Lots of animals might be using your garden without you even realising it – they might be small and quick, in places you can’t see, or coming out at night. To find out who’s been visiting your garden, try a bit of detective work by making this simple footprint trap.
What you will need:
- An old baking tray
- Long ruler
- Fine grain sand
- Water
- A low sided dish
- Meat based cat or dog food
- Footprint ID guide (optional)
How to make your footprint trap:
- Fill the baking tray with sand and use the ruler to smooth the surface.
- Check that the trap works by lightly pressing your finger into the sand – it should leave an indent. If it does, smooth over the sand again.
- Place a dish with pet food in the middle of the tray and leave the tray in the garden overnight.
- Check the tray in the morning for animal footprints.
- Use a footprint ID guide or the pictures on the sheet linked to this activity to help identify who has been using your garden!
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