Bluebird Houses

[Dotch]

Have had many discussions about the evils of wrens & house sparrows when it comes to bluebird houses. I've maintained bluebird houses at our neighbor's pasture but gave up at home after battling with the house sparrows. I kill every one of those SOB's I can when I get a chance as they are basically rats with wings, crapping all over & making a mess if feed is left uncovered. Between the cats and myself, we've been able to at least get the sparrow numbers down to a manageable level. My livestock neighbors to the SW replenish the supply so I try to make life as miserable for their sparrows as possible. A lot of the bluebird houses at home need some TLC or just need to be replaced. Wrens are occasionally an issue but as long as I provide them with nesting boxes in heavier cover, they don't seem to bother the bluebird houses that are out in the open. There's more competition for those from the tree swallows than anything else. A few house types that reputedly help deter sparrows:

https://bluebirdlandlord.com/sparrow-resistant-bluebird-houses-do-they-exist/

[roony]

My dad gave me a havaheart sparrow trap when I was 13 or so. It seemed like after you caught the first one you could catch a bunch. Sometimes I'd have over 20 in that trap. Caugjt about 30 females to every male. It seems like the males are much more wary.
 

[Dotch]

I agree. I used to supply my sister in law with dead sparrows from the repeating trap. She is part of a group in IA that helps rehab hawks. One year she got a couple hundred sparrows I collected & froze for them.

I have a trap like the one in the link below. Haven't used it for a few years but should set it out so I don't have to tear down so many sparrow nests. Some places the cats just can't get to easily. This time of year I used to bait it with stuff like string off of feed sacks and feathers if I could find them. Sometimes when they empty a turkey building out nearby there are lots of feathers. The male sparrows are the nest builders so they seemed to home in on that stuff. They're also the bluebird killers. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/814999676/original-deluxe-repeating-sparrow-trap

[LPS]

We have always liked tree swallows.  I made three blue bird houses to spec sizing.  Tree swallows liked them too.  Now the tree swallows moved to the white and green aluminum martin house since we can't attract martins.  Had a bluebird last year and was real tame.  Have had a few over the years and didn't even realize it was bluebirds.  Now I want more of them.  I have to put a resized hole on two cuz they were pecked too big.

[roony]

Good info on using nest building material Dotch. I also detest those house sparrows. I haven't used that trap in years. When our 5 year old son was explaining how he grabbed the sparrows out of there and wrung their necks the warden wasn't pleased. Go figure.

[glenn57]

  just curious,  do you feed birds??? I kn5out in the country can be different but if your feeding millet or cracked corn type bird food that is g8to keep sparrows around.

I don't feeding nuttin but sunflowers,  safflower and thistle seed. Very few sparrows.

[mike89]

just curious,  do you feed birds??? I kn5out in the country can be different but if your feeding millet or cracked corn type bird food that is g8to keep sparrows around.

I don't feeding nuttin but sunflowers,  safflower and thistle seed. Very few sparrows.

in the brandy???   

[glenn57]

just curious,  do you feed birds??? I kn5out in the country can be different but if your feeding millet or cracked corn type bird food that is g8to keep sparrows around.

I don't feeding nuttin but sunflowers,  safflower and thistle seed. Very few sparrows.

in the brandy???   

I don't waste good brandy on birds

On the other day if I had to keep that peanut butter feeders up here at the cabin full.... I need to invest in a peanut butter  farm! went through a full jar . Small one grant you but still. It's empty every nite

[roony]

I only feed sunflower seeds, thistle seed, ear corn and suet. The sliding door tracks on the machine shed and overhangs on some other buildings seem to make a perfect nesting spot for the house sparrows and they do eat some sunflower seeds but not like they eat mixed bird seed

[glenn57]

I only feed sunflower seeds, thistle seed, and suet. The sliding door tracks on the machine shed and overhangs on some other buildings seem to make a perfect nesting spot for the house sparrows.

yea that would suck.

[Leech~~]

just curious,  do you feed birds??? I kn5out in the country can be different but if your feeding millet or cracked corn type bird food that is g8to keep sparrows around.

I don't feeding nuttin but sunflowers,  safflower and thistle seed. Very few sparrows.

in the brandy???   

I don't waste good brandy on birds

On the other day if I had to keep that peanut butter feeders up here at the cabin full.... I need to invest in a peanut butter  farm! went through a full jar . Small one grant you but still. It's empty every nite

Word, Dollar Tree for peanut butter.  Well now $1.25 tree!   

[mike89]

aldi's too