4 Ways To Repel Weasels

If you have weasels pestering your chickens or weasels are invading your property, this may make your life very difficult. But how do you repel them, and how do you keep them from coming back? Well, there are many ways of weasel-proofing your land, and we will discuss many of them in this article.

Here are four ways you can repel weasels off of your property:

1. Use motion-activated sprinklers
2. Reduce weasel attractants (trimmed bushes, securing chickens, etc.)
3. Seal all holes in the floors or fences
4. Trap and release the weasel

As we delve deeper into the subject, you will find that it will be fascinating what you have learned. By the end of this article, you will be considered a pro weasel catcher! Let’s continue with our journey and finally get rid of these pesky animals!

1. Motion Activated Sprinklers

Motion-activated sprinklers are probably the most effective form of weasel repellent. These sprinklers come in 2 different styles.

• 1st option: The first one is simpler to set up but will require more upkeep. The sprinkler is the refillable type. Place these sprinklers in the right spots and refill them with water regularly.
  
  The refillable sprinklers have a small solar panel to keep them charged and spray those pesky weasels, so you will not have to worry about replacing batteries with water.
  
• 2nd option: The second type of motion-activated sprinkler is the opposite of the refillable one. This sprinkler is more challenging to set up but does not require any upkeep.
  
  This sprinkler will need you to attach it to a water source like a hose. While this sprinkler can be solar-powered, a lot of them require batteries.

Where Do You Set Up Motion Activated Sprinklers?

When determining where you should set up your sprinklers, it is essential to identify entry points to places where you are most worried about the weasels getting into. If you keep chickens, rabbits, or other kinds of birds, or you have barns, keeping weasels out of these can be imperative to you. With this in mind, these will be the critical areas for setting up your motion-activated sprinklers. 

Use the stakes with the sprinklers to set them up before potential entryways to these critical areas. You can also consider setting them up as a perimeter defense around your property.

Setting up your sprinklers around the areas where the weasels are coming onto your land can be another good place to place them. Consider placing them around the base of your fence or trees as well.

2. Reducing Weasel Attractants

Keeping your yard nice and clean can help reduce the number of weasels in your yard. Weasels are very small and can be quite vulnerable to predators, birds. Weasels like to use tall grass and nice big bushy bushes for cover when looking for food.

Regularly mowing your lawn and trimming your bushes can be a great boon to keep weasels off your property. Also, periodically cleaning your yard of debris will help you immensely.

Food is a great attractor for weasels. It will most likely be the main factor in seeing weasels bugging you and your livestock. Weasels will regularly prey on chickens and rabbits. If you keep these types of animals, protecting them will be your utmost priority. 

You must secure your coop and run to keep your chickens away from weasels. Chicken wire is primarily helpful for holding chickens indoors. It is ineffective at controlling predators away. Instead, with hardwire cloth, protect any vulnerable points, such as walls, holes, and the coop’s margins. Your pen can not, in most cases, be set directly on the grass. This will make the weasels easier to find a way into your coop.

If your coop doesn’t have a foundation, wrap hardware cloth around the bottom edges and bury it in an “L” shape a few inches below the ground to prevent burrowing and digging. Most notably, search for weak points every few weeks and continue to secure them when required.

Weasels will prey on them for food if you have a rabbit or two as a pet. To better avoid this, place their hutch on wooden legs and lift it off the ground to deter predators. Allow your rabbit to hide in at least one secluded area with solid wood walls. The outside pen or run should be 8ft x 4ft x 2ft in size. To shield it from airborne predators, you should protect it with a chain-link roof.

3. Seal Off All Holes In The Floor Or Fence

Take the time to examine the fence surrounding your property. Look for any holes in the wall, plug them all up with wood putty and allow it to sit for 12 to 24 hours. Once this is taken care of, be prepared to start digging.

Weasels can find many ways into your yard. These pests can squeeze through surprisingly small spaces. Most of the time, weasels will get into your yard through holes in your fencing.

Another way they can regularly get in is through tunnels made by other pests. Therefore digging and extending the fence below the ground would help tremendously. 

When taking on this task, knowing how much material you will need is essential. Hardwire cloth is an excellent option to do this. At the same time, another material to consider is tin siding once you have measured your fence’s perimeter and obtained the material of your choosing.

Begin digging at least a foot down and start installing the material you have bought. Staple or tack the hardwire or tin siding, respectively, and fill the hole back up. This will not only deter the weasels from using the hollows or tunnels of other pests, but it will deter those pests as well.

4. Trapping & Releasing Weasels

Trapping and releasing weasels a few miles away from your property will be an excellent way to help rid yourself of these pests, along with the other methods above. When looking to trap the weasels, there are multiple things to consider. 

First off, the traps themselves. You have probably seen these traps on TV or using an exterminator or pest control professional.

You may use the 1 or 2-door traps; either will suffice. On the other hand, Pest control practitioners prefer and advocate the one-door trap alternative.

This is due to their convenience and the fact that they are much simpler to set up. Just be sure the traps you purchase are either small or extra small traps.

However, since both doors are open, there is also an advantage of using the two-door mechanism. Weasels and other predators can see into the trap entirely without obstructing the bard on the other side of the cul-de-sac with a two-door trap. When the pest enters the cage, this will put them at ease.

Wear gloves when handling and setting up the trap; weasels are perceptive animals that can detect the odor you left on the cage, deterring the rodents from approaching the mine in the first place.

Placing The Traps

Place traps near your fence, barns, or house deteriorated areas. If there is no visible injury, position the traps near the water supply you think the weasels are drinking to keep them hydrated.

Traps usually are more successful if they are buried slightly. To position your trap, dig a shallow hole 1 to 1.5 inches deep and cover it with leaves and soil from the surrounding area.

Hiding it would save the weasels from being scared off by the polished metal bars of the trap you just set for them. Place your bait in the trap after it has been set, and check back a few hours to see if you’ve caught a weasel or two.

You can use a few different types of baits to lure the weasels into your traps. Here is a list of them:

• Raw liver
• Raw fish
• Raw chicken
• Raw rabbit
• Raw turkey necks
• Raw lamb
• Raw ground beef
• Cooked eggs
• Cat treats
• Kitten food

These are all excellent great options and recommended for weasel luring. Take the bait, place them into the traps, and wait for the weasels to get trapped.

Releasing The Weasel After Capture

Once you have captured a weasel, you should first cover it with a towel or blanket. This will help by calming the weasel while transporting it to its release point. Carry the caged weasel to your car and travel 5 to 10 miles away from your home.

Ensure the spot you choose to release the weasel is suitable and that your location is not close to other residential areas. Just put the cage down and open it. Most of the time, caged animals will see an opening and run at the first chance they get.

However, some animals can be pretty scared and wait in the cage for some time. If this is the case, sit back away from the cell and wait. Eventually, the weasel will run out. 

Final Thoughts

Weasels are a menace to anyone who keeps chickens. If this is the case for you, then maintaining the weasels off your property is on the top of your list. In this article, you should be able to accomplish this task with time and effort.