Milk Crate Live Trap

This Instructable will show you how to use any old milk crate as an effective live-trap.

1. X1 Small Roll of Metal Mesh. (Any type that you can’t fit your finger through.)

2. X1 Plastic Oil/Diesel Funnel

3. X1 Plastic Milk-Crate

4. Handful of Zip Ties

5. Pocket Knife

6. Hand Held Metal/Wire Cutters

The gaps in the crate are too large to hold small creatures, so we’ll start by lining the inside of the crate with the metal mesh. You will do this by laying out strips of the wire mesh along the bottom and up the walls of the crate.

Make sure the mesh is neat, then, using the zip ties, tie down the mesh to the crate and trim off the excess mesh using the metal cutters.

Repeat steps 1-2 for the rest of the bottom and sides until the crate is completely lined on the inside. The amount of mesh and zip ties needed depends on the size of the milk crate. But no more than 40 zip ties and a small roll of metal mesh will be needed to complete the lining.

After the mesh lining is complete turn the crate upside down and choose a corner from the underside of the crate. It doesn’t matter which corner. In this corner you will need to (using the metal cutters) cut out a hole about an inch in diameter in both the crate and the mesh. Some crates have more complex patterns, so more cuts may be required depending on the crate you have.

Now take the plastic funnel and, using the knife, cut the end off so that it leaves an inch in diameter opening at the end.

With the knife, punch two holes at the small end of the funnel. These will be used with the zip ties to tie it down to the milk crate.

Place the funnel in the hole you just made in the crate and tie it down to the crate using the zip ties.

And you’re done. Now simply use the live trap as you would any other live trap.

Happy hunting.