Starlings still attacking

[aarosport]

My PM's have come back, only to be consistently attacked. The starling aren't even nesting in the house, just attacking. I can't shoot them, and there are just too many to trap. Tonight I was enjoying watching the Martins going in and out of the house and singing away, then I happened again, a starling swooped in and grabbed a Martin and took in to the ground. Just like that all the PM's gone again. I am at my breaking point. There is not much else I can do.

[jeffwilliams72]

You need to add SREH to all of your entrances. Even though you say there are too many to trap, that means you MUST trap. If you don't try to stop them and reduce their numbers, your PMs may leave.

[aarosport]

I bought the cheap lowes version of the trio house. All 3 openings are connected to one flip up door. How do I make SREH since there is no door replacement that I know of. What trap do you recommend I buy, and where and how do I use it? Thanks in advance!

[jr 2]

i have an older alumium trio[ durocraft] with the door like yours and i bought sreh [clinger] tunnels from S&K and added them too the sides of the house ;;;jr2

[jeffwilliams72]

The PMCA sells replacement SREH doors for your house, their shipping is pretty quick too. They also sell a good nestbox trap that is a Starling magnet.
If you get the doors switched out, the Starlings will be super easy to trap in the nestbox trap.

[Jim 1990]

I use the NBT and some days I would have 8 starlings in a day . At this time of year when they are looking for a place to nest . I know I get more starlings with this trap then I could shoot, and it saves me a lot of time not having to wait for them to land shoot then have to wait for them to come back shooting one at a time.

I would put up a NBT I would not have a colony of martins with out it as the starlings are in great numbers here but I think I have put a big dent in the population as I trap around 70 of these pest a year in the breeding season .
I started trapping at the end o Febuary and have caught 65 so far and on the average I get 2-3 starlings a day. and they still are coming. I think that this trap will take care of a lot of you starling problem. There is a article at the beginning of the forum an a youtube movie showing how it works . or purchase one at the martin market place Those starlings need to go.

JIm 1990

[DornCounty]

That's one thing I have noticed too, is that starling will simply bully the martins, even when they are not nesting nearby. It's almmost like the starlings are programmed to raid the trios.

[Dennis D]

Get the SREH and they will lose all interest in your housing, esp this time of year.

[RC Moser]

I got that house, Probably the worst house you could buy other than heath Octagon house, starling love them. But, you can make it work if your willing to modifed it. First it's plastic so cutting out the round holes and adding the sreh plates is easy enough you simply place the sreh plate over the opening mark the inside leaving 1/4" more than the sreh opening. Cut and either bolt (tiny bolts, nuts, washers at local hardware store) or pop rivet (4 minimum) the sreh plate in place

Your next modification would be to sreen over the top floor due to it has no ceiling and the starling only want the top floor due to they can go in one cavity go over the wall and nest in the adjacent cavity plugging off the entry hole in that cavity with grass or nesting material they drag in.

The last modification would would want to do would be expand the compartments. making 4 L shaped compartments and two straight through compartments and blocking off the nest chamber with flat piece of plastic or sheet metal.

IMO these are the minimum modifications you need to make to make that style house so what safe and starling proof.

[Matt F.]

I bought the cheap lowes version of the trio house. All 3 openings are connected to one flip up door. How do I make SREH since there is no door replacement that I know of. What trap do you recommend I buy, and where and how do I use it? Thanks in advance!

Those old school Trios with one door for three compartments, were discontinued many years back.
Is your house aluminum, or plastic?

[aarosport]

To answer your questions: yes, it is plastic. Lowes still sells these houses. So I am guessing that the replacement SREH doors I just bought won't work? I did not buy the plates. Can I somehow use theses replacement doors? I did buy the nest box trap! If I convert the doors to SREH, will my PM have any problem since they are already going in/out round holes? You guys are a bunch of help! Bare with me guys, I am fairly new to this. I was just fortunate to get PM's so quick. I am going to by a new house, should I wait until next year?

[RC Moser]

Way she is describing that house it's not trio. It's Blitz 11859 snap togather plastic house which I think someone brought them out or they are selling them under another brand? I had that house up of 15 years. I think someone said the S & K red barn door panel may work?

[aarosport]

My house is a Heath model PH-12

[Matt F.]

Way she is describing that house it's not trio. It's Blitz 11859 snap togather plastic house which I think someone brought them out or they are selling them under another brand? I had that house up of 15 years. I think someone said the S & K red barn door panel may work?

You are right on RC. Heath bought that model from Blitz a few years back.

[Matt F.]

To answer your questions: yes, it is plastic. Lowes still sells these houses. So I am guessing that the replacement SREH doors I just bought won't work? I did not buy the plates. Can I somehow use theses replacement doors? I did buy the nest box trap! If I convert the doors to SREH, will my PM have any problem since they are already going in/out round holes? You guys are a bunch of help! Bare with me guys, I am fairly new to this. I was just fortunate to get PM's so quick. I am going to by a new house, should I wait until next year?

Are these the doors you bought? (photo credit PMCA)

If so, it would be quite a chore to get them to work.
I would recommend, if possible, to order either the plastic crescent plates, or the plastic Conley II plates. These should be pretty easy to attach to your current plastic doors. Of course, you'll need to open the round holes up larger, to make room for the wider starling resistant holes.
Click here for the plastic crescent plate
Click here for the plastic Conley II plate

[jeffwilliams72]

Aarosport, I am so sorry I suggested those doors, I really thought from your post that you had a trio. I didn't realize it was a different brand.

[RC Moser]

those trio metal door panels will still work you just have to take hammer beat them flat. size them (3) onto the three hole plastic panel rectangular them up, mark the plastic door hole 1/4" bigger than the metal plate and bolt or pop rivet them on using atleast 4 locations out away from the sreh hole. Will be the same as flat ones after you cold form them and cut them to pattern.

[NancyinEnidOK]

Way she is describing that house it's not trio. It's Blitz 11859 snap togather plastic house which I think someone brought them out or they are selling them under another brand? I had that house up of 15 years. I think someone said the S & K red barn door panel may work?

You are right on RC. Heath bought that model from Blitz a few years back.

Aarosport, I have S&K red barn door panels (actually, the whole barn) that I do not intend to use any longer. One of the panels does have a quarter-size hole in it (air rifle, missed the wretched HOSP). You can have the panels or the whole barn, and/or also another S&K house that I'm not using any longer. We're about 100 miles south of you, I could meet you along I-35 or Hwy 81 somewhere south of the state line. Just let me know, okay?

[aarosport]

That's sounds like a heck of a deal. Don't know when but we will head that way sometime soon. My in-laws live in Edmond & we travel that way frequently. I will let you know

[NancyinEnidOK]

Sounds good! I'll send you a PM with contact information.