question on troyer tunnel trap. Starlings breaching the Conely 2 entrances

[John Evans]

Have 2 traps and have set them up.
First question, Is the rubber band that came on the loop supposed to be used with the trap?
Second, when installing the wire into the gourd slot do you pull the wire all the way through the gourd? Seems the bird would have to pull it a long way to get it to spring the door.
Have had a sparrow "sneak" around the noose somehow

Am trying to trap sparrows and starlings with this trap, they are a problem this year.

Checked and didn't see a you tube video and the instructions aren't specific enough for the mentally challenged.

Of course I threw out the instructions in the trash which was take away today..

Thanks!

John

[John Barrow]

Hi John,
I have used the Troyer traps on their gourds with success. Sometimes I use the aluminum slide gate that comes with it; sometimes I use a plastic door stop in the same fashion. As long as they slide freely down either will work.
For starlings I use the metal loop as it comes. I file the end into a sharper point and insert it through the front of the gourd at the designated hole so that it sticks through about 1/2 inch or a little less. Then, I put the gate down to rest on the metal rod.
When I have had sparrows go in the gourd and up and around the longer supplied loop I take another metal loop contraption and cut the front rod down to about 3 inches and sharpen the point. The shorter metal contraptions works better on sparrows.
I keep several of these traps at my colonies. Some longer, as they come, and some shortened to catch smaller birds.

[JamesinIA]

I found out the hard way that sparrows can get through the loop without tripping the trap and that is why the rubber band is there.

[John Evans]

Thank you John and James . Questions answered!