40 Starlings Dead in two days with PMCA Repeating Bait Trap

[bluetick]

I had this bait trap for about 9 months and only caught about 5 HS birds and about 4 cardinals ( That I released ). I was about ready to give it away. The Starling are always stealing my coon dogs food if they don't eat it. My wife said why don't you put the trap out there with dog food in it. We had been using bread and bird seed. I put dog food in the food tray and one handful under the trigger of the trap on the ground and sit the trap on top of the food. Sunday we caught 30 starlings and Monday we got 10. I couldn't believe it. They made a nice picture laying there dead. My kennel is about 200 feet from my martins. Dave

[bluetick]

Caught 17 more today. The dog food is working. My Martins are doing great but we are suppose to have bad weather today. I hope it go around or don't happen. The baseball size hail they had out west we do not need. Have a great day.Dave

[DornCounty]

you will be amazed how all native birds start showing up more often with the starlings gone.. got 93 at my house since feb-2012 and the natives have shown up in spades.

[Mhoover]

I have noticed that as well. I even had hummingbirds nest here last year and this year for the first time in over 30 years.

[AllanC]

glad to hear about the dead starlings, Ive had a good year as far as no starling problems, I keep them on there toe with a very accurate air rifle,
My neighbor was asking about my repeating trap and was a little upset that I was killing birds just to kill them, couldnt make her understand the destructive nature of starlings. so I installed my trap inside my shop and painted a bird house with multiple hole on the outside, now I just empty the collection basket from inside my shop.

[scottfreidhof]

Way to adapt and put the smackdown on the starlings. My wife has made some helpful comments over the years as well. I have noticed a difference around my house this spring since trapping 127 English sparrows last spring/summer with a walk-in ground trap. Most were recent fledglings. This spring started out with the typical removal of 6 adult sparrows from the bluebird boxes. Since we don't live in a closed system and these birds disperse into new territories, I'm not surprised that the usual number of birds showed up to take over the bluebird boxes. Since then the difference has become evident. There are no hoards of fledgling sparrows hanging out on the back deck or yard. And just one pair of house sparrows remains in the rural collection of houses around ours. They are nesting just two houses down, so I will have some trapping to do, but nothing like last year.

[birdbrat]

Bluetick, That is so cool. Starlings certainly have an appitite for dog food. What I have been doing is feed our dogs about 25 yards from my back room window. When the dogs have finished I put a screen over the food bowl making it harder (but not impossable) for starlings to get at the food. Since it takes them a little longer to get the food through the screen, I have more of time to take careful aim with my pellet gun. I also have suet hanging on a tree trunk not far from another window. It may look like a snipper lives here with a gun poked out the window, but it gets the job done.

[bluetick]

68 dead and now I am down to catching 3 or 4 a day. The dog food has worked well. Got two HS too. Dave

[pmlover]

dave I'm so glad for you. Mt S&S controller broke and I don't know how to fix it. I made a couple Bluebird houses and enlarged the holes and I put in a trap that looks like a mouse trap. When they go in it closes over the hole then you cover house with a plastic bag and catch them. Since my S&s controller has been broken ive caught 40 starlings this way. Glad your doing well Dave. Ive wanted to see you but my wife has been in and out of the hospital so im messed up now.
Dick

[bluetick]

I will be praying your wife will get better soon Dick. My S&S is still catching one every once in a while. Dave

[CHenry]

How do you kill them once you trap them? I really need to research these traps and make one...mostely so they quit eating the dogs food.

[pmlover]

thanks Dave

[bluetick]

I cut a 50 gal. plastic barrel off and I put about 18 inches of water in it and I just sit the trap in it for a couple minutes and then dump them out. I got 4 HOSP'S yesterday. Dave