question for starling exterminators

[birdy girl]

During todays nest check, found a starling nest (that I though starlings had abandoned) with a blue egg in it. These are very sharp starlings cause they do not hang around during the day like most of them have done in past. They sneak in and out. Late this afternoon I clogged the hole with a sock with string on it, sat in my shooting house and waited. They came back like 4 times but was so nervous they never landed on the rods so I could get good aim. Also apparently today a pair of SY martins (new in colony) found this gourd with no activity going on and decided they wanted this gourd. So tonight every time the starlings came the SY male tried to run them off. So I never got a shot at the starlings. I left the gourd clogged up because I didn't want martins to enter it for the night then the starlings to come back and injure them. I guess I will get up early in a.m. to wait on them.

If I changed out gourd and put new nesting material, destroyed starling egg would that cause them to move on or would they just try to take another gourd and maybe injure a martin? I am thinking the best way is to just shoot them, but they have got to sit still long enough for me to do that. I cannot use a sticky trap cause the martins are wanting to go into gourd. Unfortunately the gourd is facing away from my shooting house and hard to see when they come and go. I shot 2 starling a few days ago at this same gourd but these are not cooperating. I guess lucky for them.

What time do starlings start stiring in the a.m.? I want to be up and ready for them when they start coming around.

[Thurman Seber~TN]

I think you are doing the right thing. I would be afraid to just tear the nest out, lest they claim another martin gourd. They stir pretty soon after daybreak. You will get them because you are determined to do so...

I finally got a clean shot at a sparrow today. I had been watching him for a couple days. He won't be back again..

[Guest]

As you might know starlings do not lay blue eggs. Only Bluebirds so far as I know. If you really want to rid of the starlings use the Dually entrance. Many test has been done on this kind of entrance and no starlings has yet to get out. Starlings start their activity just after day break just like the martins do.Hope you have the best of luck with those starlings my good lady and have a wonderful martin season.

[Don]

Starlings do in fact lay blue eggs.

http://www.sialis.org/starlingbio.htm

[Connie]

Thanks Don,
Very fascinating information. I have yet to have any starling problems, very lucky, just a few sparrows. I have not had the time or inclination to read up on them because I am so busy watching my 3 pairs and reading everything I can on this site. So thanks again for the link!

[Gobbler T]

If you were to turn the gourd 180 degrees would it throw the starlings off like it would a martin? Anybody ever tried it?

[birdy girl]

Got up at 5:30, was out there in 10 minutes and there they were. I have shot twice at them and missed. Makes me so mad. One time was at a longer distance than I liked but I am so tired of sitting and waiting on them. Everytime they try to come closer and sit on rack a SY male martin runs them off. I am afraid if he keeps it up, he will get injured by them because they will get desperate to get into the nest cavity with their one egg. And also the female starling will be wanting to lay another egg soon. Also every time I shoot, all martins go into the air. So frustrating that I have missed. twice in a row. Hasn't happened before with this gun. I am sure it is just me. Probably just anxious.

[starling shooter]

At a public site had a starling pair beaching a cresent gourd. I lowered the rack and the female was still in it! Disposed of her and the eggs/nest. Went out a week later, male starling had him another mate.

Only way is to kill them. You won't 'scare' them away.

A NB trap that PMCA sells works wonders at my house. I've got a gourd rack, PM put pressure on the starlings on the rack....they see the nice big round hole and preston. Probably got 50 so far this year...in fact, have to go 'take out some trash' right now.

[ToyinPA]

I have one trapped in the PMCA NestBox trap right now. This makes 4 we've caught in it. Last one we caught was a big & mean.

We attached the NB to the garage, very low so we could reach it. It's like 4 foot off the ground if that. We put some seeds on the platform. We also used nesting materials. I got suet, but haven't used it yet. We also put a 1-1.5 inch white dot (used white paint) in the center of the red door so we could see it from the house when one got caught.

We had 1 pair of starlings build a nest in one of the martin houses. First year ever they did this. So we let them go a few days, then removed the nest, plugged the door. They tried to get back in, but couldn't. I think we caught at least one of them in the trap. The other left.

I highly recommend the PMCA NestBox trap. If you get it make sure you tighten the removal door so they can't push it open & get out.

Now if we can just get the darn sparrows to go in the repeating trap.

Toy in PA

[Louise Chambers]

I like that nestbox trap a lot too, have found it's excellent for starlings, especially if your site has all SREHs, in which case the round entrance on the nestbox trap just sucks them in.

I have not caught house sparrows in it, but it will work for them too.

The nestbox in itself is the 'bait'. I also placed mine on side of garage, where morning sun highlighted the entrance hole, and found I could often catch two in the AM before I left for work. This trap works during nesting season only, not year round like a bait trap does.

Bluebirds started showing an interest in the trap. If that happens, you can drill an escape hole for them (1-1/2 inches) in side of box. Another year, we had brown-crested flycatchers nest in the nestbox trap here in Corpus Christi - we disarmed the trap mechanism and enjoyed having them in our yard.

[ToyinPA]

>>Bluebirds started showing an interest in the trap. If that happens, you can drill an escape hole for them (1-1/2 inches) in side of box.<<

The NestBox trap I recently got already has an escape hole drilled in the removal door.

Toy in PA

[glmcvickers]

I tried shooting them for a while but the minute they see you they fly off. I kept tearing out the nest so they would continue building and ordered an extra gourd and put a trap in it. When the starlings arrive and start carrying in straw I replace whatever gourd they have chosen with this one...gets them every time. I found that if you remove most of the straw and the eggs they just keep on trying in the same gourd and don't bother the Martins, at least the ones around here haven't. Be sure to leave some of their old nest so the Martins won't go in. So far we've captured 12, 3 sets of 3. I guess the pairs had helpers.. now they are in bird heaven together. Don't leave it up without checking it often in case you catch a Martin. I put the trap gourd over on the eve of the barn hoping the Starlings would move over there...didn't work. Only caught a male martin; he wasn't supposed to be interested in a gourd right up next to the barn. I guess we never know what they may do. Good luck....I hate those birds.

[Louise Chambers]

Toy, I think that escape hole is sized to let house wrens out, but will hold house sparrows, bluebirds and tree swallows, along with martins and starlings or woodpeckers. Our woodpeckers trashed quite a few access doors letting themselves out, didn't want to wait! Some landlords will not have a bluebird issue, but those that do will need to enlarge the escape hole to 1-1/2 inches.

[chickadee]

Wow learn something new everyday! Blue eggs? I thought they was white. But I never let them make it far enough to find out.

[KathyF]

Toy, I think that escape hole is sized to let house wrens out, but will hold house sparrows, bluebirds and tree swallows, along with martins and starlings or woodpeckers. Our woodpeckers trashed quite a few access doors letting themselves out, didn't want to wait! Some landlords will not have a bluebird issue, but those that do will need to enlarge the escape hole to 1-1/2 inches.

My bluebirds take a joy ride down the pipe a couple of times a year, then out through the escape hole. I labeled it so they would know it was for them.

SREH for all my round holes - $25.00

Homemade tipping can trap - $50.00

Being able to have your morning coffee with no anxiety, before you dispose of the trash birds in the trap - PRICELESS!!!

[Guest]

What time do starlings start stiring in the a.m.? I want to be up and ready for them when they start coming around.

On my place, starlings always show up between 8:30 and 10:00 am, without exception. When I get up in the morning, I go ahead and get my "blind" ready, just in case.

[Guest]

At a public site had a starling pair beaching a cresent gourd. I lowered the rack and the female was still in it! Disposed of her and the eggs/nest. Went out a week later, male starling had him another mate.

Only way is to kill them. You won't 'scare' them away.

A NB trap that PMCA sells works wonders at my house. I've got a gourd rack, PM put pressure on the starlings on the rack....they see the nice big round hole and preston. Probably got 50 so far this year...in fact, have to go 'take out some trash' right now.

They are the most persistent bird I've ever watched todate. When I had SREH's on my housing last year, not a single martin even tried to enter a compartment, but starlings would give it hell, and a couple of them were successful.

[birdy girl]

I was not able to kill the starlings. I guess the cavity being stopped up made then so anxious they didn't come close very often and the two shots I took were unsuccessful. Yesterday morning I removed the sock from cavity to allow martins to take cavity. No starlings came back yesterday or none seen when I was watching and waiting on them. This morning I checked the cavity and new bowl made and brown pin oak leaves and few green leaves in gourd. No blue eggs found. I am hoping the starling threesome went somewhere else. It appears that way so far. Will be watching as much as possible the next few days and will check nest in a couple of days.

[birdy girl]

I finally downed both starlings, male and female. THank Goodness. Now dealing with cold weather.