Lisa You will be losing sleep and pulling your hair out before this is over. I have not worked the last few years so I do nothing but watch out the window during nest building. I have seen these situations more than once. This year I am working and can only hope while I'm gone tragedy will not strike. Running out screaming and waving at hosps is always a good tactic. LOL It does work. First Keep trying with the drst. The natives will not go in it again after they get caught. The titmice always bite me when I let them out. So cute! I like to put it near a brushy area where the hosps hang. Next shoot at them with the bb gun every time you see them at the box. You will find out they are very smart. Even if you don't hit them you can sway them to another box by doing this. I would try to notice where they are flying in and out of your yard from and situate the drst there and also put another box with a 1 1/4" hole near there to see if I could entice them to switch boxes. Then let them get comfy and keep them busy. Then use the Van Ert. Of course like all traps it still must be monitored as other birds fit through that hole. You have to stop feeding the other birds or use only safflower seed when using the drst. Once they get busy nest building for real they will be more apt to eat from the trap. Keep us posted on your situation and your sanity. Any questions don't hesitate to ask. Good Luck Cathy

Lucky you! My BBs fledged last weekend and my TRES hatched Wednesday. I always catch the BBs fledging but have yet to see the TRES go....maybe this time!

The article below comes from the U.S. Postal Service web site. http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/localnews/tn/tn_2008_0826_DR.htm Tips for erecting and maintaining your mailbox NASHVILLE, TN The U.S. Postal Service wants to remind customers that in addition to maintaining a nice looking lawn and mulching the flower bed this fall, donÂt forget that the mailbox may need sprucing up as well. After all, your letters deserve a clean, safe place to stay, too. Here are some helpful housekeeping tips for your mailbox: Curbside mailboxes should be placed so that they may be safely and conveniently served by carriers without leaving their vehicle. Boxes must also be on the rightÂhand side of the road and in the carrierÂs direction of travel. Boxes must be placed to conform to state laws and highway regulations. Generally, mailboxes are installed at a height of 41 to 45 inches from the road surface to the bottom of the mailbox or point of mail entry. Mailboxes are set back 6 to 8 inches from the front face of the curb or road edge to the mailbox door. Because of varying road and curb conditions and other factors, the Postal Service recommends that customers contact the postmaster or carrier before erecting or replacing their mailboxes and supports. If your mailbox is mounted on a pole or post, check its stability and make sure it is properly anchored. Heavy metal posts, concrete posts, and miscellaneous items of farm equipment, such as milk cans filled with concrete are examples of potentially dangerous supports. The ideal support is an assembly that bends or falls away when struck by a vehicle. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has determined that mailbox supports no larger than 4 inches by 4 inches, or a 2Âinch diameter standard steel or aluminum pipe, buried no more than 24 inches, should safely break away if struck by a vehicle. Your mailbox identifies your address, not only for the letter carrier but for the police, the fire department, emergency workers, other service providers and visitors to your home. We recommend that you put your address on both sides of the mailbox, and that the numerals and letters be at least one-inch tall. Check the door and its hinges. Make sure it closes properly to keep your mail in and the wind and rain out. Do you see any sharp edges or nails sticking out? Protect your hands and those of your letter carrier by filing off dangerous points. Also sand and repaint or replace your mailbox if itÂs rusty  you donÂt want to have to get a tetanus shot, and neither does your letter carrier. The Postal Service requires "USPS Approved" curbside mailboxes whenever a mailbox is newly installed or replaced. You can find them at most hardware stores. You may use a customer-built curbside box if the Postmaster gives prior approval and if the mailbox generally conforms to the same specifications as approved manufactured mailboxes. Contact your local Post Office before erecting a custom-built mailbox.

Yes this is an old thread, but extremely relevant; especially in light of Covid and all the insanity it is breeding. I have two nasty neighbors, so I got the luck of the draw. One on each side. The neighbor to the left was syrupy sweet for a few months, but that turned. The neighbor to the right is anal as all get out but feels as if he is entitled to encroach on our property, move things, dig our fence up because he felt it wasn’t level, take deck tiles he agreed to buy from me, but never made good on, mow over my outdoor area rug, and “accidentally“ destroy various things. The man isn’t crazy, just anal and entitled at 50 plus years old. Worse than a toddler. Never apologies or offers to replace what was damaged. I have felt like retaliating in several occasions, but I always pull myself together. My husband is now seeing things more and more. You are not crazy. Those that are calling you crazy must be “that crazy neighbor” to someone else or just plain evil and nasty. There are so many people in the world like this. A person entitled and miserable is extremely difficult to live by. I pray your situation has improved. We are hoping to move in a year or so. I will be sure to pay extra careful attention to the neighborhood and make certain there is ample distance between property lines. I want peace!