Simple effective animal deterrent.

Step 1: Tools

This is a non-lethal animal deterrent. Items you will need are a simple mouse trap, needle nose pliers, hammer (not shown), small brad nails and percussion caps for toy pistols.

Step 2: Disassembly

You will need to remove the trigger pad by removing the staple that holds it to the board. Keep the staple, you'll need it later.

Step 3: Removing the Hold Back Bar

Open the eye on the end of the hold back bar, remove it from the staple on the board. Leave this staple in the board.

Keep the hold back bar, you'll be using this as well.

Step 4: Adding Your Hold Back Mech.

The staple you removed from the board that held the trigger pad is now moved to the other end of the board to form a bridge or gate to hold back the snap bar. Move the spring loaded bar to the loaded position and make a mark, this is where you install the staple you removed from under the trigger pad. Now shorten the hold back bar to about a 1/3 of it's original length.

Step 5: This Your New Trigger.

Step 6: Adding Brads

Locate on the board where the snap over bar will be after it is triggered and put in 1 brad nail on either side of the board. This is where the percussion caps will be placed. Shown in pic is cap on brad and 1 cap off.

Step 7: Ammo

Separate individual caps from the ring. Not shown, I will drill a hole through the board and screw this trap to a deck column. Using a fishing line on the pin trigger, I will run the line at a height of critters like racoons, cats, dogs, etc.

When the trigger is pulled and the trap snaps, it will produce a sharp and loud pop and snap sound. This should deter animals from going where you don't want them with out harming the animal. Good luck thanks for checking it out.

Tried to keep this build simple and cheap. I will try to answer any questions you may have in a post. Thanks again.

Step 8: Working Video

Sorry about the jumpy video, this is why I don't work in Hollywood. But it's been about 2 weeks since I posted the build and last night they were both tripped while we slept. This video will hopefully give a better idea how they work in real time. FYI not enough of a bang to wake us, but I'm sure the purp heard it loud and clear.