Will continual nest tear outs finally discourage these persistent @%#@#/'s
I have a baited sparrow trap and have not had any luck yet. I unfortunately can't shoot anything(legally at least) where I am located. I have one pair of HOSP that are bound and determined to build a next in one of my compartments. Thought maybe a nest box trap might work but I have martins investigating that compartment also.
Any Ideas?
Do they make silencers for 12 gauge shotguns?.................Just kidding
sparrows
I think the jury is still out on contunal nest tear outs.
Reportedly it has worked up in Canada when no other method was available.
Down here though it is well documented that sparrow nest tear-outs can cause "sparrow rage", in which the male sparrow will destroy eggs and young in neighboring compartments.
I was able to observe this pretty well in 2008. At that time I had access to six neglected houses that were full of sparrows from which I would remove all the sparrow nests every weekend.
During the course of the season, from March until June, I pulled more than 200 completed sparrow nests (and broke more than 200 sparrow eggs) from those same six houses. The sparrows simply did not quit, I pulled as many as eight successive nests every week from the same compartments.
Worse, sparrow rage was in full effect and the martins in those houses lost almost all of their eggs and small young that year.
A nest box trap can work very well, we use a trap gourd in our gourd set-up. To keep the martins from getting inside , shim down the entrance to about 1 5/8". In a pinch, duct tape on the outside of the entrance works just fine for this.
Mike Scully
Reportedly it has worked up in Canada when no other method was available.
Down here though it is well documented that sparrow nest tear-outs can cause "sparrow rage", in which the male sparrow will destroy eggs and young in neighboring compartments.
I was able to observe this pretty well in 2008. At that time I had access to six neglected houses that were full of sparrows from which I would remove all the sparrow nests every weekend.
During the course of the season, from March until June, I pulled more than 200 completed sparrow nests (and broke more than 200 sparrow eggs) from those same six houses. The sparrows simply did not quit, I pulled as many as eight successive nests every week from the same compartments.
Worse, sparrow rage was in full effect and the martins in those houses lost almost all of their eggs and small young that year.
A nest box trap can work very well, we use a trap gourd in our gourd set-up. To keep the martins from getting inside , shim down the entrance to about 1 5/8". In a pinch, duct tape on the outside of the entrance works just fine for this.
Mike Scully
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Guest
Let them build their nest and than insert a glue trap into it .... don't have to worry about the 'sparrow revenge' syndrome 
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electraglideman
- Posts: 71
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2003 6:45 pm
- Location: Arkadelphia, AR
Shiner, if that's a trio house you have, I used a Spare-o-door which is made for the Trio. I guess I trapped all of the HS in my neighborhood a year before last because I didn't have any last year. The HS love it and Martins can't fit through the hole. It's a great device.
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Guest
That's good to hear - I'm in the same boat - I have a sparrow trap that just will NOT attract them (I've tried seeds, feathers, and bread, none of them worked - the mockingbirds stole the bread!).
I reckon I'm going to order a spare-o-trap for the trio (I have a musselman).
Oh, and incidentally, it's best to NOT let the telescoping pole collapse on your head. Dented the tar out of my martin house porch yesterday... :(
I reckon I'm going to order a spare-o-trap for the trio (I have a musselman).
Oh, and incidentally, it's best to NOT let the telescoping pole collapse on your head. Dented the tar out of my martin house porch yesterday... :(
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~Ray~Gingerich
- Posts: 2122
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:24 pm
- Location: Delaware/Dover
Last season at my work place a pair of sparrows built a nest between 2 electrical light transformers. I would wait until they had had eggs or hatchlings and then tare the nest down,I could not believe how persistant they were, every time I destroyed the nest they would rebuild and start a new one, they did not give up. My solution..... walked under the nest one night and saw a sparrow peeking out of that little hole they build. went and got a can of wasp and hornet spray and let him have it right between the eyes.That put a stop to the nest building.
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
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CraigMo.
- Posts: 1480
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 12:30 pm
- Location: Missouri/Lone Jack
- Martin Colony History: Active since 2003
Robert, the spare o door trap will work great and its easy and lasts forever. They sell it on the pmca shop here. I always put my house up early each year and have my spar-o-door trap going. Also it is to small for a martin to get in so its safe to use while martins are there. But you should always monitor it in case a good bird gets caught.
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shiner
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 3:31 pm
- Location: Texas/McKinney
- Martin Colony History: Landlord since 2009.
Thanks Craig for the info and the pm. I have a trio, but I am not having any problems yet with the sparrows in that house. The sparrow door is definitely a great tool for the trio's.
Thanks anyway
Thanks anyway
Robert Shine
McKinney, Texas
McKinney, Texas
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
Yes, if using a glue trap MAKE SURE that you have narrowed the size of the entrance first so that no martins can get in. Duct tape was suggested. I cut out a small entrance from the plastic in the side of a milk jug and thumb tacked it securely to my T.H. gourds before using the glue trap. No martins can get in but a wren, chickadee, TS or such might so watch until the HS is caught. It will only take a few minutes if there is an active HS nest in the gourd. If you are patient you might even catch both the male and female HS on the SAME glue trap. I did yesterday.
You can see the pic I took of my gourd entrance on a previous posting on this page.
You can see the pic I took of my gourd entrance on a previous posting on this page.
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Guest
fix a mini blind...hid inside of it before day break..use a bb gun ..might take a few mornings.. but it all depends on how detremined you are to protect the martins... use a ladder or ladders for your mini blind frame..good luck!