I generally use white bread as bait, but you are having better success than me right now – are you using millet and peanuts? What is your bait of choice?
I use the same bait as what is in my feeder, as they are mobbing it right now. It’s mostly hulled sunflower seed, mixed about 4:1 with white millet. (4 scoops sunflower to 1 scoop millet). I get a 50lb bag of the sunflower for about $51 at a local seed store(Oaks Feeds), and the white millet at a nursery which stays open in the winter with bird feeding supplies(Black Diamond, $0.29/lb). I also have tried just straight millet, but if it’s windy at all, it just gets blown out of the trap… I’m going to try some bread though, as maybe that will be a nice change in windy conditions.
I’ve been taking my trap into the garage at night, but that’s getting to be real work, so I think I’m going to try and just find something to cover it with. I might have an old mat around here somewhere. They do make a mess of the plywood that I put under it, so I’ve got several different boards to put under the trap, especially when taking it in the garage. And, yes, newpaper when in the garage… I’ve even taken the boards to a spray car wash(in the back of an old pickup 
) to clean them off. Shouldn’t have to do that in normal weather, but since we have been really dry this year, they don’t seem to get cleaned naturally.
With the forecast winds(>50mph gusts) and rain we had a few days ago, I pulled the trap completely for a day, and the next day, had no takers… Maybe they were recovering from the blow, as my feeder didn’t have much activity either. I’ve caught another 48 since 12/20(254 total), and there are hundreds more around the yard.
I’m also considering getting a second trap. I’ve noticed that 8-10 HOSP seem to be the maximum I ever catch at once. I have a feeling that with about that many in the trap, they may start getting the others a bit leery. Or maybe it’s just my luck…
Carol – Mid-Mo and Tammy: I’ll take a closer look at the VanErt trap as spring gets closer. Sounds like a winner!
-
This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by
.
-
This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by
-
This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by
Chris
Toledo, Ohio