PS - the traps are not cheap, but they last (if you don’t run over them with a golf cart - thanks, mom!).
The more I look at it...
This squirrel (and possibly friends, but the amount of damage makes me think this is one squirrel) appears to be coming from across the road. It very likely crosses via branches overhanging the road — they come together close enough for easy, for a gray squirrel (quite the trapeze artists!) jumps. Some more branches, a 6’ tall fence (wire grid type), and then another wire grid fence that forms the east boundary of the garden area the Opo are in. The Opo climb the fence and then go up into (effectively) taller trellis (sort of) works. (The latter by design — if the Opo get the chance, I’ve seen ‘em climb 20+ feet into tree branches. You have to get out a ladder to harvest the fruits!)
Anyway, point being... The squirrel never hits the ground. I “could” chop out some fencing, but that has other disadvantages. Also, I don’t really have means to take out branches over 20 ft. up. (Some of these to the north of the garden area are more like 50 ft. up.) Taking out the trees is not an option - some are huge, and it’d be an equally huge project.
The Squirrelinator is pretty clearly a ground trap. And it has to ship here. The Opo may not have the time. I “could” rig it up to sort of sit atop the fencing, but that’s a bit of a project too. However... These smaller conventional traps (7.2” x 7.2” x 24”) would be easier to rig to the fencing. I can do that today. “Fluid Film”* should help with the “stiffness” of the trip mechanism, and I think I can improve the “trip” sensitivity with a bit more leverage.
*A sort of long lasting lubricant / penetrant / protectant. Good stuff.
A bait cup for the trap. I can try peanut butter and or scratch grains, or, juicy fruits: It’s been very dry and the squirrel(s) may be after the Opo partially because the fruits and stems are very “juicy”.
The mad scientist’s desperate plan begins to come into focus...