Remote Control HOSP Trap

[PMom]

I searched past forum discussions and did not find anything definitive on this topic. I have a male HOSP that I cannot trap despite all efforts and strategies. This the third season I am dealing with him. I have trapped and humanely dispatched several of his mates but not him. He is very smart and recognizes any trap or trap mechanism very easily. He is currently focused on two units - a T-14 house nest and a EABL house nearby. Thankfully his first mate disappeared (competitor?, predator?) so he is just scrambling to claim a nest and being a general nuisance to my colony. But we all know that behavior can turn deadly.

What I need is a remote control device that can trigger a trap door to close without all the paraphernalia we usually have to use to trap in nest boxes. There are countless times I could have trapped him if I had a way to do so remotely and without anything in the box he could regard as "out of the ordinary". I have found scientific research that speaks to success designing such a device to trap TRES for banding research. And I've found commercially available remote control traps for larger animals (e.g. feral cats). And I've found DIY videos that require a separate dedicated nest box that may never attract a HOSP.

So my questions are:
1. Has anyone found commercially available remote control trapping device that can be temporarily added to a PUMA house unit / EABL nest box?
2. Has anyone designed a simple solution along this line and willing to share your plans?

Thank you!

[tboydshirt]

I've had similar experiences. Especially on t14 houses. i have had a couple "inventions" over the winter that have proven useful. one is a passive, and the other is active, but no remote control. they work because nothing is visible from the outside. if you are on facebook, join ohio purple martins group and scroll for a video. the passive one has a sliding door mounted on the inside of the door above. it is held there by a stiff wire trigger which the sparrow steps on once fully inside. the trigger tilts away from holding up the sliding door and falls behind the bird. the active one is more aggressive, i took an ordinary mouse trap which the bottom of the board is cut off and mount it above the door on the inside as well. the trip wire extends to the little plate where you normally put the cheese. again, the trip wire sits just off the floor. i even painted it so it looks like straw. when triggered it snaps the spring loaded "neck breaker" down behind the bird covering the doorway half way down. doesn't hurt the bird but it blocks the entrance with a wire rod in the middle. hope this helps, and I agree sparrows are the craftiest birds out there. You only get one chance with them.

[PMom]

Thank you very much, @tboydshirt! I'll join the Ohio PM Group and check out those videos!

[dsonyay]

Make friends with a mechanical engineer… and before you know it.. he’ll have a working prototype

[flyin-lowe]

I spoke with Dave from S&K years ago bout this and he was interested in the idea but never built it (that I know of) so I assume it was not real cost effective. It would not be real hard to come up with something one off. I used to own RC planes and the servos can be found pretty cheap. The way things are now I assume they are even cheaper. Problem might be, if this sparrow is as skittish as you say, he might not go in with the electronics stuck on the front of the cavity.

If it were me I would put a very small reducer on the cavity so martins cannot get it and use a glue trap on the inside of the cavity. Once you insert the glue trap you have to remain somewhere where you can watch the cavity. You don't want some native bird trying to go in. I don't use glue traps very often, but as a last resort they are very effective. I usually cut a small piece of a lid from a cottage cheese containing and stick it on the opening reducing the size slightly. As long as it is white the sparrows don't seem to notice it and it will keep a martin out.

[dsonyay]

I spoke with Dave from S&K years ago bout this and he was interested in the idea but never built it (that I know of) so I assume it was not real cost effective. It would not be real hard to come up with something one off. I used to own RC planes and the servos can be found pretty cheap. The way things are now I assume they are even cheaper. Problem might be, if this sparrow is as skittish as you say, he might not go in with the electronics stuck on the front of the cavity.

If it were me I would put a very small reducer on the cavity so martins cannot get it and use a glue trap on the inside of the cavity. Once you insert the glue trap you have to remain somewhere where you can watch the cavity. You don't want some native bird trying to go in. I don't use glue traps very often, but as a last resort they are very effective. I usually cut a small piece of a lid from a cottage cheese containing and stick it on the opening reducing the size slightly. As long as it is white the sparrows don't seem to notice it and it will keep a martin out.

Yes… smaller hole / glue trap…. Great alternative

[PMom]

Thank you all. Great ideas (so far).

I've never used a glue trap for anything before, but I suppose if I reduce the entry hole as advised and diligently monitor I can minimize the suffering of the poor devil.

[alfie]

I use the "Deluxe Universal Sparrow Trap" (SKU: DUST) that I purchased from PMCA. Last year I caught 15 HOSP and so far this year I caught 9. I monitor my back yard bird feeders and only seen maybe 1 more. Haven't seen him on the T-14 nor Gourds yet. I also have 2 repeating traps which I caught about 3 or 4. I had them close to my houses and caught quite a few. Hope you have your problem fixed

[PMom]

Since you all were kind enough to give me ideas, I want to provide an update. I believe I won this year's battle with my sparrow(s) but certainly have not won the war. The bottom line is I have not had a male HOSP visit my colony for several days. The lack of incessant squawking is just amazing. But there are HOSPs still in the area.

Turns out there were two male HOSPs - one trying to get a T-14 unit and one trying to get a bluebird house. When I first posted, I thought they were one and the same. I was able to easily trap the Bluebird house HOSP using my good 'ol Van Ert trap, and dispatched him humanely with my CO2 chamber.

While I was watching the bluebird house trap, I camouflaged my Deluxe Universal Sparrow Trap (like you have alfie) with the intent of one final attempt at trapping my long standing T-14 nemesis. Pics attached for the end result that I was confident might do the trick!. That trap went into his unit of choice along with a narrowed entrance to keep PM's out, as some of you suggested. Because no other native birds go near the T-14s, that trap was in place for 48 hours, with frequent monitoring.

I also re-armed the Van Ert trap for most of a day, until I observed the last male HOSP try to re-enter and freak out when he saw the trap. I suspect he must have also been freaked out by the T-14 nest box trap, even with all my camouflage because I never saw him on either T-14 houses again. Bottom line, I scared him away.

This HOSP was persistent though and before he disappeared, he spent a couple days bopping around my two gourd racks. My PMs did an excellent job dissuading him. High PM occupancy really does help keep pests away as well, so I consider this battle victory a team effort!

I am just happy my colony can nest in peace and I can watch them and not a frigging HOSP!

p.s. I could not bring myself to buy a glue trap - I think of them as one of the most abhorrent human inventions. But I won't say never, if someday I have no choice.

[C.C.Martins]

Ran them off! Good. Well ran one off, other wont be back.....ever.

Good camouflage, doesn't look much like a trap. I know a drill sergeant who would be proud of that job. I like your thinking.

You could try variations, Kathy F suggested this: She cut thin cardboard into squares, each cut exactly to fit floors, walls, and back. Then painted them flat black so the sparrow cannot see the dimensions. Inserted them into the trap.
Works for her, I did two traps like that, they are just waiting to get used.

All the best,
Tom

[PMom]

Ran them off! Good. Well ran one off, other wont be back.....ever.

Good camouflage, doesn't look much like a trap. I know a drill sergeant who would be proud of that job. I like your thinking.

You could try variations, Kathy F suggested this: She cut thin cardboard into squares, each cut exactly to fit floors, walls, and back. Then painted them flat black so the sparrow cannot see the dimensions. Inserted them into the trap.
Works for her, I did two traps like that, they are just waiting to get used.

All the best,
Tom

Thanks, Tom. That is another great idea. I'll keep that in my back pocket for sure.

I do think it is the wire - black or silver - of the existing traps on the market that give their intent away.

So making the surround appear 'solid' without the ability to decipher changes in dimensions from the unit is brilliant!