Identification | Biology | Damage ID | Management | Handling
Overview of Damage Prevention
and Control Methods
Exclusion
- Block all entrances 1 inch or larger with ½-inch hail screen or similar material.
Repellents
- None are registered.
Toxicants
- None are registered.
Trapping
- Set No. 0 or No. 1 foothold traps inside a protective wooden box.
- Live traps.
Damage Prevention and Control Methods
Exclusion
Weasels can be excluded from poultry houses and other structures by closing all openings larger than 1 inch. To block openings, use ½-inch-mesh hardware cloth, similar wire mesh, or other materials.
Repellents
No chemical repellents are currently registered for weasels.
Toxicants
No toxicants are currently registered for weasels.
Trapping
Weasels are curious by nature and are rather easily trapped in No. 0 or 1 steel foothold traps. Professional trappers in populated areas use an inverted wooden box 1 or 2 feet long, such as an apple box, with a 2- to 3-inch round opening cut out in the lower part of both ends. Dribble a trail of oats or other grain through the box. Mice will frequent it to eat the grain and weasels will investigate the scent of the mice. Set a trap under the hole at each end of the box. Keep the trap pan tight to prevent mice from setting off the trap.
Alternatively, make a hole in only one end of the box and suspend a fresh meat bait against the opposite end of the box. Set the trap directly under the bait.
Trap sets in old brush piles, under out-buildings, under fences, and along stone walls are also suggested, because the weasel is likely to investigate any small covered area. Protect trap sets with objects such as boards or tree limbs to protect nontarget wildlife.
Weasels also can be captured in live traps with fresh meat as suitable bait. If trapping to alleviate damage is to be conducted at times outside the fur trapping season, contact the local wildlife agency representative, as permits may be needed in some states.