While there are all sorts of traps that are designed to kill or not kill, we have found that a good first line of defense is to remove the source of food during the night. This helps to keep the varmint population at bay by not giving them a food source when they feed. Here are some tips to think about if you have a varmint problem:
- Keep stored chicken food in metal garbage cans or steel drums away from gardening spaces, living spaces, or even garages and porches. Varmints can smell bird feed through anything and can bite through plastic and canvas, but not metal.
- Pick up food at sunset. Most farm animals (birds especially) do not feed at night. The only thing that will be eating freely at night are the varmints. Store feeders in a metal garbage can to keep them away from uninvited guests.
- While free-feeding is convenient, only put out the amount of feed that your birds and other animals need during the day. This will limit the leftovers for unwanted eaters.
- Set traps at night and move them around frequently. Varmints are very smart and will stay away from a trap once they now its location. Put traps in areas where your farm animals (or household pets) will not be wandering into when they wake up in the morning - just outside pens or where you know critters are creating trails.
Here are some traps we have found most successful at the Farm. NOTE: Relocating varmint animals only works if you can take them more than 10 miles away from your home.
