Your post came at a most opportune time. I've been doing what you were doing; waiting for the HOSP to bond to the box before putting in the trap. There is no building going on yet, and he hasn't even found a mate yet. I thought that meant my Blues would be safe in the other box. Perhaps I should set the Van Ert, just to be on the safe side. Sorry for your loss. Thank you so much for the warning.

it is a warning...thanks Kendra2. Never thought this would happen so early.....as I said they weren't even starting to build yet. Well, he's in the trap...got things to do

I am really sorry to hear that. A hawk got my female blue after she laid 4 eggs. He got her in mid air near the nesting box where she had laid 4 eggs. It broke my heart. I have another couple but they are not adopting those eggs. Another female is building a nest in another box. I have seen a HOSP couple and they were interested in one of my boxes. I have 3 . I put up fishing line. It deterred them. They came back, I opened the box. They went away for awhile. That box is still empty. I have seen the sparrows but the blues and the robins have been chasing them away. I do have a sparrow spooker that I plan to put up after she lays her first egg. Hopefully it won't be too late.

So sorry for your loss. I have learned my lesson over the years about HOSP. From eggs and babies being tossed out, to some adult TRES being killed. It always infuriates me when something like that happens. If only everyone knew the damage those things cause. I wish they were never brought here from Europe. I

was at my moms house this weekend and I left 2 gilbertson boxes there when I moved out last summer. I found half a HOSP nest in one and a TRES flying in and out of the other and also saw an EABL in the yard. So I set the gilbertson in box trap and caught the female within an hour. Put her in a trash bag and a quick hit against a tree put her out. Reset the trap and caught the male later that day. He met the same fate. Moved the box across the yard and saw a pair of EABL checking out the box the next this morning. Almost any time I see a HOSP frequently visiting a box I put the trap in. I have no nest building going on yet at my house but I am in a semi wooded area and this is my first year here in the city. I have seen one chickadee going in and out of a box but that's it. I am trying to get permission to put up some boxes at a cemetery near me that is prime EABL and TRES habitat. I am waiting for a response back. I saw a few EABL there Friday so I am ready to put boxes there quickly! Spring is finally here to stay in Ohio and I am pumped for this season!

tmann, if you get chickadees in your box I will be so jealous. I have been hoping for years to get them to nest. But I guess they are finding natural cavities on their own...which is good. I also hope you get permission to put boxes up. I learned the hard way that sparrows are killers...I had no idea until about 7 years ago a male hosp. killed a female tres still sitting on her 4 eggs. From that day it has been war. I just never thought they would kill a blue before nesting even started....neither one had started building. They weren't even that interested in the box. I learned a very valuable lesson at the expense of my poor blue and I'm still sick about it :(

I almost had Chickadees last year but TRES took over before I could get a hole reducer

bluebirdbabe I am so sorry. Those birds sicken me! And yet non-birders would scrutinize us for killing "an INNOCENT animal" They are anything BUT innocent!

I know better than that. I only once experienced a dead bluebird in the box. Also a victim of a House Sparrow. This was when I first adopted nest site #2 of mine and it was infested with HOSP like no other. From then on, I could never look at them the same, and proceeded to destroy several eggs, nests, and adult HOSP.

This is a weird year. At that 2nd site, I ALSO have HOSP that won't build or go in the box! It seems to be a pandemic this season!!! They hang around outside and chirp, chirp, chirp for a mate, but sometimes take forever to trap! I know how antagonizing it is!

Your warning serves as righteous and fair. The only good House Sparrow is a DEAD one!

~Tim

I agree Tim HOSP seem to be very persistent this year. What I found odd is my neighbor plugged all the holes in her two martin houses since they were starting to build many nests in them and they still hung out on the houses every day for a week like we did nothing. I told her to just lower them all the way and put trash bags over them and wait a week and see if they go away then. So we are waiting to see if they leave now. Does anyone have any other advice for HOSP interested in Martin houses?

I put traps in my Martin house. They make traps specifically for that purpose. I know the regular Van Erts will not work in a Martin house. I have the kind that is like a wire box that fits inside. That way you can open the whole side and it can't escape. Also the hole size is reduced so Purple Martins can't fit into the cavities with the traps, but HOSP can. HOSP love Martin housing.

Everything Kendra said is correct.

Trying a Google search on the Purple Martin Association. They have a shop that has traps sold for specific Martin houses.

They (HOSP) indeed love Martin housing! Every run down Martin house that is not upkept in the country (people are too lazy or haven't the time) is FILLED with HOSP! I had problems when I set my boxes up next to a neighbor who had this exact problem. On the first check, I had to remove THREE nests of HOSP nestlings and leave them for nature to "take its course" ...a horrible thing to have to do, but that would have been a flock of 10-20 HOSP!

They act like rats, they're pests like rats. They're just rats with wings! Dang shame our ancestors didn't realize the damage they would cause by introducing such a disgusting species of bird!!

I have never had HOSP in my yard, but this morning I found all 4 BB eggs on the ground outside their nesting box. Two were in good shape & still warm, so I put them back in the nest. I had to be gone all day and didn't return until after dark when I anxiously checked the BB box. The two eggs I replaced were still there and the female had laid another egg. I am going to try to fashion a homemade sparrow spooker on the box tomorrow until I can order a pre-made one. I'm open to any suggestions in order to save my BBs & eggs!
thanks--

Question: Would HOSP be the only culprits in removing the eggs from my BB nesting box? My box is made specifically for BBs, so the hole is the right size.
I live in Hope Mills, North Carolina.
I'd appreciate any input.

house wrens remove bb eggs and poke holes in them. Good job on putting the eggs back. Get the sparrow spooker up and hope for the best. Good Luck!!

Karen

I am happy to report so far this season I have trapped and killed 6 HOSP. I still have 1 in my repeating trap. Taking them out one at a time in my area to take down the big population. I have a question for you guys though. I did some good trapping last week and had 7 in my repeating trap. Then one morning I went out to find the trap upside down and 10 feet away from where it was sitting and two birds dead in it and 5 birds missing. I am guessing they escaped in the violent attack during the night. I am in west central ohio in the city and wondered what kind of predator could've done that? From now on I won't keep any more than 1 bird in the trap and bring it inside at night to keep that from happening again.

Tmann, as an Ohio resident I can tell you that is most likely a Raccoon.

They are such a menace! I had multiple occasions where my DRST was drug out, flipped over, and had remains of dead House Sparrows laying inside.

The problem was, the trap was 2 doors over. I would use birlap to cover it and tie to the ground, but they eventually foiled that too!

The best advice I can give is to bring it in at night, or put weight on it or cover it in the evenings.

These kinds of things are the reason I rarely have used my now 1 1/2 year old DRST. The thing is such a job managing!

~Tim
NE OHIO

I wish I had a DRST...but they are expensive. I don't have many HOSP that try to nest in our yard but there are tons around as there is a car dealership next door and they nest over there. They come to eat at my feeders when their nestlings fledge and I know at that time I could probably trap tons of them. There will be 30+ in the yard then. Ugh. However during the rest of the year there will only be a few coming through at a time. I did have a couple pairs interested in my nestboxes this year...got both of those males and about 4 others with the BB gun. One year there were fledglings around and one was sitting on a branch with the mother right behind it. I shot with the BB gun and got both with one BB! I always put up sparrow spookers as soon as the first egg is laid on the Blues boxes. Last year I lost two TRES nestlings to a HOSP, two more were pecked but made it and two were unharmed. I put up a spooker on that box and those four made it to fledging just fine. I don't normally put spookers up on the TRES boxes because there are just too many of them. I only have two spookers and usually have eleven nestboxes with TRES.
Hate those dang HOSP.

Thanks for the info Tim. I bet you are right. I have been bringing my ground trap to my backdoor under the deck for cover at night and this morning the cage was moved again. Coons are brave. I did invest in a pellet gun so hoping to take some HOSP out with that. I trapped two more males this week. They are pretty thick here.

-Tyler

fishing line!!!!!!!!!!!! if the sparrows wont go near the box then the bluebirds should be safe...