Kirk, I have found that red millet is not a house sparrow’s favorite food. They seem to ignore it. In my opinion cracked corn isn’t a good option either. I use white millet only or mixed seed with a lot of white millet in it and little to no red millet. Try that. Some people use bread. The winter months isn’t the best time to trap but soon it will be better. It takes awhile for you to catch the first one but after you have the first one the others will trap easier.
You have to keep the first one as a decoy in your holding area and try to keep it alive as long as poosible by supplying with food and water because it will be what draws the others in.
I often catch my first one with a inbox Van Ert trap and then I put that HOSP in the holding area of the repeating trap as a decoy.
Put the trap right under where you see the HOSP (house sparrows) perching a lot. If it doesn’t work one place after a few weeks then put it somewhere else.
So first change to white millet or bread but not red millet. People use the fishing line, or string on their feeders but personally I don’t like to do that. They get used t it and I’d rather save it for the bluebird nest boxes. Get back with us and maybe we can give you other suggestions.
Tammy