No wonder!!! Definitely a rant!!

Vixen55 · Fri May 14, 2021 12:13 pm

I've decided that I hate sparrows. I thought I just disliked them because they're invasive, aggressive, non native etc... but NOW!! I was out early this morning enough to see four purple Martins flying around my little S&K barnhouse. Great right?? Then I saw 2 sparrows chasing them and not letting them anywhere near the house!!! I took the house down yet again and pulled out another bunch of sparrow crap built up just since yesterday when I cleaned it out! I have the repeater trap set but they're too smart and won't go to it. Yep. I hate them.

Cjs180 · Fri May 14, 2021 12:53 pm

Shoot them with a pellet gun if you can in your area.

Vixen55 · Fri May 14, 2021 1:12 pm

Ok no laughing! I'm kind of a girly girl! I did try with my Daisy. It scares them that's all. And now they see me coming! Am I going to shoot a hole in the house with a better one? Do I need one with a scope? I really REALLY want to get them! It seems to be the male who's instigating all this. Ugh!

deancamp · Fri May 14, 2021 3:33 pm

A scope and better rifle would help but if your not a shooter I would stick with trapping to get them. You mentioned a repeater trap so I assume you don't have a nest trap. Have you tried putting the nesting material in the repeater trap so it is easy for them to collect and rebuild? If you had a nest trap that would fit into your housing, take the torn out nest and use it to disguise the trap in the cavity the nest was built in.

Vixen55 · Fri May 14, 2021 3:59 pm

Ok I'll try a better gun. Bb's ok right? Ill definitely have to hide. I didn't see a trap that would work in this old house- the S & K. I think I'm just going to start over and get a house that traps will fit in. May be gourds? What's y'alls opinion about either a house or gourds? Sorry! What a newbie! I'm so frustrated because this is the first time I even had any lookers. I never dreamed the sparrows were that bad. Boy have I learned. Poor martins. And I'm definitely going to keep on (if I'm ever successful) with trapping throughout the year!! Again UGH!

scottfreidhof · Fri May 14, 2021 7:31 pm

Assuming it is safe to shoot maybe ask a family member or friend who is a hunter and can use a shotgun. Hundreds of #7-shot steel BBs increase your odds of hitting the target the first time. There are several perches around my yard (lilac bush, maple tree, juniper) that the house sparrows use away from the gourds. I can blast them without any damage. Mixed bird seed on the ground will attract them to a spot where you can shoot more safely too. Since the sparrows recognize you as a threat, use a a blind of some sort like a vehicle.

Unk Bond · Fri May 14, 2021 8:21 pm

Vixen55 wrote: ↑
Fri May 14, 2021 12:13 pm
I've decided that I hate sparrows. I thought I just disliked them because they're invasive, aggressive, non native etc... but NOW!! I was out early this morning enough to see four purple Martins flying around my little S&K barnhouse. Great right?? Then I saw 2 sparrows chasing them and not letting them anywhere near the house!!! I took the house down yet again and pulled out another bunch of sparrow crap built up just since yesterday when I cleaned it out! I have the repeater trap set but they're too smart and won't go to it. Yep. I hate them.

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Hello
Iwoul suggest a Red Dot scope. On the gun you choose to use.. [ Later

Cjs180 · Sat May 15, 2021 6:34 am

Pellets are going to be way more accurate than BB’s. If you want to even get more technical, try JSB pellets as they seem to shoot straight out of even the cheaper pellet guns. They probably can be bought off Amazon or a place like PyramydAir Dot com.

Good luck.

deancamp · Sat May 15, 2021 8:32 am

I think a lot of people have good luck with the s&k housing. How about hanging a couple gourds underneath and let the Martins decide which they like. They prefer the gourds at my site but others have reported the opposite. I have troyer vertical gourds with a tunnel and you can get a very inexpensive trap for those. You could block the house entrances forcing the sparrows to nest in the gourds where they could be trapped. Just a thought.

TNMartins · Sat May 15, 2021 8:42 am

You can use masking tape to cover the holes except for the trap. I’ve also been using some black pipe insulation foam (like a pool noodle). Cut it into the shape of the entry hole and plug it. That way it looks like the hole is open from a distance for passing Martins.

I can also vouch for using pellets in a pump BB gun. BBs don’t go straight enough for Sparrows. Set up a spot where you can ‘bench rest’ your gun for accuracy. Set up a target in your yard and practice / adjust the rear sight until you are hitting an area on your target about the size of a ping pong ball. I have been using a Daisy Powerline 880, which is around $60. I’ve taken out 30-ish sparrows this way over the past 5 years.

Vixen55 · Sat May 15, 2021 9:43 am

Oh my gosh such helpful advice! I'm on it. I feed the song birds here but ONLY black sunflower seeds. I had no idea sparrows were as aggressive as they have shown. They just seemed to swarm as soon as I opened the house! Thank y'all so much.

Cjs180 · Sat May 15, 2021 4:18 pm

Take out the male first if given the choice. The female may leave on her own then.

Spiderman · Mon May 17, 2021 5:48 pm

You might install a 2nd pole and put a van ert trap on it. I would buy one with a large enough opening to catch starlings or sparrows. The Martins won’t go into it, so when it is closed it is either a sparrow or a starling.

I’ve always had better luck trapping versus shooting, the body of a sparrow is very small.....lol.