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Getting rid of HOSP

17 years ago

Last year we didn't get any bluebirds nesting but they checked out our box a few times. We had two pair of barn swallows under our porch. I love them.

This year a HOSP started nesting in the box. I was trying to figure out what to do and since I hadn't had any bluebirds I put a moustrap in there . . .but that just made them leave and now they're building on top of the old barn swallow nest under our porch, 2 feet from a nesting pair.

I'm afraid if I pull the materials down they'll get upset and mess with the nesting pair.

I guess I need to get a ground trap when I can afford it. . .but for now should I leave the nesting material there or pull it down? I really hate their sound and the mess they make and I so enjoy my barn swallow.

Also I'm thinking of moving the bluebird box to the other side of the fence to see if that helps there. I'd love to attract a bluebird pair this year.

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Comments (4)

renee_2006
17 years ago
Please don't ever use a mouse trap in a nestbox. If a native bird would have entered the box it could have been killed. Buy and use an van ert inbox trap instead. Even when set it won't cause any harm to the bird entering the box. IMHO concerning the hosp building on the barn swallow nest "I" would remove the hosp nest. I had one trying to build in one of my nestboxes and put the van ert trap in and trapped the male. The female hosp then left. I removed the nesting material too. Is your bb box mounted on the fence? Please remount it on a slick metal pole with a predator baffle.

WARNING: This webpage deals with both active and passive means of managing House Sparrow (HOSP) populations. It also shows graphic photos of HOSP attack on other cavity nesting birds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Managing House Sparrows
bbcathy
17 years ago
I agree with Renee. My neighbor used to have a barn full of Barn Swallows until the hosp population exploded. They took over nearly all of the Barn Swallow nests. She then decided she wanted to have Bluebirds like me. I told her I wouldn't help her unless she let me trap the hosps. She reluctantly agreed. Long story short She now has about 20 pair of barnies, 4 or 5 pairs of Tree swallows, and 1 or 2 pairs of Bluebirds every year. I'm convinced that they would have taken over all of them if it weren't for me trapping there.
Beware though despite 4 years of trapping down there I still find a dead Bluebird or Tree Swallow in a nest box box there every once in a while.
Good Luck
Cathy
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Where you live sounds like mine :) out in the country, corn fields and horses down the road, and very windy all the time. I have no problems with my spookers. I always have them up! I had no idea about hosp. until I checked my TRES. box(6 years ago) and the hosp killed the female sitting on her 4 eggs and he proceeded to make his nest on top of her. This year a hosp killed my male bb. it was still winter and still very cold and no one was going in and out of the box. One day I saw a hosp. sitting on top of the box and I thought I better get the trap on and get rid of him now. To my horror, there was a dead male bb. Needless to say, it doesn't bother me any more to "get rid" of the hosp. I never even saw a bb around. There was still snow on the ground...who would have thought those nasty birds would kill in the winter too.
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You need to get an inbox trap. I use the VanErt. Your questions are good ones. Like you, I had never had HOSP until I put up boxes for the native birds. This spring I had to trap my first HOSP and I had many of the same questions as you. This forum helped me a ton. I don't remember who answered me, but she said to let the HOSP bond with the box for a few days, then set the trap at night and he would go in it first thing in the morning. That is exactly what happened. I was also told to tape a leaf over the orange dot on the trap, so he wouldn't be suspicious of it. I did that and also glued some grass over the trip wire. As for the "Then what?", try looking at the sialis website for the most humane way to euthanize him. The first time is really hard. But I knew if I didn't do it, I would soon have nothing but HOSP. I wish you the best of luck.
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april_birdylover
17 years ago
I have had an all out war with the hosp. I have purchased everything under the sun to control them but like you they just declared my property, their property. so back in february i went out and purchased a remington 77 bb/pelet gun.. (whic was $80 at walmart) but i couldn't get em... so then i got the blaine johnson ground trap and it was great.. i trapped one male on the 3rd day... but then a month went by and i really think they knew not to go in the trap.. so i went back to the sialas website and called mr. van ert.. he gave me such great advise about catching them. i purchased the universal inbox traps from him .. and trapped all less than a week... and my husband being a good shot, got a female with the gun.. Mr. Van Ert did tell me the ground traps are not as effective for the older sparrows as they are smarter than the younger ones.. he said the younger ones are more able to be trapped in the ground traps. Good luck to ya!
bbcathy
17 years ago
April You can use the ones you catch in the boxes as decoys for the drst (ground trap). It helps catch them faster when you have decoys.
Cathy

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