Somebody try this....

[Vern1]

It worked amazingly for me so somebody try this!

I was talking to an old couple who have been Martin Landlords forever and have shared tips with me before.
They moved into town about 12 years ago and restarted their colony and slowly moved over to gourds and have a nice welded rack made by his son that has 24 gourds with SREH entrances and porches.

As we talked about the ups and downs of this season, the subject of EHS came up.
Being in town, they have more than their share and have a unique method of dealing with them since they can't shoot them in town and quite a few EHS that are trap shy.

He chuckled as he said you gotta fight frustration with frustration.
They let the EHS move in and give them 4-5 days to get established.
Then he lowers the rack and puts a clothes pin or two in the SREH so the EHS can see in the gourd but try as they might, can't get in.
He said it frustrates the devil out of them and since they have already wasted time building a nest, their biological clock is ticking and they usually move on after a few hours.
They said this also has an added benefit in that the EHS just leave and don't go on the usual rampage destroying Martin eggs and pinkies.

I tried it on a particularly worthy opponent that is both trap and pellet gun shy.
I let them move in and stay for 5 days, then lowered the rack and put two clothes pins in the SREH and watched the action with my web cam.
As soon as I raised the the rack, it seems like EVERY Martin in my colony had to come by and check out the gourd.....then it settled down.
The EHS came by and tried to get in a few times and simply left - they didn't even try to move to another gourd.
I haven't seen any EHS on my rack in over a week since I tried this.

Test this theory out folks, it seems to work.
This would be particularly handy in town where you can't shoot them or at a public site that is watched by folks passing by.
The hardest part is waiting for 4-5 days while those nasty EHS make themselves at home!

Try it and report back.
I can't take any credit for this, just passing it on to fellow Landlords.

Good luck with the rest of your season.

[tim414]

I was wondering what EHS stood for....English House Sparrow? If yes=HOSP.....

[tim414]

I do not have any Martins yet. I do have issues with HOSP trying to nest. (Not anymore-they have nested already this year in this area.) I will try that next year, thanks.
Tim

[williamn]

Thanks for passing the information. I have a HOSP Im having trouble getting rid of. I'll try this.

Thanks

[MamaBruff]

I would like to add something here. I have done similarly, though not patient enough to wait 5 days. Anyways, I have a Gilbertson BB house rigged with a Gilbertson trap, just 6 feet from the base of the PM system. The homeless HOSP go there nearly every time.

The Gilbertson house... I had my first encounter with the ruthless HOSP who killed 6 chickadee nestlings and their mother. So the "death house" was relocated near the base of the PM system. A bit of "payback" I suppose.

This is not my Gilbertson house but nearly identical: http://www.ourhappyacres.com/wp-content ... house1.jpg

http://shop.purplemartin.org/Gilbertson ... tails.aspx

[lynnh]

4 to 5 days....I can't do 4 to 5 minutes therefore I'm out.

[Vern1]

Yeah, 4-5 days was killing me.
I had stopped just short of pulling out the folding blind....but had it in the hallway of the house!
Already tried shooting AND trapping but they just wouldn't fall for it.
I had already been after them for 3 days when the couple told me the trick.
Sometimes when you get a particularly smart HOSP, 4-5 days passes pretty quickly and blocking the entrance with clothes pins feels sooo good.

[KathyF]

I think every site is different. Every HOSP is different. I can tell you that I have had 3 pair of nesting BB and 12 pair of nesting tree swallows and when I set the trap in a house where the HOSP had claimed it and killed the nesting TRES, he moved on to another nest box and was trying to kill the parents / nestlings there. So I had to remove the trap and setup a blind before I finally got him.
I can see where letting them build in a nestbox keeps them busy, but I would not block it off and hope they go elsewhere. Too much risk to my other nesting birds. Sorry, but I have learned my lesson. Shoot, trap, what ever I have to do - or other birds suffer from my mismanagement.