How to handle this sparrow problem

[brent]

My neighbor has a pair of sparrows nesting under their patio. I have Bluebirds nesting not far and 2 Purple Martin houses full of nesting birds. I’ve tried to catch the sparrows but have not been successful. I’m using the repeating bait trap I’ve had for a few years but they just eat the bread outside of the trap and don’t enter. I’m waiting on a new ST2 trap from PMCA. I’m hesitant in tearing the nest out for fear they will go after the Bluebirds or Martins. How would you handle this???? Thanks, Brent

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[Dan G]

I have been known to open a box that had sparrow eggs inside. Ever so gently I would pull each egg out. And it just so happened that I had a safety pin in my pocket. I poked a tiny hole in each. They will never hatch, but the sparrows would continue to incubate them. This could buy you some time till you catch them.

[C.C.Martins]

Brent,
Second Dan. Will work every time....haha just happened to have a safety pin! Lol.

Iv that very same trap, did some diffrent things to it and my catch rates went way up.

Remove the little trey just off the trap entrance to the bait. They like to hop, so give them something to hop on, can be a wood platform, whatever. Just as long as its flush with the entrance...dont need anything bigger than the trap...Ours is a wood platform, sticks out about 6 inches flush with the trap entrance.

I'm having trouble attaching pictures, can send via email sir.

[brent]

Good idea and I will do it if I’m not successful in catching them. Tom, I’m confused about what you’re saying. Should I remove the mesh walk up and flatten the wall to the trap door so that they hop through rather than climb up to the elevator? I’m probably making it more confusing. Yes send to my e-mail. Thank you both.

[C.C.Martins]

Email sent, this may be faster: [email protected]

That mesh ramp is worthless bro IMO. They don't walk, they hop.

Take the ramp off, replace it with a platform flush with the entrance and the actual trap. Platform could be a bit of plywood, propped up with bricks. Sprinkle the food on the platform, just a bit, let them eat.

[flyin-lowe]

Sounds like you and the neighbor are friends.... I am not sure they HOSP would attack the birds at your colony if your neighbor pulled the nest out. If it were me I would have him pull the nest out and set the ground trap nearby with nesting material in it. I assume shooting is not an option in your situation?

[brent]

Thanks. I received the ST2 trap today and plan to remove at least a portion of the nest and put it in the trap. Tom sent me a picture of what he has done. Should I set the trap right under where the nest is? Set it on the patio right under the nest or off to the side?

[flyin-lowe]

I've found when I pull a nest and throw it on the ground anywhere close to the house they will go to it and start gathering it back up. I would just put it within eyesight and they should go for it.

[Daybreak]

I have 30 PM nesting sites (mostly gourds) and invasive sparrows are the greatest dangers. Inhabiting nearly all the gourds and houses. They push PM eggs out. You all know the issues with sparrows. I try to take down the gourds and other houses every other week and cast out the sparrow nests. They return immediately.
I have tried the repeat sparrow trap I bought from PMCA and so far succeeded in catching only one squirrel and one starling. No sparrows. I have tried a recommendation to use millet as bait—nothing interested. I placed the trap directly between the 24 gourd pole and two old style houses. About four feet off the ground. Sparrows abound and none land on the trap.
What can I use for bait?
In south Central Texas (Lockhart) and a neighborhood where shooting is not allowed.
Thank you for any help!
Robert/Daybreak

[Conrad Baker]

I like Dan G suggestion-a pinhole in the egg. THEN put it in the middle of a gluetrap (for mice), and put it in the nest. The sparrow will enter the nest and get stuck on the glue trap.

[scottfreidhof]

Robert you have quite the challenge in front of you but it will be worth it when there are more martins in your gourds than house sparrows. I would tackle sparrow removal with three trapping techniques.

Your ground trap is one method. Maybe try placing seed on the ground without the trap. Once the sparrows are regularly feeding on the seed in that location, then place the baited trap in the same spot. White feathers in the trap along with the seed might help. I have used a different style ground trap with cheap mixed bird seed and it worked great to catch the recent fledglings or hatch year (HY) house sparrows but rarely would an adult go in the trap. I used this ground trap for 5 consecutive years on weekends in the spring and early summer to wipe out the local HY house sparrows. A couple hours on the weekends when I was home and could monitor the trap continuously was all it took.

Second method would be insert traps in your gourds if they are manufactured rather than natural. It just depends upon whether there are insert traps made for your gourds.

And third is using bluebird nest boxes with insert traps. House sparrows are suckers for bluebird nest boxes even if the sparrows have already claimed a martin gourd. Sparrows cannot help themselves but to check out that new potential nest cavity in their territory. PMCA offers an insert trap that works great and there are other insert traps available as well. I still use the insert traps in my bluebird boxes every spring to clean up the few adult male house sparrows that show up. So far just one male in 2026. Also, I have 5 bluebird nest boxes scattered around my 7/8-ths acre yard. It is too many boxes based upon the territory sizes defended by bluebirds and tree swallows. Right now 4 of the 5 boxes are occupied by one pair of bluebirds and three pairs of tree swallows. That leaves one box always empty when a rogue male house sparrow shows up out of the blue.

Mornings are best for catching sparrows. An hour or two of intensive trapping effort on a Saturday morning will make a difference. Think long term as in multiple years of effort to give the martins a fighting chance.

[brent]

I like Conrad’s idea. And Scott is right about long term goals. Don’t give up. I bought the 2 door sparrow trap from PMCA and just about gave up until I caught one!! (Thanks Tom!) Since then I’ve caught several more to the point where I hardly see any but I know they’re around. Getting ready for all the young fledglings. They are hungry and will go in to get the food. Good luck!!! Setting my trap tomorrow. I use chunks of white bread.

[onalaska]

I have a sparrow trap with an elevator to pull them in (can't remember name!). This forum gave me the idea of putting their nest material as the "bait" which keeps other birds from entering. It finally worked with one sparrow but the other didn't go in. We finally killed the first one. Waiting for it to work again as there are still sparrows visiting the Martin House, but they are not building nests anymore in the house which is a good thing.

They are very wary of me, because I do try to shoot them!