From the instruction sheet that comes with every DRST purchased, here are some additional bait ideas that have worked for others:
Bread chunks (esp. white bread)
Nesting material (break up an old HOSP nest and stick pieces of it in the bait tray)
Feathers (hot glue a few to a bottle cap or piece of wood so they can’t be pulled out through the mesh without the bird entering the elevator area).
Dry cat food
Popped popcorn
Cheese popcorn
Stale french fries
When elevating the trap, make sure it has a visual “floor” underneath – a board, or a picnic table – don’t “suspend” the trap over thin air.
Using mealworms is not a good idea, because:
1) they will crawl out
2) they are expensive
3) they will make the trap more attractive to other native songbirds
Central NY
TMB Studios