2nd wing entrapment this year

[brent]

Hi everyone,

I just want to share my experience today with wing entrapment. I suspect that a wayward SY male has been going in compartments and creating less than comfortable situations. 1st I saw a scuffle and feathers coming out of a compartment. I quickly lowered the housing and once I opened it out flew what looked like a female. Still inside was the female that belonged. So that was taken care of but later I could see a wing trapped in another compartment. Again I quickly lowered it and released what looked like a SY male. Still inside was a female. This make me think that the original scuffle was between a SY male and a female. Has any one had experience with an aggressive SY male before? Right now I only have 2 compartments with eggs. All the others have hatchlings. Your thoughts? Please.

Brent

[Dave Duit]

Hi Brent,
SY males can be aggressive; especially this time in the season. I would suggest that you add anti wing entrapment to your entrances. Others will chime in on how to install them. Do this after your martins have migrated back to Brazil at the end of the season.

[brent]

Hi Dave,

I have Trendsetter housing that I bought from PMCA. They already have anti wing entrapment at the entrances. They are the thick plastic aligning the inside of the entrance, right? If I add any more I won't be able to use the nest trays. I think this might be one of the problems with the SHREH design...any one else...comment?

Brent

[Matt F.]

Hi Brent,
You are right. The shapes and angles of SREHs combined with very thin aluminum or plastic, is problematic.
It really seems like wing-entrapment protectors need to be an inch in thickness or more, to be really effective.
Even small round holes (smaller than 3”) when used in the aluminum interior dividers to connect two compartments, can be prone to wing-entrapments.

[John Miller]

Please go to the top of this Forum and fill out the entrapment survey. Suggest also calling the PMCA. I've talked to them and the Trendsetter manufactuer about this for over a decade and some progress, but not enough. I've made my own guards, deeper as suggested, and are effective, but do interfere with nest trays in Trendsetters (so I make my own trays).
John Miller

[brent]

Thanks, that is a good idea. I may have to make my own nest trays, too. How did you make your guards? With what material, etc.

[Archer]

I made some guards from a 3 inch pvc pipe. First I cut he pipe in half legth wise. Then sliced of 3/4 inch pieces. I attached with silicone. I positioned the guards about 1/16th inch above the Sreh. At the bottom ends of the guard, I filled in any gap between the guard and the floor with silicone, trying to smooth out all rough edges.