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Thanks, Carol. Yes, it was soooooo discouraging to see a HOSP inside there. The starlings perch on the outside landing, and then lean inside the hole to grab the mealworms. We had such joy from watching the BBs this spring, but now I’m almost ready to give up.
Hi Cher, can you provide instructions on where to find the PM system? When I first joined, I navigated around the site and couldn’t find any way to do it.
Thank you!
Thanks, Julie! I’m learning that there is no magic method, and that trial and error is the only solution. I really liked the bread idea, though, and may try again.
Yes, they are probably finding plenty of food locally, and don’t need the millet in the trap right now.
I haven’t been leaving the male HOSP as decoys. But I will do that next time, definitely!
So, I removed the bread, and the flies went away. And then within a few hours I caught a HOSP….! :-) You are right, Julie. It seems that every time I start to feel discouraged, a little guy ends up in the trap…..it’s like clockwork. :-)
Hi Julie, we tried the bread-in-the-trap idea, which sounded great! Well, it’s not drawing the HOSP in, but is drawing many flies (!). We have a lot of flies here, unfortunately. It probably is not an appealing sight to the HOSP. Not sure what to do next. Have only caught one HOSP in almost 2 weeks now….. :-(
Hi Jill, my only idea is to contact “Uncle Blaine” at the DRST website. He is the inventor of the trap, and quite knowledgeable, so if anyone were to have a solution, it would certainly be him. Please let us know, if you find out anything!
Thanks, Julie. I’m also inclined to get the males out of the trap sooner rather than later.
And I loved your BB story from yesterday! So heartwarming.
Thank you, Carol! I agree, from experience it is better to pay a little more and get something that will last. I feel fortunate that the BB’s have survived the season without injury, with such a risky location for the box (my mistake). I will get a proper setup when the newborns are fledged and I can remove / clean the box.
Oh, okay that makes sense! We have one BB box, and a wren box (unoccupied, haven’t heard any wrens yet this year). M
Great advice on the trap. I’m making notes, so I don’t have to go back and reread all the postings. Thank you so much. I think I’ve been too skimpy with the bait…..and I didn’t know they liked white bread. I’ll definitely do that.
You were right again. I was getting really discouraged the past few days, and just now I saw a male HOSP in the trap a few minutes ago. (Do you remove those right away, and only leave the females in there as decoys?)
Thank you, Julie. I will follow your suggestions!
One mistake I now realize, is that I removed the decoy after a few days, thinking it wasn’t doing any good. Next time I get one, I’ll be more patient and leave her in there. I did move the trap to a different location yesterday. That may have been premature, based on what you are saying, but now that it’s there, I’ll leave it alone for a while. Patience is so important! The HOSP are still a problem, but at least this has been good exercise for my character. :-)
Congrats on your success in reducing the HOSP!
You have four BB houses going? Wow, that’s fantastic.
Thanks, David! Great advice. And yes, we are in Manheim PA.
And thanks, Julie! That doesn’t seem overly difficult. And WBU products tend to be a little pricey……
How are you doing with the HOSP trapping lately? I had a female decoy in there, and the other HOSP would not show much interest at all, other than eating the millet on the outside perch, or on the ground.
David, Dana, and Julie — I’m not especially handy at making things, so I’m thinking this could be a good choice?
https://lancaster.wbu.com/pole-system-brochure
Is this similar to what you use?
Thanks Dana and Julie!
Interestingly, a few weeks ago I noticed that the nest was lower than it had been. Now I’m thinking that the bluebirds themselves removed some nesting material. Very intelligent of them!
As soon as they fledge, I’ll remove the house from the fencepost, and set up a pole and baffle instead. I feel pretty fortunate that the birds have survived my mistakes thus far.
Nine HOSP captured so far in May. I wish it were more. I naively thought they would be hopping in, one after another. They are eating the millet on the outside perch, but not venturing inside.
