So sorry to hear about your Dees. I use sparrow spookers on my dee boxes too, thay may have helped. I think you need a special gilberston inbox trap for those boxes..wouldn't hurt to try and see if you can trap the HOSP. Or bb gun or a normal vanert in another box you could set up as a trap box. some people have DRST's (delux repeating sprarrow trap..it is a ground trap) but I don't so I don't have any advice on that. Hope you can get the HOSP!

donna

thank you Donna I ordered my van ert nestbox trap should be here tomorrow I just hope I can get the male. I have been testing out the 1 1/8 hole reducer on one of the other boxes just too make sure it would keep the hosp out and it did but he is relentless at trying too get it off he's got it all chewed up so I stuck a glove in the hole because the male bcch keeps coming back to the box when hosp leaves so sad! and I don't want him getting killed like the other one, can the bcch still get in the box? and if I keep the hole reducer on all the time will they pass on the box because of the hole size and thats why you don't put it on until they have bonded with box ? I'm letting the hosp nest take shape in hopes too hide the trap in the box any advice on when I do catch him how do I get him out of the box too i.d. and easiest way too dispose of him shale I say? thanks for all your help I am also going too try the van ert urban trap decided neighbors are close and gun would not be the best option they already think I'm NUTS because I mess with these boxes so much don't want too give them further cause ha ha!

Wow you sound like me. I just lost my bb pairs first hatchling, the rest of the eggs (4) were not incubated so they were abandoned. IM pretty sure it was a racoon? But a few years back I lost four baby's to a sparrow. I am now on a wren and sparrow beek hunt. I watched some video of them raiding nests and tossing them out of the house, pecking holes in eggs. The worse was pecking baby's heads until they die. This made me sick, mad and ready to defend my bb's. I dont really like to kill birds unless I can eat them, but these little flying sh!t heads are rutheless little SOB's I tried a bb gun on them but one little bb is hard to pop them, unless you have great aim. I say a 22 with bird shot would put them into birdie hell where they belong. OMG my boyfriend is right, I am posessed. Im going to bed, go get them little mofo's. Oh yeah, my bb pair did nest in another of my boxes, thats why Im in defense mode.

When the Vanert trap is sprung, get a large plastic bag such as several rolls of paper towels or toilet paper come in & pull it carefully over the entire box,& with one hand closing the open end around the pole(or tie the open end around the pole so there's no opening.)Then carefully open the box & when the HOSP flies into the sealed bag, grab him from the outside & hold him while you carefully take the bag off the box with the other hand & wrap up the bag tightly into a ball. Wait 30-45 seconds.

I use a large clear tough trash bag to get the HOSP out of the nestboxes. You want something tough so it doesn't tear if it is windy, cause it will be against the wooden corners of the nestbox. Some people use a large mesh laundry bag too. Like assabetvalley said, put the bag over the entire nestbox, securing it at the pole and then open the box up, the HOSP should fly out and then grab it through the bag. I normally just set something very heavy on top of them then.

As far as the BCCH they prefer a larger hole which is why you normally don't put the hole reducer on until after they lay an egg but some people have luck with them nesting and always having the 1 1/8 reducer on the box. Good luck!

Donna

Thank you everyone for getting back too me.I received my van ert nestbox trap worked awesome! took all day but got all 3 males only 1 male had a mate saw them procreating in the morning made me sick so I have yet too get her. haven't seen her I did use the mesh laundry bag from dollar store and doubled it for i.d. brought it up around the box then dropped the box down in I wanted too make sure I didn't mess up because I knew I wasn't going to get another shot at them.Did a swift blow too the head very fast and I feel like I own my boxes again!then about an hour after I finished looked out my window and saw a humming bird coming out of the last box I trapped. that was a close one I wonder if it would of caught him? he probably wouldn't have tripped the trap.I guess i'll figure the hole reducer thing out at a later time if anyone else has any ideas on a hole reducer for a gilbertson pvc box please chime in THANKS

well got the female in the morning now I'm trying too get the new male that she showed up with this morning my gosh their everywhere and the problem is the preschool behind us that have about 15 nests up in the eves it's out of control and their spilling over into my yard also noticed a lot of area businesses have hosp problems and no one doing anything about their multiplying at a fast rate people I think I will write a letter too the school and educate the nun on the killing factory she's got going there and not sign my name (my son goes there) because nuns won't hire anyone too dispose of the problem their pooping everywhere it's gross.it is a shame that I have to worry about people thinking I'm mean or weird when I try to educate them on cavity nesting birds (its my hobby) so too sum things up I will probably keep the hole reducer on all the time keeping the box limited too the smallest birds but came too the realization I cannot compete with school hosps and the guy that lives 2 houses down from me that feeds corn (feed garbage =attract garbage) THANKS FOR LISTENING TOO ME VENT!

It sounds like you are doing and considering all the right things. Trapping, plus a spooker are good. Also try monofilament - try Sialis and a search for "bluebird monofilament" and you should come up with some good discussions!

Tried to educate my small church about them to but nobody listened.