North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[sherwin <sherwindu@att.net>]

On 11/26/2013 2:31 PM, Lee Reich wrote:
> Sherwin,
>
> What do you use for bait? I set many traps for squirrels -- and have used 
> field corn, apples, peanuts, or peanut butter -- and have poor results luring 
> them in. Squirrels here seem very wary. Same goes for rabbits.
>
> Lee Reich, PhD
> Come visit my farmden at http://leereich.blogspot.com/
> http://leereich.com/
    Lee,

    I am really puzzled why people have trouble using peanut butter to 
attract squirrels.  I have used it for years and it has
    never failed me.  Sometimes, a squirrel will manage to get the bait 
without setting off the trap.  I try to avoid this by
    setting the trigger on the trap to the hairy edge.  It is possible 
that a squirrel may figure the peanut butter is a bait and
    not return to get a fresh supply.  Who knows, maybe there are 
certain brands of peanut butter that are more attractive.
    I use a creamy Skippy brand that I spread on a piece of bread. It 
never fails me.  Occasionally, ants will find the bait if
    it stays too long in the trap, but that only happens when I am down 
to a few remaining squirrels who don't frequent
    my yard often enough.  Almost always, I find a squirrel in the trap 
or the bait is gone by some nimble dancer.

                    Sherwin