the trap. The squirrel carcasses never go to waste. It is amazing that these traps can fire 18 times before the tiny 16g CO2 cylinder needs to be changed. I now have 3 of these traps in constant operation and I highly recommend them.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 Why just not one trap?
It’s like having someone do your grocery shopping for you lol
LOL - nice to see a genuinely humorous comment that doesn't involve me having to put any of my appendages into the trap!
hold up
Good ol squirrel and gravy!
Great video. The box seems to intimidate them. Maybe a plastic window on one side. Ground squirrels probably less skittish about the dark tunnel element than tree squirrels.
Hi, When I first started using the A18 and I wasn't having much success I also was thinking about a glass bait basket cover to allow some light into the tunnel. However, I pretty quickly realised that the choice of bait is more important. If you put the bait that the greys really want then they are willing to overcome their reservations and stick their head right in. I have found that squeezing a lit bait through the mesh so that the tempting strands of hazlenut paste are hanging down on the trigger wire provides plenty of scent to draw in the squirrels. Bingo.
To see the trap without the metal cover please see my earlier video on unboxing and setting up the A18 trap. This video has more information on how the trap operates and how to install it - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html
All the best.
No the dark hole bit doesn’t bother them at all, after all they live in holes in the trees sometimes. My first one worked straight away with hazelnut lure. I got 12 in one week and then I changed the bait to an almond paste and again success. You can make your own bait up, so easy. They won’t work in any position or situation. I’m a professional pest controller and I use them mainly in woodland where the dead ones get predated upon.
Squirrel meat is good eating, though you really need several squirrels to make a meal. Squirrel stew is good.
Smothered,southern style is good too. Pot pies, fried, lots of ways to cook squirrels.
water people
You better eat bats
Yummy, tree rat for dinner.....
There have been known cases of Madcow from eating them, here in Kentucky.
If you eat squirrels that thing can feed the dang family haha
Hi Jimmy, You would have to get in quick - I find that the squirrel carcasses are quickly carried away from under the trap by foxes, buzzards and other predators. A couple of years ago I kept noticing a buzzard flying off as I approached a trap to check the bait and the count. After this had happened 3 times I realised that the buzzard was also visiting the trap or even waiting at the trap to see if an easy meal was available. Smart bird.
All the best.
Hazelnut.... to die for
Did any squirrels go for the trap after seeing an already dead one on the bottom or are they smart enough to know something’s up?
Definitely need one of these! Been using a blow gun but I can’t stay outside all day long and wait for them, so I miss a lot.
Hi Max, I totally agree with your assessment - the best bit about these Good-nature traps is that they are automatic and on duty 24/7/365 with only minimal maintenance needed. Provided that users visit the trap regularly to replenish the bait basket and check the strike counter and change the CO2 after the trap has fired 18 times.
If you are shooting from a hide at a peanut feeder then you can often rack up a big bag quickly. These A18 traps keep up a trickle of culls on a continuous basis so keep the squirrel numbers down.
All the best.
We bought our property in 1987 and it was a bare cow pasture with not a rabbit or squirrel to be seen. 35 years later, we have been growing nut trees, and squirrels have been raising families on us. Besides the theft and consumption of our crop, they bury nuts that may contain weevil larvae or have other issues that won't get looked at because they are gone.
A few years back, I tilled up about a 10 x 20 spot near one of my nut fields. When I came back later to remove the soil (for use elsewhere and to direct waterflow) I found chestnuts planted at nearly the rate of 1 per square foot in that loose soil.
When the trap has prevented the theft of 347 chestnuts, will have have paid for it.
(13.33 lbs) $15.00 lb/ 26 to the pound.
Hi, I do feel for you. Suffering this damage after all your years of hard work to produce nuts must be heart breaking. I feel the same way when I see the invasive grey squirrels here in the UK damaging/killing the tree saplings that I plant.
Unfortunately, this A18 trap is not licensed for use in the US and other viewers have told me that it is not on sale in North America. Some people have commented that the very similar but smaller Goodnature A24 rat trap (which is on sale in the US) is also effective against small squirrels. I don't have an A24 so I can't offer confirmation.
If you have the time available then I would suggest that you try to control the squirrel numbers by shooting. A PCP air rifle with a moderator fitted is virtually silent. Shooting from a hide at squirrels on a feeder can produce big bags of squirrels. While the squirrels eat nuts on the feeder these, normally jittery, creatures actually sit still allowing the shooter to place a pellet between the base of the ear and the eye leading to a rapid humane death. Alternatively, you could advertise for keen hunters in your area to come to your property to cull the squirrels.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 But, good news for us. They just started selling them for the US market and I have mine on preorder for del in early April. Thanks for the video and reply!
@@Qingeaton Hi, Yes, good news indeed. The availability of the A18 in the US market will make many people happy.
Please let me know how you get on with the A18. I have previously emphasised the need for the trap user to play their part but it is worth reminding everyone that the trap isn't a magic bullet that can simply be deployed to gain instant success. The key tips I would offer are:
a) Carefully choose the site for the A18 where the squirrels regularly pass by and will discover the trap quickly. If you don't get success within a couple of weeks then be prepared to move the trap to a new position.
b) Experiment with a variety of baits until you find the one that the squirrels simply can't resist. Here I find that hazlenut based paste works well. I sometimes also add a little Nutella hazlenut and chocolate paste. In your case I would suggest making a paste from whichever nuts the squirrel are raiding at the time. Peanut butter is also a reliable choice. I have also used almond butter with success.
c) Smear a little of the bait on the tree directly below the trap to provide even more scent to draw the squirrels in towards the trap. Hopefully they will then explore into the trap...
d) Purchase the metal cover that fits over the trap - this will protect your investment. The cover prevents the squirrels getting to the bait directly by chewing through the plastic cover of the bait basket. The cover also protects the trap from exposure to the UV in sunlight and protects the plastics.
e) Wear a pair of disposable plastic gloves when handling the trap, baiting it and checking the counter to make sure that you don't impart a human scent that could deter the squirrels from entering the trap.
f) When putting bait into the bait basket push a little through the mesh to form short dangling strands to ensure that it creates an irresistible scent inside the trap...
g) Monitor the trap regularly to check the counter and replenish the bait. If you have a trail camera then it is well worth setting it up to observe the trap and watch the squirrels behaviour. You will then be aware if the squirrels are being drawn in to the area but are for some reason hesitant to put their head deep enough into the trap to trigger it.
h) Obvious I know but worth saying never put a finger into the trap - it won't end well. If you repeatedly observe squirrels putting their head well into the trap but it not firing then try changing the CO2 cylinder. Always change the cylinder after the trap has fired 18 times. If the trap still isn't triggered then be careful about triggering the trap using something like a stick because it can damage the mechanism because the piston/bolt is over extended since there isn't a squirrel's head in the way to slow down the bolt. I have used a cane with a tough foam sleeve wrapped with several turns of gaffer tape to trigger the trap - but best avoided.
i) Above all adopt positive mental attitude and keep making changes until you get a successful string of kills.
All the best.
Squirrels tore up my roof so I'm loving this video 👍
Hi James, The grey squirrels are a destructive invasive pest here in the UK. They destroy so many young trees by stripping the bark. Last year a neighbour asked me for help when squirrels were chewing on the boards around her roof trying to find a way in. A combination of trapping and shooting quickly reduced the numbers and the problem stopped. Unfortunately the squirrel numbers bounce back quickly because there is virtually unlimited food available to them from the cattle, sheep and bird feeders - combine this with the mild climate here in the SW of the UK and you have a squirrel production line. I now run 2 x A18 traps and this help keep the numbers under some control.
All the best
@@Incognito1-1 WOW!!!
So beautiful, isn't it? The sharp click, right in the skull leaving the thighs intact for a crunchy, savoury, and hearty pot pie.
That definitely was a nut cracker an I'm not talking about hazelnuts. Them tree rat's couldn't resist the hazelnut. ✌️
“oh i love hazelnut so much.”
“mm, this is good!”
“Thanks, pers-
*trap goes off*
Damn that's brutal but I understand. Little bastards always chewing up my bird feeders. 🐿
Hi Karen, These traps certainly are powerful but of course the squirrels are tough and it is important to have enough energy to ensure a clean humane kill. Yes the greys wreck my feeders too. They are taking the bird's food and they raid their nests of the eggs and chicks. These invasive pests are having a huge effect on UK wildlife and trees so we have to control their numbers.
All the best.
Lol Karen,I thought u were gonna complain more about the " brutality of it" ,but then u changed course n went into " those lil Bastards", omg, you've got sand, lady. Too cool.
@@donaldbrown7715 well it is a bit harsh but I guess its necessary. I do love em though. Hope you got a chuckle out of it. We all need a good laugh.🙃
@@karensowers48 oh yes mam, actually I'm rather impressed with you. I hope u have a great day.
as of today, apparently 79 people were too stupid to read the disclaimer in the video telling them not to watch.
Omg! I'm appalled at seeing squirrels killed! Who can I report this to? Lol
Make that 122
I wonder why youtube rides Shawn's back so hard about the content of his videos,when I have seen videos of different mousetraps in action, and pretty gruesome, but youtube never took those down.
Hell I could provide links,but I dont think Shawn would like that.
And I think Shawn is a pretty good fellow.
@@fkyew this ,coming from someone who obviously read,and most likely searched out,every single person who complained about it being gory or whatever.
Dude u couldnt just take your own advice & not read them? Of course you coukdnt,yiu came here SPECIFICALLY to rant.
Honestly,nothing on this video bothers me, but clearly something in your life bothers you ,that why u had to come here and look for something to blow off steam with.
Geez,I really hope your life gets better
@@fkyew Or maybe they just wanted a properly edited version of the video that cuts out all the wasted footage. I know I do.
Brilliant devices that are quick and effective. If I were a country landowner trying to maintain precious woodland, I’d have a few of these around, and wild foxes would take the dead ones away!
Hi, Yes you are exactly right. I operate 2 of these automatic traps and it is very rare to find a dead squirrel under the trap because they are carried away by scavengers very quickly. Last year I kept seeing a buzzard fly off as I entered a small woodland strip to check on an A18 trap. It happened too many times to just be a coincidence and I am convinced that the buzzard had learned that a free meal could often be found under the trap. At the moment I have one trap near to an owl box that has tawny owls nesting in it. When I got my first peep into the box via an endoscope camera I could see a whole egg and some broken shell. A trail camera has revealed that, as I have seen on previous occasions, the grey squirrels are constantly clambering over and peeping into the box desperate to drive out the female and get at the eggs. I immediately shot 2 greys and the trap quickly accounted for another 2 so the owls got a bit of relief - but the trail camera shows that other greys are still visiting the box. Fingers crossed for the owls that I, or the trap, can get the greys before they can do more damage. The second A18 is in a different small woodland to protect the 200+ new tree saplings that have just been planted.
All the best.
That would be a waste of food butr hole
@Incognito That's one of the neat perks-no poisons, so the critters higher on the food chain get some freebies, and less cleanup!
Lol. Just what exactly does a squirrel do to damage woodland?
@@briansefring4981 the grey squirrel is an invasive species in the UK and in other places ,, they will out compete native species , and they also will destroy nesting birds eggs and eat their hatchlings ,,and they are also very destructive ,they chew on sapling trees killing them , they can also severely damage personal property ,,a squirrel can chew through almost anything including wire mesh and thin sheet metal ,,i live in the USA and we have red squirrels here and they are worse than greys if there are a lot of them ,, i live on a farm and we have no squirrel problems becausei have a dog and many outdoor cats
I love these little critters but, they've gotten in my attic. And now I have to get rid of them there's too many of them. I'm making my own pneumatic trap inspired by this $250-$300 trap. I think I'll spend around $10 for a 12v dc solenoid valve. The rest I can get from my scrap bin. Thanks for posting.
Hi Pete, Sorry to hear that you have squirrels in your attic. You are right to take action - the squirrels can do a lot of damage including to the electrics.
Hats off to you if do manage to build your own pneumatic trap. Please let me know how you get on. A simple cage trap can also be very effective but of course you have to check the trap every few hours to ensure that any live trapped squirrels are humanely despatched quickly.
All the best.
Ya so...having the same thought, I've got some 1" stroke cylinders, mini valves, a lathe, a mill and too many trying to get into my attic. Did you ever build anything?
Awesome video brings joy to my heart to see these FKRs pay 😀😊😁😃😀😊
4:18 hes contemplating if he should go looking at us for answers as to why his family and friends were slaughtered.
Hi, I trap the invasive grey squirrels to protect our native birds and trees. The grey squirrels actively hunt the nests to steal the eggs and chicks. The trees are damage and killed by the squirrels strips the bark from the trunks of young trees and from the branches up in the canopy of more mature trees. The grey squirrels are a destructive invasive pest and I make no apology for controlling their numbers using humane methods.
All the best.
This guy got a few million squirrels in his yard.
Hi, There are far fewer squirrels around now...
All the best.
Chances are the neighbours are feeding them thinking they are cute not knowing the kind of damage they can do
@@CrashtestDaddy502
I think one of my neighbors is busing them in from some other neighborhood
but I can't prove it.
The scenery is so pretty and the sound of nature.
the best part is the dispatching
So if you like nature, why be brutal towards squirrels?
Wish every one of my trees had a trap on it.
Seriously, most people don't know the damage large groups of squirrel can cause. They can rip apart your home quite quickly, among other things. Also? If I had this I'd be eating squirrel so damn often and I LOVE squirrel.
They cost me 100s on my new sprinkler system that we fixed for $5000 and they rape my fruit trees. I’d be ok if they didn’t eat them all but no!! They eat EVERYTHING AND DAMAGE EVERYTHING. Only good squirrel is a dead one.
So how does it work? Sounds like an airgun of sorts, does it fire a dart?
Hi Malsy, The A18 trap is operated by small high pressure CO2 cylinders. So it is similar to an air pistol but instead of a pellet it fires a captive bolt rather like a slaughterhouse gun. The squirrel receives a heavy blow to the head which kills it cleanly and it drops from the trap to the ground. The trap then automatically resets itself and is ready for the next squirrel to come along. The CO2 cylinder is capable of firing the trap 18 times before it needs to be replaced.
Please see my earlier video on unboxing and setting up the A18 trap. This video has more information on how the trap operates and how to install it - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html
All the best.
Looks like exactly what I need, however I have searched for a few days without success. Any idea how I could get my hands on one of these in the USA?
Hi Chris, Many viewers in the USA have asked this question but it seems that the Goodnature A18 is not licensed for use in the US. If you read through the comments on this channel below you will see that other users in the US have reported that the very similar, but smaller, Goodnature A24 Rat Trap is also effective against squirrels. I don't have an A24 trap so can't speak from experience on this model. The Goodnature A24 trap is readily available in North America.
I suspect that the effectiveness of the A24 will depend on the size of the squirrels. Where I live in the SW of the UK the invasive grey squirrels, that were introduced from the USA less than 150 years, grow to a huge size. Here the greys enjoy a very mild climate and virtually unlimited food supplies from cattle, sheep and bird feeders.
All the best.
Now available in the USA!! WooHoo!
How does it kill the squirrels, with a small dart or air? Wickedly effective trap!
Hi Sara, The A18 trap is operated by small high pressure CO2 cylinders. So it is similar to an air pistol but instead of a pellet it fires a captive bolt rather like a slaughterhouse gun. The squirrel receives a heavy blow to the head which kills it cleanly and it drops from the trap to the ground. The trap then automatically resets itself and is ready for the next squirrel to come along. The CO2 cylinder is capable of firing the trap 18 times before it needs to be replaced.
Please see my earlier video on unboxing and setting up the A18 trap. This video has more information on how the trap operates and how to install it - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html
All the best.
An idyllic spring day....the delicate scent of hazelnut paste fills the air....
Wow! and to think that I have been using a 22 LR all these years. Battered and fried in butter. Mmm good.
Hi Derf, The squirrels drop from the trap dead and usually they are very quickly taken away by scavengers such corvids, birds of prey, foxes, badgers etc. I shoot them too but use a 12ftlb PCP air rifle in 0.177 calibre. I shoot them on feeders while they enjoy a last peanut. Head shots only and preferably with JSB Hades pellets - they rarely need a follow-up shot. My best day ever was 14 in the morning and a further 4 in the afternoon all from the same feeder.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 do you eat them?
Tasty rifle!
Go on, buddy…
Try it out…
It is enlightening…
It’s uplifting…
It’s…. Nirvana….
A whole new world will open up to you….
As a person with a moderate Nutella addiction I can see my hand getting totally broken being around one of these traps.
😂
Beautiful
There must be a pile of them under the tree!
Hi, Actually it is quite rare to find the culled squirrels under the trap. Scavengers such as birds of prey, foxes, badgers etc very quickly carry away the corpses. Last summer I noticed that a buzzard flew away as I entered a small woodland to check on the trap. After this happened several times it dawned on me that the buzzard had learned that there was sometimes a tasty free meal to be found under the A18 trap so I think that the buzzard visited the trap regularly.
All the best.
Hi everyone, I just wanted to share some information provided by another viewer about the new hazlenut lure/bait which will be of particular interest to UK viewers:
excitedofharpenden Harpenden • 1 hour ago (edited)
@Incognito just a little more info for your video. Goodnature rang me today as I'd emailed them with regard to the reduced size of the lure I'd received with the trap. Apparently they are now using a second generation lure. The first one in the larger pouch was made in New Zealand. After receiving mixed reviews of it they now make it here in house in the UK. And it's supplied in a smaller pouch, but is said to be stronger and a better attractant. The traps are now supplied wth a pouch of 125g. You can also buy these online for £9 or they are also available in 200g size. It's expensive stuff! They were really helpful and will send me a 200g pouch free of charge so I'll see how I get on. Kudos for Goodnature's customer service. Just thought you and others might like to know.
Hi Incognito. Just an update. The lure is working very well and I'm now up to 8 or 9 dispatched, but young were born later in the summer, so there are still a few around. I'm hoping for frozen ground during the winter making it harder to get to their food store (my garden!) and will try for the glorious smell of hazelnut!
Goodnature continue to impress me with their response. The lure is not yet on their website as of writing this so you have to email them, but they are very good at coming back to you.
The hazelnut lure is expensive. I tried peanut butter and almond butter at your suggestion, but the hazelnut seems to have a more alluring scent to them.
Keep up the good work 👍
@@dellara100 Hi, Thanks for your feedback. Your experience of squirrel behaviour through the autumn mirrors what I have experienced here in Devon, UK. The glut of natural food at the end of summer and in autumn means that the squirrels aren't drawn to the traps so easily. And yes the numbers that I see here now has increased a little. The winters here are generally very mild so I think that the greys may continue breeding. We always get an explosion in the numbers in February onwards.
The sweet hazlenut paste still remains the best bait here. One viewer has suggested adding a dash of chocolate sauce to the mix. I will be giving that a try. I have had an idea, based on the old TV cat food adverts, to set-up the trail camera to view a 'tasting board' on which I will place blobs of several baits and then review the footage to see if they show a preference for particularly baits.
The main learning point for us all is that we need to keep up our efforts to control the numbers of grey squirrels because their numbers bounce back so quickly when we slack off.
All the best.
Is the new lure in clear pouches?, I've just received my A18 and it's come with a clear pouch.
@@rodneymunch9545Hi, I am not sure what lure is supplied as standard with the A18 these days. When I bought mine back in 2019 the lure was in a pouch. I have to say that it wasn't very effective here in SW UK. The latest bait that I have got from Goodnature was supplied in small round clear plastic tubs. This bait is a sweet hazlenut paste the colour of digestive biscuits and it is brilliantly effective. I have always recommended that people experiment to find the bait that the local squirrels really want and can't resist. Try peanut butter, almond butter and a dab of Nutella. I always smear some of the bait on the tree under the trap to provide a good scent trail that draws the greys in. When you load the bait basket press down on it to squeeze10mm long strands through the sieve end before putting the bait basket into the trap. This puts some bait just on the inside of the trigger wire and provides lots of enticing scent inside the trap.
If you haven't bought a metal cover then I would recommend that you consider doing so. The greys chewed through the top cap on one of my traps to get to the bait direct. I made a Ned Kelly style cover out of a baked bean can as a temporary solution but have since got the official Goodnature covers on both of mine.
Let me know how you get on with your trap.
All the best.
@@rodneymunch9545 , yes, it's in a clear pouch. I ordered some more and they sent me the wrong size (125g instead of 200g). There is no label so you have no way of knowing. It was only because of my previous experience I spotted this. Anyway, as always the company were very helpful and are sending me some more arriving tomorrow, no charge. The labels are on order, but with covid they aren't sure when they will get them.
Have you been around to monitor the effectiveness of the despatching. I have one of these and on more than one occasion I have had to go out and 'finish the job' to stop any further suffering.
Hi Jonathon, I share your concern and I do my very best to avoid anything other than a responsible humane cull. It is important to use one of the Goodnature counters with the A18 so that you can monitor the number of times that the trap has fired. When the CO2 cylinder pressure falls the trap may not be able to deliver a sufficiently forceful blow. So it is important to change the CO2 cylinder when the count reaches 18. If you want to be doubly sure then change the cylinder even before the count reaches 18.
I also recommend test firing the trap regularly to make sure that it is firing correctly. Take a long thing twig and insert it into the trap MAKING SURE THAT YOUR FINGERS DO NOT ENTER THE TRAP. When the end of the stick touches the trigger wire the trap should fire with a THACK that snaps the twig.
All the best.
No need, the trap is very effective
Its refreshing to see that least you give a damn. Alot of people in the comments are talking about how" fun" it is to use this trap, or " fun" to kill the squirrels with a pellet rifle.
I grew up hunting, because WE NEEDED THE MEAT from deer,wild hoggs,bear,squirrels,etc.
But there is never any joy in taking any form of life for me. ..
Plus people shooting the squirrels n not even using the meat,it just breaks every hunter "" rule of ethics" that I was ever taught
I could watch this all day! Where I live, we have fox squirrels, which are quite a bit larger than the gray squirrels. I wonder if this trap could dispatch them.
Hi, I am not familiar with the fox squirrels. The Good-nature A18 trap is not available in the US or Canada due to licensing issues other viewers have told me.
All the best.
How much bigger are their heads?
THE GREATEST NUT NEVER CRACKED
TGSD
ABERDEEN: THE LAST BATTLE
The work going on in the Aberdeen area to eradicate the grey squirrels is very heartening. This success shows that where there is the will positive change can happen. I can only imagine the joy of seeing red squirrels again inside the city of Aberdeen.
All the best.
Keep this channel a secret
Hi. I wonder if you can tell me what size of pouch the hazelnut lure was enclosed when you bought it? Many thanks.
Hi Yes - the pouch of hazlenut lure (bait) is 250g (which is just under 9oz). I personally didn't get great results with the supplied bait so I always recommend that new users experiment with different baits to find the best bait for your local squirrels. Peanut butter, almond butter and hazlenut paste all work well - but sweet hazlenut paste seems to work best here.
See my earlier video of unboxing, setting up and installing the A18 - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html
All the best.
Incognito, thank you very much for your reply. I've just bought one based on your video amongst others. I've been plagued by these pests doing damage to my garden including bark stripping of a beautiful tree that losr its first limb in the wind last week just above a bark stripped area. Situation not helped by an obsessive squirrel feeding neighbour. It's caught two so far since the weekend. :)
The reason I asked about the lure is that I received a very small see through pouch with it which doesn't look like the one in your video or others and is now nearly finished. I've found the very same available online and it's 125g. Very misleading and I intend to take this up with them.
The squirrels have been causing me a lot of stress as the tree is of particular sentimental value. A verbal request to the neighbour to stop has achieved nothing so I'm hoping this is the solution. Thanks once again for your video info and reply.
@@dellara100 Hi, Glad to hear that you have got off to a good start with your new trap. Do try other baits. Peanut butter is generally very good. Lidl sells jars of Almond butter that was also successful. Remember to keep putting a little bait (several baked bean size blobs) on the tree under the trap to provide a good scent trail that draws the squirrels in. They lick it off so you do need to keep reapplying it.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 You're a star. Thanks so much for the hints! There's a camera down there now. They were getting close yesterday, but no cigar. Yet!
@Incognito just a little more info for your video. Goodnature rang me today as I'd emailed them with regard to the reduced size of the lure I'd received with the trap. Apparently they are now using a second generation lure. The first one in the larger pouch was made in New Zealand. After receiving mixed reviews of it they now make it here in house in the UK. And it's supplied in a smaller pouch, but is said to be stronger and a better attractant. The traps are now supplied wth a pouch of 125g. You can also buy these online for £9 or they are also available in 200g size. It's expensive stuff! They were really helpful and will send me a 200g pouch free of charge so I'll see how I get on. Kudos for Goodnature's customer service. Just thought you and others might like to know.
Cool you can Squirrels stew for the whole week.
Shot in the dark and you're to blame
you give hazelnut a bad name
It's the A18 and it does work
And boy oh boy does my head hurt
Ha Ha - this is the first music based reply I've had (and I have had plenty of odd ones!!).
All the best.
@@MartinHealy , I had 2 but I didn't think people would get the other one right away ,
I see trees of green
I smell hazelnut too
There is plenty for me and some for
you
And I think to myself , my head hurts Woohoo
@@MartinHealy , And you should hear my squirrel problem , that's where I came up with the songs ,
All because of a Hickory nut Tree
I have a squirrel in attic that has been keeping me up at night and driving me nuts! THIS WILL BE MY REVENGE (insert Pinky & the Brain evil laugh) 😇
Hi Tim, Another approach that you could take is to deploy a wire live trap in your attic. The downside is that you will have to keep visiting the trap every few hours for the welfare of any squirrels that have been caught. You then of course have the unenvious task of despatching the squirrel in the trap. In the UK it is illegal to release a grey squirrel from a live trap.
All the best.
FYI, a grey squirrel will die in 12 hours if deprived of food and water. I generally take the wire live trap with squirrel to my garage where I have a pellet gun. I curse at him in Russian, then shoot in head. Much more humane.
@@ScrtAznMn LMAO that gave me a chuckle thanks bud
@@ScrtAznMn ur my hero l
@@tony-lx6cz sorry I meant to update this, it was definitely a squirrel and it is definitely gone. Dark clothes and a BB gun. An added benefit is my edible garden is no longer being damaged.
I wish you would post where to get this thing I'd love to have a few of them
Another viewer has recently told me that the Goodnature A18 Trap is now available in the US.
'@Incognito But, good news for us. They just started selling them for the US market and I have mine on preorder for del in early April. Thanks for the video and reply!'
All the best.
Holy hell. Nifty doesn't cost so much.
I'm watching your video love it as I have squirrels in my garden destroying it so I went to Walmart bought a ruger break barrel .22 max light I put them to sleep and redtail Hawks come for breakfast lunch or dinner.
Hi Sam, I like your style. I also shoot the squirrels when I get the time. I like to setup a feeder with whole raw peanuts sold as bird food. The squirrels sit up and take 20 seconds or more on each peanut. They get one free...
I just sit with a soft mesh camo net over me and the squirrels never seem to spot me.
These are the fun videos I love to watch
One taste of the hazelnut spread is enough.
It must be very filling...
Cute!I hope you sell them to a taxidermist,I never realised there were so many,at least they died reasonably happy x
Hi Leanna, You do need to look behind the cute mask they wear to see these grey squirrels as the vicious predators that they really are. In the UK the invasive grey squirrels hunt birds nests to steal eggs and chicks. They also cause huge damage and often the demise to our native trees.
I feed the squirrel carcasses to the local birds of prey,l foxes and badgers so they certainly don't go to waste.
All the best.
Wow, it deflates their heads.. Ingenuous!
Squirrel #2;
"Why do I smell squirrel brains?"
These traps stay clean. The captive bolt crushes the skull but doesn't make a mess.
All the best.
Not a squirrel fan. No videographers were hurt in the making of this film.
Man I would buy this in a second if it was available for sale in the US.
@Guksu Hi, Many viewers in the USA have asked this question but it seems that the Goodnature A18 is not licensed for use in the US. If you read through the comments on this channel below you will see that other users in the US have reported that the very similar, but smaller, Goodnature A24 Rat Trap is also effective against squirrels. I don't have an A24 trap so can't speak from experience on this model. The A24 trap is readily available in North America.
I suspect that the effectiveness of the A24 will depend on the size of the squirrels. Where I live in the SW of the UK the invasive grey squirrels, that were introduced from the USA less than 150 years, grow to a huge size. Here the greys enjoy a very mild climate and virtually unlimited food supplies from cattle, sheep and bird feeders.
All the best.
They are now available in the U.S.
Impressive looking trap lad. Can you use any type bait or just specific baits made for the trap?
Hi Paddy, The original hazlenut based bait supplied with the A18 trap did not work very well for me. I would encourage everyone to experiment to find the bait that your local squirrels really can't resist. So if you have say walnut trees locally then make some walnut paste and try that. Peanut butter and almond butter worked well for me but the best bait has been the new sweet hazlenut paste that Goodnature now sell. Another viewer has suggested adding a little chocolate spread to the mix and I will be giving that a go soon.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 Cheers! Thanks for the info👍
Hi Paddy, The A18 trap is operated by small high pressure CO2 cylinders. So it is similar to an air pistol but instead of a pellet it fires a captive bolt rather like a slaughterhouse gun. The squirrel receives a crushing blow to the head which kills it cleanly and it drops from the trap to the ground. The trap then automatically resets itself and is ready for the next squirrel to come along. The CO2 cylinder is capable of firing the trap 18 times before it needs to be replaced.
Please see my earlier video on unboxing and setting up the A18 trap. This video has more information on how the trap operates and how to install it - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 Cheers! Can you use other CO2 cartridges apart from the goodnature ones, or only Goodnature cartridges?
@@minktrappingpaddy Hi Paddy, I have only used the Goodnature branded cylinders so far but there are 16g screw thread cylinders available cheaper from other suppliers. Just make sure that the cylinders are 16g screw thread (and not the more common 12g cylinders with no thread that are used in pistols). I am not sure if the Goodnature cylinders contain anything other than just CO2 - they may have some lube in them. I will try to find out and if I get any info then I will post it here.
For my CO2 pistols I only buy branded cylinders because the cheaper bulk buy cylinders available on Ebay are of unknown quality and may not be a real bargain after all if they don't have a full fill or contain contaminants such as moisture. If you do try other brands of 16g screw thread cylinder then I would suggest that you put a single tiny drop of pure silicone gun oil onto the end of the cylinder before inserting it into the trap. The silicone oil protects the seal and a tiny amount gets blown through the valve and lubricates it. This is what I do with my CO2 pistols. I am busy at the moment producing some reviews of the pistols which I will be putting up on this channel in the next day or so.
All the best.
Pecans and macadamias'll fetch the little barstids,avocados too, let me tell ya!!
How exactly does it kill them? I'm intrigued.
compressed air fires a rod down in to head and crushers it killing instantly
@@bobcatman3844 that's brutal
Hi, The A18 trap is powered by small high pressure CO2 cylinders. So it is similar to an air pistol but instead of a pellet it fires a captive bolt rather like a slaughterhouse gun. A nut based bait is inserted into a chamber in the top of the trap. When a squirrel enters the trap it touches a trigger wire that fires the trap. The squirrel receives a heavy blow to the head which kills it cleanly and it drops from the trap to the ground. The trap then automatically resets itself and is ready for the next squirrel to come along. Scavengers or birds of prey carry off the carcasses usually within a day.
The cylinder is the standard 16g thread CO2 which are readily available and cheap. Each CO2 cylinder is capable of firing the trap 18 times before it needs to be replaced.
Please see my earlier video on unboxing and setting up the A18 trap. This video has more information on how the trap operates and how to install it - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html
All the best.
"Oh look at the cute squirrels" SNAP! Oh dear. LOL
Hi, You would be surprised how many people sit through the bold warning message at the beginning of this video just so they can be outraged.
I don't put my money and effort into reducing the number of invasive grey squirrels where I live in the UK for fun. I do it to save the trees which die after the squirrels strip the bark off them. I also want to support our native birds because the squirrels steal their eggs and chicks.
Luckily I have a thick skin! All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 squirrels strip the bark from trees and kills them? Omg u r dense
@@donaldbrown7715 Hi Donald, Yes - the grey squirrels do strip the bark from young tree in long strips. They use the bark to line their dreys. I see such squirrel damage on a daily basis. When large areas of bark are removed the young trees usually die. If the squirrels strip the bark from small branches on older tree then that branch dies. So please do a little research before you comment negatively on subjects with which you are unfamiliar.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 well, I stand corrected, thank you for that.
That's one thing I like about these videos, learning stuff . Hope u have a good day man.
@@Incognito1-1 wow,I just reread my earlier comment,and apparently,I felt like being an arsehole,for some reason.
I think it was because...I had a hunting accident,to make a long story short,I have to inject myself with testosterone. Sometimes ,a day or two after an injection,my testosterone levels jump really high, and I'll say something rude like that without really noticing.
So...u didnt deserve it, and I am man enough to apologize.
I'm sorry man. :-)
I wish someone would post a link or an address to a source selling this device to U.S. residents. I spent an hour crawling the web and all I could find available was the smaller A24 trap. What's up with that?
Hi Roger, I have had many people from North America saying the same thing. Check through some of the comments below. A couple of UK sellers were selling these A18s on Ebay.com
and they were able to ship them to US so I expect they will do so for Canada. Search for Good Nature A18.
I contacted one of these sellers and they said that they couldn't ship the CO2 cylinders but they are readily available in the US.
All the best.
Another viewer has recently told me that the Goodnature A18 Trap is now available in the US.
'@Incognito But, good news for us. They just started selling them for the US market and I have mine on preorder for del in early April. Thanks for the video and reply!'
All the best.
Brilliant video mate cool :)👍
I know this is bad but… What they do with their tail is hilarious. It reminds me some cartoons.
Hi Julien, A squirrel's tail really is a multi-tool. They use it for balance and as a rudder when making leaps from branch to branch. But even more importantly as a communication tool - a bit like semaphore signalling with flags. When several squirrels are within sight of each other they constantly communicate between them with flicks of the tail.
All the best.
I wish you could get this in the US
Hi Will, The smaller A24 Rat Trap is available in the US. Other viewers have told me that they have the A24 and that it is effective against squirrels. I don't own an A24 so I can't give any more detail. I guess it will come down to the size of your squirrels locally.
All the best.
@@MartinHealy thanks for the reply, I have big squirrels here so I’ll have to just use a large live trap and kill them myself
Another viewer has recently told me that the Goodnature A18 Trap is now available in the US.
'@Incognito But, good news for us. They just started selling them for the US market and I have mine on preorder for del in early April. Thanks for the video and reply!'
All the best.
That one squirrel hung onto the tree like that dude in the Chappelle skit that got shot by Wayne Brady. 😂
Make traditional Brunswick Stew with real squirrel meat!! Or chiken-fried squirl and biskits n gravy...yum yum!
Hi Marie, Many people, me included, are put off from cleaning squirrels because they find it a fiddly job and the skin can be difficult to remove. I recently found a video from a gentleman who shows how to skin, clean and cook squirrels - and he has it down to a pure art! Take a look at his demo here: ua-cam.com/video/qFitQn0W-Ns/v-deo.html
All the best.
do they still get caught by the trap even if there is another dead squirrel below it or do you need to pick up the bodies?
Hi, Yes, the squirrels continue to visit the trap even if there is another dead squirrel on the ground below. I have also noted that the squirrels aren't put off when I am static shooting at a peanut feeder. They occasionally check out dead comrades below the feeder before climbing up to feed. I have even seen them attack dead comrades below a feeder. With the A18 traps I rarely find dead squirrels when I visit the traps because scavengers such as foxes and birds of prey carry off the carcasses.
All the best.
All that fresh squirrel meat. yum
Would be nice if I could buy these in the US
Another viewer has recently told me that the Goodnature A18 Trap is now available in the US.
'@Incognito But, good news for us. They just started selling them for the US market and I have mine on preorder for del in early April. Thanks for the video and reply!'
All the best.
That is one tough squirrel... gets hit, falls down and then just goes right back in again.
Good one LOL.
There are many squirrels visiting the trap in this video. Trust me the same squirrel will never be going back into the trap...
@@Incognito1-1 I hope my sarcasm is understood.
@@KeepingOnTheWatch Doh! Yep I thought so but wanted to make sure everyone understands that it is a one way trip to these traps.
All the best.
Must be nuts and slightly squirrelly to think they offer take out.
Hello, I'm from an area of the world where these gray squirrels are actually supposed to live.
I think the one hangup I have about all this, after reading some of the comments and responses, is whether there's an art to placement/bait/etc. that ensures you only get these to-you-invasive grays and not the native red squirrels caught up in it.
Or are the red squirrels really THAT depleted in population from a century and a half of these gray ones squatting over there? You've mentioned some of the disease and competition issues, but the full scope of how quickly an invasive species can destroy the locals eludes me.
Hi Firuthi, Yes it is hard to believe but sadly it is true that the grey squirrels have driven the native red squirrels from virtually all of England. There are small populations of reds still in the far north and Scotland. There are some surviving on Brownsea Island near Poole where they are isolated from the mainland and are protected by wardens.
So yes in less than 150 years an invasive species has completely displaced a native squirrel. As there are now no red squirrels left in the SW the A18 is licensed for use. I would of course love to see the greys eradicated but this is never going to happen without a major government backed initiative. I continue to do my bit to control the grey numbers in the hope of protecting the young trees that we plant and our local birds.
All the best.
Red squirrels are extinct from most of southern & midland England & Wales. There’s only one pocket left on a constantly monitored & guarded island in a harbour in the South Coast. Greys have eradicated them, not because they physically attack reds or compete for food, but because they carry a (particularly hideous) virus to which they themselves are immune but which is lethal to reds within days of contact. If a grey appears in a red squirrel area, chances are that within a month or two no reds will have survived. So, yes, the population is not depleted but gone.
When I was growing up the red squirrel was so common that a cartoon character called Tufty was the mascot of the campaign to educate children about road safety. I had never seen a grey. Now millions of children have only ever seen the UK’s own beautiful little native squirrel in the books of Beatrix Potter.
Where is the link to buy the A18? I can only find the A24.
Hi, There isn't a consistent global market for these traps so availability depends where you live. I live in the UK and purchased my traps from:
goodnaturetraps.co.uk/humane-squirrel-traps/
The A18 trap doesn't seem to be available in the USA. I believe that this is because of licensing issues where there is a population of protected red squirrels. However, the smaller A24 trap is available in the US - just search online for 'Goodnature A24' or 'Good Nature A24'. Another viewer has kindly posted the following info about his experience with the A24:
Highwireformoney
@Incognito Of the 30 confirmed, about half have been rats ,and half have been gray squirrel, in those 30, the counter shows about 80 times it was triggered, and I don't know if, or how many of those where kills or not, due to two factors, first we don't seem to have carry off by predator's, that I can confirm, and 2nd I have seen both squirrels and rats on my cameras shrug off the hit. sadly there has been some collateral damage, and a half complete...2 small birds, and one critically injured squirrel, that I was going to half to finish myself, but another squirrel attacked, killed, and ate that one right in front of me, before I could do anything about it.
Our A24 has taken down some pretty big gray squirrels, and some scary big rats. I'm thinkin the A18 would do a better job with the squirrels not because it is more powerful but because its just easier for them to get into. But to be sure, the A24 works for squirrels, and way better than the other hundreds of dollars worth of stuff I have tried. The A 18 is not for sale in north America because of the endangered Red squirrel, ( and the blue tooth counter because of the FCC ). Some counties have a ban on commercial sale/ export to the US, and many seller resources including E bay conform to this. I have found an online seller in NZ that has them for $100 with free shipping, and their page accepts My US address so I am going to try them...I will let you know what happens....
I hope that this info helps. All the best!
This is one mistake you can never learn from.
Indeed - but I certainly don't want the squirrels learning to avoid these traps...
All the best.
The squirrel at 4.00 was breaking lockdown rules
This is great. I want one
Please read through the comments for more info on where to buy these traps in various parts of the world. All the best.
Another viewer has recently told me that the Goodnature A18 Trap is now available in the US.
'@Incognito But, good news for us. They just started selling them for the US market and I have mine on preorder for del in early April. Thanks for the video and reply!'
All the best.
That first squirrel knew something was up.
The squirrels are naturally cautious especially around new feeders and traps. This highlights the importance of using a bait that they are unable to resist. Eventually they will be drawn in by the tempting smell. Thwack.
All the best.
I bet you those were counted as covid deaths 😂
They certainly "tested positive" for brain damage after getting hit!
@@psalmno.51COVID fucked me up, I survived all kinds of shit overseas got home in July of 2021 caught COVID not knowing all the damage done by blowing shit up (was a Combat Engineer) fancy name for dud who blows shit up. Anyway got COVID and had blood clots everywhere had a hemorrhagic stroke, died had brain surgery clot went to my brain and burst. I uses to make fun of the people wearing gloves and masks not anymore, 5 months in hospital and rehab cured that shit fast.
What is the difference between the A18 (shown here) and the A24 which is sold on Goodnature's website? The A18 doesn't seem to be on offer... why is that?
I have been asked this question several times and I did make earlier enquires with the UK website. From memory, I believe that the answer is that the A24 is licensed for use in the USA but the A18 is not licensed. In the UK the invasive Grey Squirrel has completely displaced the native Red Squirrels from whole swathes of the country. We can therefore deploy the A18 to cull the invasive greys without the possibility of inadvertently despatching any reds.
All the best.
Apologies, I realise that I did not fully answer your query. I don't have a A24 trap but from what I have read and the reviews that I have seen on UA-cam the A24 is very similar to the A18 but it is physically smaller and less powerful. The A24 is primarily intended for controlling rat and mouse populations and it was I believe designed before the A18.
All the best.
Another viewer just let me know that the A18 is now available to US buyers via Ebay.com. Two UK suppliers offer free shipping to the US. On Ebay.com just search for A18 Squirrel Trap and scroll down if necessary to the section Items from International Sellers. I would suggest that you contact the sellers through Ebay because one of them THWhiteLimited has told me that their courier cannot ship the CO2 gas cylinders by air mail - but the cylinders are readily available in the US anyway.
See my other video on setting-up the A18 - ua-cam.com/video/4K09zA0S0mc/v-deo.html
I would recommend that you experiment with different baits to find what works best in your area. The bait supplied with the trap did not work very well for me. I have found that sweet hazlenut paste, peanut butter, almond paste all worked well. So well worth experimenting.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 I do not see any results for A18 Squirrel Trap on EBay even with international sellers enabled.
@@emmetthawkins5468 Hi Trey, I just searched on Ebay.com for Good Nature A18 and found 2 x UK sellers offering the A18. Try again and just search for the item number - 124119793427
or the other item number - 173700164639
Hope that this helps. All the best.
For those that are considering buying one and for those that have one but have had little or no success hopefully my experience will help you decide to buy one and use it effectively.
I've had one for just over a month, the first kill was on the second day then a few days later another was caught. Then they all seem to ignore it for a couple of weeks until a few days ago where it trapped three in one day.
It's all about patience and trial and error, find the right place and the right bait. Clean the bait holder only in fresh water and wear gloves to reduce any human scent left on the trap. Also I found not filling the bail holder completely helps, leave a little gap for the scent of the paste to mix with the air, that speeded up their interest.
Consider it a long term investment, the price can seem high but not using poisons and killing them humanely makes it worthwhile as despite trying to discourage them and buy expensive
Squirrel proof bird feeders that failed after a few months, for me the final straw was them raiding a Blackbird nest in our garden last spring.
I'm also going to get the A24 soon as we also have a rodent problem.
PS. I have no connection with Good Nature other than being a satisfied customer.
Hi, Well done with getting your counter clocking up! Your experience and feedback will hopefully help and encourage other viewers.
On your point about part filling the bait basket - I would add that I press some of the bait through the basket mesh to form 10mm 'spaghetti' hangiing out of the bottom of the basket. When it is then installed in the trap the bait is hanging down to the trigger wire and putting out plenty of scent.
I recommend trying different baits to find out what the local squirrels can't resist. Try adding a dash of Nutella. This was recommended to me by another viewer and it works.
Smear a little bait on the tree directly under the trap to provide a scent trail to bring in the squirrels.
I will heed your advice about wearing gloves. If you get any bait transferred on to the plastic top cap it could encourage the squirrels to chew through the top cap to get directly to the bait. This did happen to my first trap. I made a Ned Kelly style armour out of a baked bean can to go over the top of the trap but then GoodNature produced some metal covers and I got a couple of them for my traps. I recommend the covers because they protect the trap from the squirrels but they also help it to blend in to the woodland. The covers also protect the trap from the sun so the plastic will last much longer.
The squirrel numbers will spike up here now that spring is upon us.
I don't own an A24 but I am sure that they will work well given their GoodNature pedigree. Again I would definitely recommend Nutella for rats
I don't have any connection with GoodNature other than as a satisfied customer. Their after sales customer service has also been good.
All the best.
Why is there a warning in the beginning about this video being offensive to some people.??? This is hilarious and entertaining......I wish this video ran in a one hour loop so I could continuously watch it and laugh my ass off....🤣🤣🤣
Hi Jim, You would be surprised how many people sit through the warnings, watch the video and then complain that they don't like the squirrels being culled. Most often these people have no knowledge about the grey squirrel issue in the UK. So they have no understanding that I am attempting to control the numbers of these invasive pests which are destroying UK wildlife and trees. The greys were introduced to the UK from the USA less than 150 years ago but they have already driven our native red squirrels from most of England. The grey squirrels tear strips of bark from our trees which stunts or kills the trees. I put a lot of effort into planting hundreds of trees every year so these grey invaders have to go.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 Well I'm in the US ....and I never knew we gave you a squirrel problem....but I do my part to kill a few squirrels every year.....🤣🤣🤣
That trap is amazing. Its expensive
Hi Tom, I am sure that we would all prefer to be able to purchase these traps cheaper. But I also think that we need to be realistic and recognise that the research and development then the field trials of these traps must have required serious investment. The trap is well made I would expect many years of service.
So yes they are pricey but like so much else in life you tend to get what you pay for. From my experience of operating 2 of these traps now for 18 months I can recommend them.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 where can I purchase one?
@@joanneshepard5694
Hi Joanne, It's confusing but there isn't a consistent global market for these traps. I live in the UK and bought my traps from goodnaturetraps.co.u¬k Other viewers have told me that the A18 is not available in USA and when I enquired at Goodnature I believe it is a licensing issue. Another viewer thought that they were available from www.automatictraps.com in North America but I have contacted them and they have no plans to introduce the A18 to their product line in the near future. I found that eBay.com had adverts from a couple of UK suppliers who can ship from UK to USA - search for 'Good Nature A18'. Contact the seller because they may not be able to send the CO2 gas cylinders, however, the cylinders are readily available in the US at the above supplier.
All the best.
@@Incognito1-1 thank you so much :)
The squirrels in my area would figure out how to disable or even disassemble that thing...these squirrels are evil 🙈
Hi Bernard, The squirrels don't get the chance to learn - they only make one trip into the trap! However, I strongly recommend fitting the metal cover to prevent them chewing on the outside of the trap. When I setup my first trap the squirrels chewed through the top cover to get to the bait directly. Prevention is better than cure - fit a metal cover.
All the best.
Good for nut tree farmers for sure. But so much more fun to use a scoped precision air rifle.
Amen to that. I like to shoot too and yes I too use a target PCP air rifle because shot placement is vital and only head shots to the brain shots will produce a clean humane kill.
I also have 2 of these A18 traps because I don't have time to shoot as often as I would like and the traps can be on duty 365 keeping the population under control. I want to limit the amount of damage the squirrels can do to young trees and the local wildlife.
All the best.
For sure! And airguns are the best! Can't shoot as many of the squirrels as I'd like, though, or in all the spots they appear without alarming and/or endangering neighbors or their dogs or property. If I had to choose between no more squirrels and enough squirrels to shoot, I'd choose no more squirrels every time.
@@dingfeldersmurfalot4560 Amen to the airguns! Amen to zero grey squirrels!
All the best.
Hmm...they seem very wary of it BUT seems to get results! Might try one.
Hi Colin, Yes, some of the squirrels are very cautious. However, the results slowly count up and it is definitely worth operating these traps to keep the numbers in check. I now have 3 out in woodland strips.
All the best.
I live in a heavily wooded area with many oaks, maples, pine etc. There are many squirrels but they never present a problem. I don’t understand why their numbers become so problematic for you guys. Maybe the local red tailed hawks here keep their numbers down and you lack similar squirrel predators. 🤷♂️
That is a good question and I suspect that you are right about lack of predators being one of the factors in the plaque of squirrels we have to contend with. Another factor is the warm winters in the SW of the UK which provides a long breeding season for the the squirrels. There is also virtually unlimited food sources - cereals and maize crop in the summer, cattle and sheep feeders, and bird feeders year round. Equals squirrel heaven.
All the best.
the 10th squirrel of the day seeing a pile of its dead brethren at the base of that tree: huh... wonder what thats all about. ooh, hazlenut goo!
Thanks for the followup