Need help with a sparrow problem
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Guest
I have not seen a sparrow in weeks, not since trapping a pair in a BB box. Now, they are coming out of the woodwork and are ignoring the BB boxes (that have the Van Ert traps), but have taken a serious interest in the gourd rack. We are shooting when we can, but not having much luck. (sneaky buggers!) All of my natural gourds have SREH except two round holes in Naturelines, which are in use by martins. Is there any way I can set up a trap for the sparrows? I've been considering putting a BB box under the gourd rack to see if the sparrows will take an interest, and if they do, then I'll equip it with a Van Ert. But what if they still like the SREH gourds better? Does anyone have any other suggestions?? I now have 3 ASY males and 2 ASY females.
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klcretired
- Posts: 2174
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2003 3:06 am
- Location: Grand Prairie,Tx
Sheila,
You can get a S&S repeating trap right here on the pmca website under Shop /Traps,it's the best investment you'll ever make, i have one and just love it, it's simple to erect and work, i'm handicapped and even i can work the trap with no problem. If you don't want to buy the S&S repeating trap , they also have plans you can buy to make one yourself. The Beauty of these traps is that they work for you all year long even when the Martins are long gone and if you place the trap close to any tree a Martin won't go near it so you don't have to worry about catching any martins. I have had my S&S repeating trap several year's and it works Great on all those Scum beaks.
You can get a S&S repeating trap right here on the pmca website under Shop /Traps,it's the best investment you'll ever make, i have one and just love it, it's simple to erect and work, i'm handicapped and even i can work the trap with no problem. If you don't want to buy the S&S repeating trap , they also have plans you can buy to make one yourself. The Beauty of these traps is that they work for you all year long even when the Martins are long gone and if you place the trap close to any tree a Martin won't go near it so you don't have to worry about catching any martins. I have had my S&S repeating trap several year's and it works Great on all those Scum beaks.
Pictures Taken with Canon Rebel XT Digital using a Sigma 50-500 Long Lens.
Wishing everyone a Great Martin Year
Happy Martining for 2022 to everyone,
K.C.
[email protected]
Wishing everyone a Great Martin Year
Happy Martining for 2022 to everyone,
K.C.
[email protected]
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Martin man RI
- Posts: 440
- Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2003 7:04 pm
- Location: MA/RI area
Hi Shelia
You have the trap the Van Ert and can be used in a SREH just bend the inside
porch down and use a elastic band to hold the trap on the porch bent down
the sparrow will perch on the bar and set the trap i have caught many this way other wise you will become over run with sparrows Ray in RI
You have the trap the Van Ert and can be used in a SREH just bend the inside
porch down and use a elastic band to hold the trap on the porch bent down
the sparrow will perch on the bar and set the trap i have caught many this way other wise you will become over run with sparrows Ray in RI
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Guest
Hi K.C.
Thanks for replying. My husband built a S&S Controller Repeating Nest-box Trap and that works great for the starlings, but the sparrows won't go near it. I'm wondering if the sparrows will go to it better if it's lower to the ground. They seem to want to concentrate around the BB boxes and now they like the SREH gourds. I also have a wire sparrow bait trap that I bought from PMCA last year, but no matter what I put in the trap for bait, white bread, seed, suet....they won't go near that either! And they always want to pick a gourd on the backside of the rack, which makes it hard to shoot them. Sparrows in my opinion are an extra challenge, which makes it even sweeter to finally get them!
Martin Man RI,
I'm still trying to picture what you have told me about the Van Ert, but I will try to figure it out and give it an honest effort. The SREH's are tough ones for traps, but it's worth it to protect the martins. Thanks for the info! I'll let you know if I have any problems.
Sheila
Thanks for replying. My husband built a S&S Controller Repeating Nest-box Trap and that works great for the starlings, but the sparrows won't go near it. I'm wondering if the sparrows will go to it better if it's lower to the ground. They seem to want to concentrate around the BB boxes and now they like the SREH gourds. I also have a wire sparrow bait trap that I bought from PMCA last year, but no matter what I put in the trap for bait, white bread, seed, suet....they won't go near that either! And they always want to pick a gourd on the backside of the rack, which makes it hard to shoot them. Sparrows in my opinion are an extra challenge, which makes it even sweeter to finally get them!
Martin Man RI,
I'm still trying to picture what you have told me about the Van Ert, but I will try to figure it out and give it an honest effort. The SREH's are tough ones for traps, but it's worth it to protect the martins. Thanks for the info! I'll let you know if I have any problems.
Sheila
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Dale Hrncirik
Sheila,
Here's something I did in the past and had great luck with it...
I had a single nest box trap on top of a 10' pole that was 'mobile'. I would often move it away from it's original location and set it up almost underneath my gourd rack that was bothered by sparrows. I would normally put it about 3' away from(and lower than) the gourd that the sparrow was visiting and point the trap in the direction of that gourd. These troublesome sparrows were very easy to catch this way. My single NB traps all have big porches on them and big 2" holes making them very irresistible to S&S. Good luck catching the vermin,
Dale
Here's something I did in the past and had great luck with it...
I had a single nest box trap on top of a 10' pole that was 'mobile'. I would often move it away from it's original location and set it up almost underneath my gourd rack that was bothered by sparrows. I would normally put it about 3' away from(and lower than) the gourd that the sparrow was visiting and point the trap in the direction of that gourd. These troublesome sparrows were very easy to catch this way. My single NB traps all have big porches on them and big 2" holes making them very irresistible to S&S. Good luck catching the vermin,
Dale
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CUL Lou~Mich
Sheila. I think I'd buy a Universal S&S Trap from the PMCA Shop above. I'd then make a BB style house like Dale mentions. One that would open, and hold the UST, would stand alone, and be portable. Then I'd put the UST in the house, and do like Dale says. It just might get the EHS, and would probably be one more deadly tool against EUST. Good Luck. CUL Lou
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Carlton
- Posts: 1950
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Pompano Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I will have 2 MSS-8 houses, with Excluder entrances, here on my condo grounds. This season I will also have two Deluxe Gourd Racks with 24 Excluder Gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. In our condo development, along the lake in a different section, I have 8 Excluder Gourds hanging from 84 inch Shepherd's Hooks with predator guards.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park at Coconut Creek, care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with wing guards over the Conley II to keep out smaller starlings.
I feel your pain!
I had such a terrible sparrow problem and they refused to be caught. I did not have any traps that worked well in the gourds. I decided to purchase a Trio Grandma house just for sparrow control. Those Trio Grandmas are not all that expensive. I converted it myself from 8 compartments to four with the starling resistant entrances on two compartments and the Spar O Traps on the other side. I have been VERY successful in trapping sparrows and the bag system of the Spar O Trap makes it so easy to remove the trapped pest.
I had such a terrible sparrow problem and they refused to be caught. I did not have any traps that worked well in the gourds. I decided to purchase a Trio Grandma house just for sparrow control. Those Trio Grandmas are not all that expensive. I converted it myself from 8 compartments to four with the starling resistant entrances on two compartments and the Spar O Traps on the other side. I have been VERY successful in trapping sparrows and the bag system of the Spar O Trap makes it so easy to remove the trapped pest.
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Guest
Do it just like Dale said do but add the sparrow's own nest material as bait. Rip the nest material out of your gourd and throw it down at the base of the post the trap is on. Pick out some of the white feathers, or white string from the nest material (trust me) and put it in your trap, but let the end of the string dangle out the hole in the breeze. The sparrow will see his nest down there and will land on top of the trap to get a better look. It's just a matter of time after that.Dale Hrncirik wrote:Sheila,
I had a single nest box trap on top of a 10' pole that was 'mobile'. I would often move it away from it's original location and set it up almost underneath my gourd rack that was bothered by sparrows. I would normally put it about 3' away from(and lower than) the gourd that the sparrow was visiting and point the trap in the direction of that gourd. These troublesome sparrows were very easy to catch this way. My single NB traps all have big porches on them and big 2" holes making them very irresistible to S&S. Good luck catching the vermin,
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Guest
I agree with what Carlton says. In my area (middle North Carolina) I have never had luck with Trio housing for the martins. They just for the most part refuse to use it. Yes ocassional pairs will nest but not worth all the trouble. In fact this year I finally took down the Trio Castle (modified to double compartments) and replaced it with new Excluder gourds (see another post about these). In fact if anyone wants the Castle (modified as I said with cedar subfloors and porches and cresent entrances) it is free to a good home for shipping costs. However, I retained my other two Trio houses as sparrow traps. I have four sets of trap doors (which stay closed until I see a sparrow - so far this year not a one) on the house and crescents on the other entrances in case a martin wants to use it - I have one pair using it so far. When sparrows show up the trap doors are opened. Sparrows can't seem to resist a Trio house. It doesn't take long to get them. I have a repeating nest box trap for starlings (which I only have ocassional problems with) but have never caught a sparrow in it. Good luck with your problem.
Larry
Larry