PM fans, i put up the Van Ert trap and have closely monitored now for 6 days. I bought the wooden box with the spring loaded thingy inside.
I placed it on the wooden fence very visible, but nothing.
Any ideas as what to do to get the HOSP to go investigate?
Thanks!
Lisa
Van Ert trap, help
May try to tape a feather of some sort to the inside that is visible from the hole on the outside. If the sparrows are trying to nest in your Martin houses it should pull them in.
I have the Van Ert trap & really like it. But I mainly catch Starlings. It is the same height as my Martin houses & only 30' away from my Colony. The size & shape of the box does not really interest the Martins.
I have the Van Ert trap & really like it. But I mainly catch Starlings. It is the same height as my Martin houses & only 30' away from my Colony. The size & shape of the box does not really interest the Martins.
Colony started in 2002
Offering 82 Troyer Horizontal Gourds
2018 - 45 PAIR - FLEDGED 203 MARTINS
2019 - 68 PAIR - FLEDGED 268 MARTINS
2020 - 82 PAIR - FLEDGED 392 MARTINS
2021 - 78 PAIR - FLEDGED 349 MARTINS
2022 - 76 PAIR - FLEDGED 373 MARTINS
2023 - 68 PAIR - FLEDGED 355 MARTINS
*2023 Added 2”X4” wire cages to all three Troyer Gemini Gourd Racks to deal with Great Horned Owl predation on Colony.
Offering 82 Troyer Horizontal Gourds
2018 - 45 PAIR - FLEDGED 203 MARTINS
2019 - 68 PAIR - FLEDGED 268 MARTINS
2020 - 82 PAIR - FLEDGED 392 MARTINS
2021 - 78 PAIR - FLEDGED 349 MARTINS
2022 - 76 PAIR - FLEDGED 373 MARTINS
2023 - 68 PAIR - FLEDGED 355 MARTINS
*2023 Added 2”X4” wire cages to all three Troyer Gemini Gourd Racks to deal with Great Horned Owl predation on Colony.
One thing house sparrows are attracted to, are other house sparrows.
Whenever I'm shooting house sparrows, I sometimes play house sparrow calls from my iPhone.
Hearing other house sparrows brings them in to investigate.
Not sure how far your Van Ert is from a window in your house, but if it's pretty close (20 feet or less), try playing some house sparrow calls from the window.
If the trap is far from the nearest window, I would even record some house sparrow calls on a small digital recorder, and then place the recorder inside the house with the trap.
I get my house sparrow calls (and many others) from the Cornell website:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hou ... row/sounds
They even have a neat little app you can download to your smartphone.
Whenever I'm shooting house sparrows, I sometimes play house sparrow calls from my iPhone.
Hearing other house sparrows brings them in to investigate.
Not sure how far your Van Ert is from a window in your house, but if it's pretty close (20 feet or less), try playing some house sparrow calls from the window.
If the trap is far from the nearest window, I would even record some house sparrow calls on a small digital recorder, and then place the recorder inside the house with the trap.
I get my house sparrow calls (and many others) from the Cornell website:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hou ... row/sounds
They even have a neat little app you can download to your smartphone.
I'm so upset!! I made my new Van Ert look lived in and have placed it high up in the tree they fly to when they see me.
Then i did a quick nest check to clear out any HOSP nest beginnings only to find a dead female pm that had obviously put up a fight, but lost.
This is the first i have found a pm that died.
If this trap does not catch any of these horrible HOSP 'S, i am ready to get that pellet gun.
So sad that i lost my sweet pm on my watch.
-Lisa
Then i did a quick nest check to clear out any HOSP nest beginnings only to find a dead female pm that had obviously put up a fight, but lost.
This is the first i have found a pm that died.
If this trap does not catch any of these horrible HOSP 'S, i am ready to get that pellet gun.
So sad that i lost my sweet pm on my watch.
-Lisa
I have heard about that model. Didn't know there was a silencer available.
Not really on the in-house trap bc i have a 16 cavity house. It is not a fancy one like ya'll have. When i lift up the door to check the nests, it exposes 3 cavities, not one at a time. The pms use all of them, so i would worry they would get hurt.
It is either the Van Ert trap gets them, or Annie Oakley will take them out.
Not really on the in-house trap bc i have a 16 cavity house. It is not a fancy one like ya'll have. When i lift up the door to check the nests, it exposes 3 cavities, not one at a time. The pms use all of them, so i would worry they would get hurt.
It is either the Van Ert trap gets them, or Annie Oakley will take them out.
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John & Linda - KY
- Posts: 599
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 10:19 pm
- Location: Kentucky/Hawesville
Annie, get your gun! -- John