get a van ert trap and get rid of the hosp. It will kill your bluebird. You will have to watch what goes into the box (when you have the trap on) and keep on eye on it so you don't trap the bluebird. Here is how to get the trap.

http://www.vanerttraps.com/van_ert_enterprises_002.htm

I have 2 of them and they work great.

Karen

Done. I got the extra already made box, too. My husband has been trying hard to get him, but they are so leery of us at this point, we just can't get him. I knew at some point he'd try and kill my blues, and I'm not having that. The blues are still hanging around, and we have plenty of them, so I hope to get them nesting soon!! They should've been laying by now :(. Thank you!! Any idea how long it takes them to ship?

Van Ert is a great guy...he will probably ship the trap and bill you later. I got mine in 3 days. Thanks for taking good care of your bluebirds. I learned the hard way what the hosp will do. Good luck getting him!!

Karen

Oh, one more thing. Make sure you put a sparrow spooker on the box after the first egg is laid. That will protect the blues from any other hosp. that might come along. If they want that box, they will kill to get it. Here is a sparrow spooker. I make mine just like that.

http://www.sialis.org/images/spookerpam.jpg

actually the sialis.org web site has a wealth of information.

I've done my research and had heard of the Van Ert trap, but thought it was the ground bird trap. It's difficult to put up a sparrow spooker. I've attempted it, but we get SO MUCH WIND here. I'd have to really do some work to keep it up. We are very rural, mostly farmland, but there is a horse farm behind us, that is where they are coming from. We actually just had a EF2 tornado go by on Friday, there's a lot of damage out here. I almost got three broods last year, the HOSP got my third. I was out of town, and they got my last nest. My daughter rides horses, that's how I figured out they were in the area but they didn't find my nest box until late last year :(

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.

I have had an idea about HOSP, they were sort of the beginning of my birdwatching in 2004. I put out my first bird feeder and when they found it they annihilated the feeder in an hour. That's when I looked them up, and of course found all of the bad info on them. So I switched to BOSS and didn't have a problem with them again. However, I could never get Bluebirds (we're military) so they didn't kill anything and I never had a nest box before. Maryland and South Florida. My Van Ert will be here on Monday!!!

Great job!! Just make sure you have time to watch the box when you put the trap on. You could trap a bb. Best of luck getting the hosp. Your bb's will thank you :)

Got the Van Ert and got the MALE!!!!!! Woohoo!!!!!!! We trapped him within 10 minutes :) There were 4 eggs, too. This trap is ingenious, I'm so excited, can't wait to see those blues!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!

OH!! Good job!!! Don't forget about the spooker, that keeps them save if another hosp. decides he wants the box. Great work Christy!!!!

Karen

Thank you!!!! Just got the mama, too!!!! Yay!!!! I love that trap, come on blues :). I'll think about the sparrow spooker, none of the monofilament deterred them for even a moment. Maybe it will the next couple? I think they're kinda ugly, but I'll do it if need be. There were 4 HOSP eggs, too!!! Thanks :) Christy

Great job getting those sparrows. Keep your eyes open for more! It's a never ending battle!

I would like to invite you to join the bluebird nut cafe forum. It is much more active than this site and we have many veteran bluebirders that can give quick answers. Check us out!

http://bluebirdnutcafe.yuku.com/