never had these before but now have a couple who fly from martin house to martin house and all you can here is their squawking.... what is best and easiest way to deal with them... bb gun does not scare them off-nothing seems to. i dont want to change all gourd enterances, just want to know of an easier way to get rid of them. thanks martins not here yet......
peggy
sparrows
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Guest
changing the gourd entrance would not help anyway so don't worry about that. They will have to be killed!! Scaring them off is not a option. They sound like they have staked a claim. The good thing is that your martins are not back so dealing with them may be easier. I don't know if you have a nest insert trap or not but that would be the safest way to catch them since martins are for sure atleast in your area. If not though you must deal with them another way. First close off all house entrances except one per house. Sounds like you have two houses so block all but 1 entrance on each house and make it one you can monitor easily.
Now what I am about to suggest may be contoversal but it will work but you will have to be very careful with it and not leave it set unless you are there actually watching it all the time. Do one of two things, either cut and place a glue trap inside the open cavities or place a set mouse trap right inside the entrance to the cavities. I have causht and killed them both ways.
NOTE! THIS WILL KILL MARTINS TOO!! YOU HAVE TO MONITOR IT NON STOP AND NEVER USE THIS TACTIC AFTER YOUR MARTINS RETURN!!
Now what I am about to suggest may be contoversal but it will work but you will have to be very careful with it and not leave it set unless you are there actually watching it all the time. Do one of two things, either cut and place a glue trap inside the open cavities or place a set mouse trap right inside the entrance to the cavities. I have causht and killed them both ways.
NOTE! THIS WILL KILL MARTINS TOO!! YOU HAVE TO MONITOR IT NON STOP AND NEVER USE THIS TACTIC AFTER YOUR MARTINS RETURN!!
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John Miller
- Posts: 4863
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Peggy
Can't recall what kind of house. I catch sparrows in a Trendsetter with aluminum crescents using the universal trap -- had to modify the trap entrance but I think the PMCA sells one now that fits crescents. Then..I shim the sides of the house aluminum crescent in to just under 1.5 inches -- this blocks martins. You could shim the trap entrance as an alternative..but if a sparrow looks in the outside hole and sees the trap, he may not enter. They go in more readily I think if you shim the outside entrance, and it may help lure them in to swirl some nest material in front of the trap entrance to hide it.
This is how I do it, but may give you some trap ideas for your house. Or..you can become a better shot!
John M
P.S. Now..how to shim a crescent. Trendsetters have a little slot I use to wedge in some aluminum pieces at the sides of the crescent. Idybala's suggestion of the electrical outlet sounds pretty darn good. If you could position a cover over the hole on the outside, I think sparrows would pop right in.
Can't recall what kind of house. I catch sparrows in a Trendsetter with aluminum crescents using the universal trap -- had to modify the trap entrance but I think the PMCA sells one now that fits crescents. Then..I shim the sides of the house aluminum crescent in to just under 1.5 inches -- this blocks martins. You could shim the trap entrance as an alternative..but if a sparrow looks in the outside hole and sees the trap, he may not enter. They go in more readily I think if you shim the outside entrance, and it may help lure them in to swirl some nest material in front of the trap entrance to hide it.
This is how I do it, but may give you some trap ideas for your house. Or..you can become a better shot!
John M
P.S. Now..how to shim a crescent. Trendsetters have a little slot I use to wedge in some aluminum pieces at the sides of the crescent. Idybala's suggestion of the electrical outlet sounds pretty darn good. If you could position a cover over the hole on the outside, I think sparrows would pop right in.
I like the electircal plate and mouse trap idea! Simple.
What i do is get my .22 cal. rifle and some .22 cal birshot loads and park my truck close to the house. The windows are tinted so the sparrows can't see inside. I get in the back seat and crack the window and after about 10 minutes, they birds forget about the truck being there and the sparrows will land on the house 20 feet from me. At that rang the birdshot is plenty effective. I can kill half a dozen sparrows in half an hour this way. The martins get used to the gunshots and come right back. I usually try to do this when the martins are out feeding though.
What i do is get my .22 cal. rifle and some .22 cal birshot loads and park my truck close to the house. The windows are tinted so the sparrows can't see inside. I get in the back seat and crack the window and after about 10 minutes, they birds forget about the truck being there and the sparrows will land on the house 20 feet from me. At that rang the birdshot is plenty effective. I can kill half a dozen sparrows in half an hour this way. The martins get used to the gunshots and come right back. I usually try to do this when the martins are out feeding though.
4th season Landlord - new Super Gourd system this year!
March 25 and they have finally arived!
March 25 and they have finally arived!
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Guest
I agree with everyone elses post!!! Forgot to tell you about shimming the entrance hole!!! Let us know if you get those devils!!! 
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Guest
Can't hit an elephant in the butt with an ironing board so I trap them. HS love white feathers. I put them in the trap and have caught 5 at a time. Although I must say, I still love the satisfaction of shooting a HS deader that $hi&. But the older I get, the less that seems to happen. I also have been known to use a vehicle as a blind for shooting sparrows. (attempting to shoot sparrows) And my bedroom window. The living room window. Bushes. My shed. It normally just ends up with me cursing while wandering my property carrying an air rifle. I'm pretty sure the neighbors are terrified. We don't do lunch or anything so I don't really care. This is what being a martin land lord has brought me to. It's a sad state for sure. But damn its fun.
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KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
LOL -pstephen2000 wrote:This is what being a martin land lord has brought me to. It's a sad state for sure. But damn its fun.
My thoughts exactly last year as I stood hidden behind a tree waiting for one particularly elusive male HOSP to land....and the school bus drove by. Oh boy....
I guess the only thing starlings & HOSP are good for are helping us satisfy that centuries old urge to hunt something.
I could stand to go for a year or two of not having to do this tho. Man against beast..."Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com