If you do the math on the ability of this species to reproduce (2-3 nestings with 4-7 chicks per nesting) and the average life span (roughly 12 years), you realize how eliminating one breeding pair has the potential to have a tremendous benefit on species diversity, even within a small area. Kate: Sounds like you have had a lot of success. The Huber trap is a great idea. There are also others that are nice. Here is the web site for one: http://www.vanerttraps.com/universal.htm You may be aware of this, but I just think this caution bears saying for those who are reading: The one problem with putting in-box traps in a bank of martin houses is that you are likely to trap native birds as well. You have to monitor these kinds of traps hourly (which might be hard given the height of them) to make sure that the trapped bird is the intended target species. If it is not, you actually risk the life of the native bird(s), which, of course, is illegal as well as inhumane. So monitoring is absolutely essential. I would agree with everything else that you have mentioned. Certainly the males are the ones that control the area and have the most potential to harm native birds through passive and active competition. Most people who do this would agree that one of the best ways to catch them is with in-box traps during the heat of the nesting season. They are very saavy about ground traps. You can sometimes bait the ground traps with nesting materials that are glued to a heavy piece of wood (ripped plastic tarp material, trash, tissues, yarn, etc.). The best season to catch the adult males (and females) is the early spring. During the summer, it is best to use a ground trap baited with white bread. You can catch young birds and females by the dozen this way. I have included a link for a very good repeating ground trap. Good luck to you Rose. I think that everything here is really true and if more people would consider doing a small piece of this big problem species diversity could be noticably improved. Of course, this is all contingent on the laws in Canada. Here is a link that might be useful: Repeating Ground Trap

Update: they finally stopping fighting on the 8th day, May 6. I heard Tres making noise in the morning of May 6 and looked outside, saw male bb and TRES as expected. But, TRES didn't dive bomb bb as before, they just stared at each other, sometimes just 8 ft apart. No fighting the whole day, bb hang around for a lot longer period of time that day. May 7th, bb rarely showed up. TRES carried a few straw to build nest, then stopped. Today, rain. No activity The way they are going about building nest, I don't think they will ever finish:-(

Awwww..so sorry to hear of this. That storm came through my yard too, and took one of my Bradford Pears down. It landed across my driveway, and luckily did not hit the house or our basketball goal. Gosh, it came through really fast. If you are not seeing them back at the house at all, then they have abandoned the nest. You don't need to wait the 2 weeks to remove the nest. Give it a few days, and when you are sure that they have abandoned, go ahead and remove the nest. Maybe they will build there again. There is still plenty of time.~~Angie

They are no different in Europe than anywhere else. It is true in the animal world it is hard to find a species that's completely innocent. Bluebirds will also kill and take over a nest if they have too. Barn swallows can do the same. I can give you a link with a story about swallows sealing a nest that a sparrow took over, and they sealed it with a sparrow inside (but the link is not in English). Swifts in Europe often take over a nest by killing the birds with its claws. The american cowbird is an angel compared to the European cuckoo bird :) I could continue with these kind of stories forever. Any way, I don't have a problem with your or anybody else's advise, but you should list all the possible solutions, not just YOUR favorite.