The 3 pieces that are 12 in × 24 in (30 cm × 61 cm) will be the bottom and the walls of your trap. The 12 in × 22 in (30 cm × 56 cm) piece will be the top of your trap with room so the trap door. The 12 in × 12 in (30 cm × 30 cm) will be the back piece.
The wooden pieces will act as braces to make your box trap stronger. Make sure that one end of your wooden braces is flush with one of the short sides of the bottom. This way, your trap door will have room shut.
Always wear safety glasses when cutting through metal so you don’t get any shavings in your eyes. If the metal has sharp edges, use a grinding bit on your angle grinder to smooth it out so you don’t hurt the raccoon while it’s in the trap.
The metal panel acts as a trigger to set and activate the trap once a raccoon steps on it.
The PVC pipe makes it easier for the door to drop without getting stuck.
Test dropping your door down into the pipes to see if it catches on any of the screws. If it does, try to make them tighter and more flush with the inside of the pipe.
Wire can be purchased from any hardware store.
If you don’t have a picnic table you can use, then use another sturdy structure that’s the same height as your garbage and that raccoons can easily climb onto.
This amount of water is enough to keep the garbage can from tipping over, but isn’t enough to hurt or drown the raccoon. The water will weight down the raccoon’s fur, making it difficult for them to jump out or knock the can over.
You may also buy commercial raccoon bait from outdoor care stores or online. Place your bait right before it gets dark so birds don’t eat it first.
Change your bait every 2 days if it’s uneaten. If you accidentally catch an animal besides a raccoon, you can choose to release it back in your yard or transport it somewhere else.
If you use a garbage can trap, put a lid on the garbage can first before transporting it. Wear gloves if you’re worried about getting bitten.
