I live in a very windy area on 5 acres too. I have never had a sparrow spooker fly off. I have had 2 replace mylar strips but have never lost a spooker. If u want the bb to have a "happy home", u need 2 get rid of the sparrows AND add a spooker. There is nothing u can do 2 the hole.
Wishing u bluebird happiness :)
Karen

Well, I did alot of research last nite. As far as I can tell, I need to buy a gun.
Seriously.
I did borrow a BB gun, but I think their nest boxes are too far for it to be effective, but I am going to purchase BBs to try to shoot sparrows.
Am I correct in assuming the Spooker goes on after the Bluebirds have made a nest?
One website said to trap the sparrow in the box with an open ended coffee can with a bag duct taped to it, so it would fly into the bag and can be disposed of.
THAT IS NOT EASY!!
I have tried 14 times and the little bugger flies away before I can get close...
I am determined. I will try really hard. I have never purchased ammunition before, but I will!!!

You can certainly shoot the house sparrow if you're a good aim. But what about a Van Ert inbox trap? Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like the house sparrow has already claimed your nest box? If so, you can just insert the trap in the evening, and he won't be able to resist going into it in the morning. Then you can put a bag over your nest box, open it, and he'll fly into the bag. You want to use a bag you can see through to be sure you've caught a house sparrow and not a Bluebird. Once you've taken care of the original house sparrow, there will always be more. So if the Bluebirds decide to nest there, you put the sparrow spooker up after the first egg is laid. They will be committed to the box at that point. If you put it up too soon, they may decide to nest elsewhere. Good luck!

Here's some help...and good luck,im ending a HOSPs life tomorrow here myself, with a 22. Not a fun job, but needs to be done. www.sialis.org a MUST read. Im on 5 acres too.

Sissyz,
The spooker goes on ONLY AFTER the first egg is laid.My best advice to you ,is to get a inbox trap,get him in the morning.That is when they are most active around the box,But a inbox trap MUST be monitored Very closely.

Sissy, lots of good advice for you so far. I hope your research included the www.sialis.org site as it has the best information and suggestions for how to protect your blues from house sparrows. I would add that, instead of the coffee can/plastic bag method of removing a trapped house sparrow from a nestbox, I use a mesh laundry bag purchased for about $3. I also use an in-box trap (I like the Huber and the Gilbertson varieties). Once I have the house sparrow trapped inside the nestbox, I put the mesh laundry bag over the entire box and secure it with the drawstring. I open the nestbox and allow the sparrow to fly out, then (wearing garden gloves) grab the house sparrow through the mesh and hold securely while removing the bag from around the nestbox. Though the process goes more easily with someone to help, one person can manage.
One thing you should know about house sparrows is that they are much harder to trap a second time. They are quick learners and are very persistent. Your blues will not be safe as long as house sparrows are near.
Kathy

You need to contact Mr.Vanert right away and get one of his in box traps.If you are not willing to get rid of the HOSP,then please take your box down,because the HOSP will eventually destroy your blues and that is not a pleasant time.Good luck,it will be worth it in the end when you see those baby blues.......Jane

Sparrow Spooker works well for me. No more problems with the HOSP's going in and destroying eggs. ;O)

I have been educating myself the past couple of days... I do have several pairs of bluebirds looking at the houses. I also have half dozen of these:

In my wildest dreams, I never thought of shooting a living thing. I don't know what else to do! It isn't going to happen, though. I am waiting to hear back from the Van Ert trap website. I have reached them about purchasing the traps.

I purchased a Van Ert trap about a month ago. Mr. Van Ert sent the trap out immediately, even before he had received my check. He is very trusting with his customers.

The Bluebird pair in my yard prefer to nest in a snag in the back yard, but I have a box set up for trapping HOSPs (the Bluebirds have never entered the box that I've observed in 2 years). When a HOSP claims the box, I set the trap, and have trapped 2 male House sparrows so far this year. I usually move the box around to get "fresh" interest, but no one seems interested in the box at the moment. I can hear a HOSP cheeping in the neighbor's yard but they aren't hanging around here (not now anyway) and I hope they stay away.

Like terrene I purchased a Van Ert (last year though) and he sent it right out and trusted me to send the check, which of course I sent out right away. These traps are so easy to use. Once you get yours, you'll be very pleased with how easy they are to install and how well they work. No other small cavity nesting bird wants to mess with a HOSP that has claimed a box. The only thing I had to do was to glue a few pieces of grass over the tripping mechanism. It makes it look like just grass which fools them into stepping on it. From your pictures, it looks like the house sparrows have already laid claim to the box, so it should be easy to trap them.