Hoping to be a first year
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Guest
I've had my house up now for 3 years. I have a martin (all black...so I think he's an adult) who has been hanging out for almost a week. I battle sparrows on a daily basis. I trap probably 2 a day lately and they are removed from the face of the earth. They bother the heck out of that martin. Now, for the first time I've ever seen I have two starlings walking around and looking in all the holes (this morning). I have SREH on all the holes...some are crescent and some look like little monster teeth. I'm doing everything I've read to do, I think. Is there anything else I can be doing to get these sparrows and starlings to leave Mr. Martin alone? Will Mr. Martin give up? (I wouldn't blame him). Any advice is happily appreciated!
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
The best thing is to continue to trap. The more years that you trap, the less you may see, at least that is how it was at my place. It is a never ending battle, so if you want martins, trapping sparrows is part of it....
It may not help with your sparrow situation but often there are too many trees too close to your housing, and it becomes easier to attract more martins if your site is open, so if you can remove nearby trees, it really will help. If you cannot remove nearby trees, sometimes its helps to trim them...Also, it may help to have a taller pole if you have nearby trees...good luck
It may not help with your sparrow situation but often there are too many trees too close to your housing, and it becomes easier to attract more martins if your site is open, so if you can remove nearby trees, it really will help. If you cannot remove nearby trees, sometimes its helps to trim them...Also, it may help to have a taller pole if you have nearby trees...good luck
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
Marianna,
It sounds like you're doing all the right things. I honestly think the sparrows and starlings show more interest once the martins arrive. They are that competitive. Like Emil says, if you're going to be a landlord, trapping sparrows is just part of the hobby. The SREHs should take care of the starlings. Best of luck to you. What part of Fort Worth do you live in?
Patrick
It sounds like you're doing all the right things. I honestly think the sparrows and starlings show more interest once the martins arrive. They are that competitive. Like Emil says, if you're going to be a landlord, trapping sparrows is just part of the hobby. The SREHs should take care of the starlings. Best of luck to you. What part of Fort Worth do you live in?
Patrick
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Guest
Thanks for all the help! He's still around despite the competition and yucky weather. Got 3 sparrows yesterday...so I'll just keep doing that and hoping he finds a girlfriend and stays! Thanks for the advice...this forum is always helpful. I live in central part of Fort Worth in a old historic neighborhood, but very much the "city". So, I have lots of sparrows to contend with.
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Kelly Applegate~MN
- Posts: 291
- Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2003 12:54 pm
- Location: Princeton, Minnesota
Marianna-
Like Emil said, keep up with trapping the sparrows. Your single male will have a better chance of attracting a female if there are no sparrows around. My favorite sparrow trap is the repeating bait trap that the pmca sells here on the website. It easily catches many sparrows in no time at all. I bait mine with cheap walmart birdseed, cracked corn, white bread and feathers. They file right in to get the goodies, taking a one way trip to their last meal in the holding cage of the trap. Keep up the great work!
Like Emil said, keep up with trapping the sparrows. Your single male will have a better chance of attracting a female if there are no sparrows around. My favorite sparrow trap is the repeating bait trap that the pmca sells here on the website. It easily catches many sparrows in no time at all. I bait mine with cheap walmart birdseed, cracked corn, white bread and feathers. They file right in to get the goodies, taking a one way trip to their last meal in the holding cage of the trap. Keep up the great work!