Then I like to dip the traps black. There are a few ways to accompolish this. The easiest and quickest and also the method I prefer is to “speed dip” them. To do this you need to go to a trapping supply dealer either online or a local store and buy a quart of Spped Dip. Then you will need to buy yourself a gallon of Coleman lantern fuel. Dump the speed dip and the fuel into a bucket big enough to fit the traps you plan to dip, I use a 5 gallon pail. Mix it up well and it is ready to use.
The other method takes longer, is the more traditional method, and gives darker color and that is “boiling” the traps. To do this method, you would need to collect a bunch of walnut hulls. Break the nut out of the hull and then put the hulls in a pot with water. You will then need to have a heat source to get the water to a boil. The walnut hulls are black and the boiling releases into the water and makes it very black.
But first, in order for either method to be the most effective and retain the black color, your traps need to have a light coat of rust. Mine were lightly rusted from last years use already so all I had to do was brush the loose rust dust off. The rusting basically gives the dip or hulls something to adhere to.
Here is a pic of a nice lightly rusted trap before dipping.