Because turtles are such a valuable natural resource, it is not usually necessary to evacuate them from your pond if they have already built a habitat there. However, they are also capable of becoming an inconvenience and causing chaos in many ways. If you can relate to the second category, you will need to find an efficient approach to get rid of the turtles in your pond.
It is possible to use a variety of traps to get rid of turtles from a pond by combining the appropriate trap for a certain species. Additionally, you may use barriers like fences and netting to keep them away from the pond.
In this piece, we will discuss the many methods available for removing turtles from ponds, with an emphasis on finding the one that is least invasive to the animals involved.
Let’s find the reasons why these nimble little creatures need to be eradicated and how you may reduce the danger to yourself as well as them while doing so.
How To Trap A Turtle?
It is important to remember that there are two main factors to consider while removing turtles from your pond. First, getting rid of the turtles and relocating the turtles to a new home.
Let’s take a look at the various methods for capturing and removing the turtles, as well as the choices you have for transferring them, and some essential facts that you should be aware of.
Manually Removing
If you own a private pond that is on the smaller side or if there are just a few turtles that need to be removed from a pond that is on the larger side, then using a net to capture them individually may be your easiest and least expensive alternative.
To do this, you may either use a telescopic pond net to pull the reptiles away from the pond or insert them within the net as they are basking in the sun.
Catching Turtles in Traps
Trapping turtles is the most effective approach for collecting them from a pond. This is particularly true if you have a big body of water or a huge number of turtles that need to be removed.
The type of turtle trap you might use depends highly on the breed or species of turtle you want to catch. There will be two primary kinds of turtle traps available to you such as floating turtle traps and submerged turtle traps.
Snapping turtles and soft-shell turtles are the best candidates for being caught in submerged traps.
Floating traps are a useful method for capturing red-eared sliders and other species of turtles that like basking in the sun.
It is recommended that you use fresh meat or tiny fish, such as minnows, to bait your trap. After every few days, the bait should be changed.
Submerged traps like wire basket traps, slat traps, or floating traps such as log and tiltboard traps for catching turtles are very effective as well.
Digging A Hole:
In this method, you will need to dig a hole in the soil close to the turtle that you may have located in order to preserve it.
You should dig the hole so that it is around ten inches deep, and ten inches wide, and the edges should be very steep so that the turtle cannot climb out of the hole.
Place a significant amount of bait all around the perimeter of the trap so that the turtle may locate it and enter. However, you must refrain from overdoing so in order to prevent the hole from becoming overflowing.
You have the option of using shredded lettuce leaves instead of entire lettuce leaves and dotting a couple of the shredded leaves here and there all over the trap if you so choose. Now is the time to let the turtle graze on the leaves that are around the hole. The turtle will have a hard time resisting the impulse to grasp the leaves that are within the hole.
Nevertheless, given that there is no certainty that it would reach out for the rest of the bait, it could as well ignore it given that there is no guarantee that it would do so.
Shooting Turtles:
This approach, which includes shooting turtles while they are swimming in a pond, is not at all recommended. In addition, turtles are protected, and it is probable that killing them is prohibited.
Bait and line is another approach which can be employed for effectively trapping turtles.
Relocating The Turtles To A New Home
As soon as you have successfully captured all of the turtles, it is time to release them into their new environment.
They may be an annoyance to you, and they may do damage to your pond, but at the end of the day, they are simply harmless creatures.
They are only following their innate impulses, and they have earned the right to have a happy and fulfilling life.
You need to move them to an area where they have access to clean water that has been authorized by the relevant authorities in the area.
You also have the option of asking the local authorities for guidance or even for them to handle this aspect of the process on your behalf.
The bite of a snapping turtle is very painful and may inflict a lot of harm, so you need to exercise utmost caution if you’re around one of these reptiles.
Additionally, they have very pointed claws that are capable of readily tearing through human flesh. Always secure yourself by wearing gloves whenever you are in their presence.
How To Make A Simple Homemade Turtle Trap?
The presence of even a small number of turtles in your pond may have a positive impact on the ecology there since turtles eat dead creatures and help keep ponds clean.
On the other hand, having an excessive number of turtles might become a hassle, particularly if they are munching on the small fishes like guppies that you have been keeping as pets.
Depending on your encounter with them, you might perceive them as good or bad for your pond.
However, turtles may be captured and relocated to some other source of water using handcrafted turtle catchers, which allow for their safe confinement.
A ramp and a wooden frame make up the basic components of this turtle trap. As the turtle makes its way onto the ramp and over the platform that is supported on the steel rod, the platform eventually topples, causing the turtle to tumble into the container below.
Before you set out to build a turtle trap, you need first to determine if any breeds of turtles in your area are regarded as game animals and are so safeguarded by regulations.
There are 13 simple steps following which you can make a DIY turtle trap. They are:
- Remove from a board measuring 2 inches by 6 inches a length of one foot for the ramp, four lengths measuring two feet for the frame, and one piece measuring six inches for the teeter board.
- Construct a square out of the four boards measuring two feet in length by using two deck screws in each corner of the board.
- Attach a piece of chicken wire measuring four feet by four feet to the underside of the frame.
- In order to create a ramp, place a 12-inch board at an angle from the frame’s upper end and nail it in place.
- The teeterboard will tip over when the turtle goes to the end of it, therefore you need to create 2 slots to secure the sides of the steel rod that is supporting it.
- A hole should be drilled about three inches from the edge of the side that contains the ramp. Redo the whole procedure over the other side as well.
- At a distance of three inches from the other end, drill a hole that is somewhat larger across the whole width of the six-inch teeter board.
- In order to secure the frame to the teeterboard, slide the steel rod through the holes in the frames on both sides. The rod needs to have a close, comfortable fit inside the holes on the frame.
- Place the end of the board measuring six inches on the frame’s outer edge in such a way that it aligns with the peak of the ramp.
- Establish a perch for the bait to stand on in the exact middle of the trap. Create a structure out of chicken wire that is six inches tall and reaches over the water’s surface by bending it into a U shape.
- Put some chicken wire just at the base of the trap, and then connect the structure to it.
- Along the top border of the frame, drive nails into it about every two inches. To prevent the turtles from getting away, the nails need to have an angle that points upwards.
- Put the trap in water that is just a few inches deep, keeping the nails at least two inches above the surface. Positioning is critical in order to ensure that the turtles can continue to breathe even if they get stuck.
- Attach some freshly caught fish or other kinds of food to the structure that is located in the middle of the turtle trap.
Click here to learn how to build other homemade traps such as wire basket, log, slat, and tiltboard traps in simple and easy steps!
How To Remove Snapping Turtles From A Pond?
In spite of their endearing appearance, snapping turtles pose a significant threat to humans. They are able to quickly and readily access your garden pond or water feature from any of the surrounding lengths of water.
For instance, if you live in close proximity to a river or lake, it would not be difficult for them to find their way to your serene pond.
Your strategy for dealing with these beings has to be well thought out and carried out with extreme caution. If you follow our steps, you’ll be able to get rid of snapping turtles in no time.
1. Determine Which Humane Trap You Will Use
The word “humane” is of the utmost significance! Although it has been said this before it is appropriate to bring it up once again since, despite the fact that they are unwelcome characters in your pond, they are simply creatures doing their best to live in the environment in which they find themselves.
You need to make sure that the traps you use to get rid of these turtles are live traps, which means that the turtles may be captured in the traps without being harmed in any way.
In most cases, you have the option of choosing between floating or nonfloating traps. Either option is acceptable, however, you must make sure that the trap that does not float is placed on stable ground so that the snapping turtle has access to oxygen.
Otherwise, they will drown. If you choose any of these traps, it will be a great deal simpler to move them to a secure location, and it will also reduce the likelihood that you may get an injury.
2. Determine What You Will Use As Bait For The Trap
It is very important that you choose the appropriate kind of bait for your snapping turtle trap. You will need to entice them into the trap, and in order to do so, you will need to decide what it is that will pique their interest.
It is important to keep in mind that snapping turtles are carnivores. You should look for bait that would appeal to them, such as meat or fish.
They like meat that has a highly pungent smell to it. Because of this, they are able to better track the bait.
You may also rest easy knowing that your snapping turtles will recognize the aroma even if the bait is moist. Keeping this in mind, it is suggested that you choose fish, beef, liver, and other animal parts such as kidneys that have a strong fragrance.
These all have strong aromas that cannot be covered up by anything, not even water.
3. Prepare Your Trap For The Snapping Turtle
You are now able to begin setting up your trap once you have selected both the trap itself and the bait that will be used in it.
It is of the utmost importance that any bait that you use to be put inside the trap at a depth that is sufficient to enable the snapping turtle to enter it in its entirety.
Put the trap in a shallow region, since that is where the turtle would be most apt to go for food, and it will have the most chance of being successful.
In the event that your trap does not float, you will be required to position it so that a portion of it is elevated above the water.
As a result, it must be situated on a bank or at least partially on the beach. If you neglect to do this, the turtle will get encased in an area where there is no oxygen, and it will eventually suffocate to death.
When it comes to removing snapping turtles from an area, there is no need to harm them. It is of the utmost importance that you handle the invasion of snapping turtles in a humane manner.
How Can A Pond Be Protected Against Turtles?
After you have removed all of the turtles from your pond and found new homes for them, you will want to take precautions to prevent them from returning.
The only method to really and completely prevent turtles from entering your pond is to construct a barrier around it. Variety of methods are available for that purpose, such as the following:
Yard Fence:
By erecting a fence around the outside of your property, you may prevent turtles from entering your backyard and pond. This may also assist in discouraging other kinds of predators from coming near your pond.
Although it is possible that this will be successful in driving turtles away, it may be expensive to implement and may not even be possible in certain communities.
Perimeter Fence:
The installation of a fence around the pond’s circumference may also be an effective method for preventing turtles from entering the water.
If you want to keep turtles out of your pond, consider erecting a low fence around it that is just one to two feet high.
This alternative is more cost-effective than erecting a fence all the way around your property, but it runs the risk of diminishing the visual appeal of your pond.
Pond Netting:
Putting mesh pond netting over your pond is an easy, affordable, and efficient method to protect it from animals that could try to harm it, as well as from garbage and turtles.
It is undoubtedly the least expensive of the three available options and, depending on the net that you use, it is scarcely noticeable.
Is It Possible For Turtles To Take Over A Pond?
The rather fast pace at which they reproduce is one of the most significant drawbacks associated with keeping turtles as pets in the pond.
In small ponds, they may rapidly overpopulate, causing water quality issues, competition with other pond species for nutrients, and eventually taking over the pond.
Therefore, you should always keep the number of turtles to a certain limit, and maintain proper guidelines to regulate their population.
Check For Regulation Rules
It is of the utmost importance that you investigate the laws and policies that govern the region in which you live before you engage in any activity.
This is due to the fact that many different municipal authorities have specific protocols for dealing with animals that pose a threat to the community.
The authorities will assist you in determining the most effective methods to capture them and will also provide you with information on the locations of suitable areas in which to release them back into the wild.
Because turtles are carnivores, some areas, for instance, may be off-limits owing to the presence of this trait.
In addition to this, specific agencies may provide protection status to select species. Your local authorities will be able to provide you with advice on how to deal with the snapping and other turtles, and they may even come out to your property to deal with the turtles themselves!
Conclusion
Turtles are lovable reptiles that might be a lovely find in your pond if you keep an eye out for them. Nevertheless, in spite of the fact that some people keep them as pets, they can also be a problem and create chaos in more ways than one.
Regardless of whether you believe the pond turtles in your pond contribute positively or negatively to the environment of your pond, you will need an effective way to trap them in order to remove or relocate of them.
It is extremely suggested that you do not bring the turtle inside with you but rather leave it in its natural habitat where it belongs since this is where it is most comfortable.
If it seems to be happy where it is living at the moment, there is no need to relocate it. That concludes all there is to know about how to successfully capture a turtle.