I'm sorry that happened to you. But I do think your message is a very important one. Never set a live trap if you cannot check it frequently. If you won't be there in the day to monitor, set the trap just before nightfall, and check it first thing in the morning. Then de-activate or remove the trap until the next use. Thanks so much for posting this very important warning.

Wow. Really sad news. You sure wouldn't think that the Blues would be interested in Martin housing when there is excellent available Bluebird housing close by. Maybe she was just curious. Too bad for sure, but it's a lesson that bears sharing as much as possible. We can't be too careful. I set a trap for mice in my garage once using peanut butter. I thought that I had secured it in a place that was safe, but then I found a Carolina Wren in the trap. I was just sick about it. You just never know.

Kendra, My Downy's roost in the boxes at night. Cant set the trap at night if you have woodpeckers. I feel you should never leave a trap un attended. I check mine every 10-15 minutes with my binocs from the window.

Thanks for that warning Lisa. I only do this with houses that have HOSP that have already claimed them and started to nest. I should have been more specific. I have never seen a woodpecker near any of my houses, and there's always a HOSP in the trap first thing in the morning. I guess it depends on the particular situation. But your warning is invaluable in case someone reads this as just setting a trap without knowing what kind of bird may enter that box, so I do thank you for pointing out a potential problem.

You know Angie, that's just what I was thinking! This martin house has been over - ran with HOSP the past few years, albeit me destroying every HOSP egg and nestling from it.

Why they would be interested in it at all and rather pay attention to my HOSP-free nestboxes is beyond me. I think you're right...she probably was just curious. It probably happened when I was sick last week and didn't know the trap was set. The spare o door is always there, just not always set.

There's also been a decrease in bluebird activity in general. I've seen Mr. Blue throughout the last week but they don't seem as interested in the boxes. I saw his new mate when he landed at the box pair. She didn't go near them. I'm thinking there needs to be a larger bond between the pair before nest building starts. This time last year I think I had a completed nest. I think the weather this year has put a delay on the nesting activity. Although it was 64 and rainy today. 40 tomorrow, then 50's and 60's the rest of the week - hopefully some nest building soon! Getting anxious to see some building! The boxes have remained vacant since trapping HOSP. No new HOSP claims, thank goodness! The swallows were also checking out the boxes yesterday.

As I have mentioned before, I do have Martin housing up, and am now only offering gourds. When I had the Martin "house" up here, it only seemed to be a HOSP magnet. You never see the HOSPs at gourds. Of course HOSPs are colonial nesters, and that is the explanation for their attraction to the houses with many compartments. It is my personal feeling that those who are not truly serious about closely monitoring a Martin house and keeping out the vermin birds should not erect one.~~Angie

Angie, your message is extremely important. More so than with a single bluebird house, which people should still never allow a HOSP to nest in. With a Martin house there is the potential to breed hundreds of HOSP in a single season. Not good. I do not have Martins, and probably never will, but my Martin house makes an excellent trap house for the HOSP.

Gosh Kendra, I have seen so very many sickening photos of Martin houses that have become nothing but HOSP breeding factories. I think that it is really mostly due to ignorance on the part of those who erected the housing. They have good intentions and set out to do something good. A lot of the old timers around here erect Purple Martin housing because they have been told by their ancestors that the Purple Martins will eat all of their area mosquitoes. In reality, mosquitoes make up a negligible portion of the Purple Martin's diet, but you will never convince them of that! What they need is bat houses!! :o)

Some people simply aren't dedicated enough and others are skeptical to believe the REAL Purple Martin and Bluebird landlords.

Martins take so many more specifics and restrictions compared to bluebirds that it's no wonder people ignore it. But I agree - if you out it up, and are serious about it, you should care. Again this is my neighbor's martin housing, not mine.

On another note, my bluebirds are nowhere to be found today. Ever since the other female was lost the activity has gone down a lot. the weather isn't too bad...50 and mostly cloudy. It's gonna be near 80 here on Sunday! Anyway, compared to last year, activity is way down. I had a completed nest I think. 1 week or too ago the blues were here every day. Now, they are hardly around. Maybe they're stopping by in the morning? Hope they decide to nest here! My boxes are vacant and amazingly no HOSP in them.

Oh and by the way everyone, it was the martin landlord HIMSELF that was responsible! I've been trying to tell him that you shouldn't set the trap unless you find evidence of HOSP.

It was at the bottom of its pole but now is up to the top. (Did I mention It's a Trio Castle model?)

He reset it after I euthanized 2 HOSP over the weekend. It was set when we put it up. I tried to convince him not to but he still did. I had to check it throughout the day to make sure no natives were trapped. At the end of the day I deactivated it and have been trying to make sure it doesn't get set unless there ARE HOSP.

Would blues really nest as high? Not sure but it's probably a good 15-20 feet in the air. My blues are showing major interest in MY boxes so it might not be a problem but you never know. Trying to get my neighbor to listen to the birder of the neighborhood!

I can sympathize. After using a spare-o door for about 15 years, I found my first dead bluebird trapped inside yesterday. I put up housing exclusively for purple martins, and had killed about 18-20 house sparrows this spring in my 12 room Trio Musselman using one spare-o door on each side, with all the other openings closed with duct tape.

I'm so sorry to hear that Dan! Are they YOUR martin housing? My neighbor is just too arrogant and now he has Starlings in his trio! They're using an extended compartment and I suggested to him buy the trap for both HOSP AND Starlings, but he hesitated and said maybe try plugging the holes. I have removed their eggs and nest MULTIPLE times. I'm going to approach him again about it but be truthful and say he likely won't get martins this year. He's the same guy who came from the city, is crazy about his lawn, and sprays within 30 ft of my boxes! Luckily haven't lost any and last year contemplated relocating to another neighbor's...but the walk is too long ( A decent walk to a HUGE field) and I want the bluebirds near me. The boxes are currently in a large field right next door on my landlord's property (who are VERY friendly people!) I had to relocate 2 years or so ago due to problems with House Wrens. Moving them into the field eliminated the problem.

Anyway, when I saw something dead whilst peaking through, I opened it up with shock and just shook my head in disbelief! Just my luck! I get bed-ridden ill and my neighbor sets a trap in his PUMA house and kills an non-target bluebird. PLEASE remember to check your traps every 1 - 2 hours AT LEAST! I can't stress it enough. Every last bluebird is precious, but amazingly I still have 2 female BBs after losing 3 this year. Bad luck in my neighborhood...even though I've put a HUGE dent in the HOSP population now!