Custom Search
|
|
|
||
 Feeding areas are the best trap sites, but are
that prevent sparrows from escaping after they have
rarely on the same property as the roosting sites. Roof
travelled through two funnels going for a food bait.
tops that have water from cooling towers or air
Fine cracked corn, millet, wheat, or bread crumbs
conditioning units are often good trapping sites in
make good bait. Trap sites should be baited for a few
summer.
days before you actually begin trapping. Sparrow traps
The most difficult part of trapping is motivating
are more effective when placed on the ground. Nest
birds to feed in a nonfeeding area so that they will
box traps attract a sparrow with a potential nest site.
follow the bait into the trap. Whole corn or sorghum
Once inside, the bird trips the mechanism; the floor
are generally the best baits but wheat, milo, oat groats,
gives way, dumping the bird into a collecting bag.
millet, popcorn, sunflower seeds, peas, greens, bread,
This trap also works against starlings. Male birds are
or peanuts can be very effective if the birds are
attracted by a piece of string to use as nesting
feeding on similar food. Once a few birds have been
material.
trapped, putting different foods in with the birds can
show which bait they prefer.
Lethal Alternatives
In the first few weeks of a program,
AVITROL
scatter s m a l l q u a n t i t i e s o f b a i t
AVITROL products are restricted use poison baits
throughout the area to start the birds
with flock-alarming properties used to control many
feeding and determine the best trap
kinds of birds. The different AVITROL baits: whole
sites. [Some specialists leave traps
corn for pigeons, smaller grains for sparrows and
propped open for the first few days to
other birds. Within 15 minutes of eating a toxic dose
allow the birds to get used to them.]
of AVITROL, birds flutter erratically and go into
When the birds are calmly entering the
convulsions. They may fly away from the baiting site,
trap, set it. Put bait and water (a "chick
or they may "dive bomb" into the ground.
font" is ideal) inside the trap and just a
handful or so outside the trap. Leave
Most affected birds die within a few hours, but
one or two "decoy" birds in the trap to
some last longer. Only a small percentage of the flock
draw in other birds. [Light-colored
(usually from five percent to 15 percent) needs to be
birds make better decoys than drab
affected for an AVITROL program to be successful.
ones.]
The flock becomes frightened by the convulsions and
Remove trapped birds regularly (except
distress of the poisoned birds, and anywhere from 65
for decoys), otherwise other pigeons
percent to 85 percent of the flock will leave the area.
will be frightened by fluttering trapped
pigeons in the trap. Since pigeons can
Prebaiting
fly great distances and find their way
At most sites, birds must be trained to feed on
home, trap and release is not normally
bait. While baits are different for different birds,
effective. In most cases, trapped birds
whole corn bait for pigeons is the most common and
should be humanely destroyed. Some
is discussed here:
experts recommend gassing with carbon
Careful observations of the birds' feeding habits
dioxide but others feel it is simpler and
must be made to establish proper feeding locations and
more humane to kill the bird by
to determine that no nontarget birds are feeding on the
breaking its neck.
pre-bait. The goal is to get at least 40 percent of the
Sometimes indoor roosting sites can be used as a
birds to accept the untreated pre-bait. Expect the effort
giant trap. Pigeons often use attics, rooftop elevator
to take from 3-days to 3-weeks. Remove all of the pre-
houses, or empty floors of poorly maintained
bait corn before switching over to AVITROL. The
structures as nest and roost sites. By screening all but
better the acceptance of the bait, the better the chance
one or two entrances these areas can be made into a
to move the flock quickly.
giant trap. Late in the evening (after about a two-week
AVITROL corn bait kernels are not used alone,
acclimation period) these last entrances can be closed
but are mixed with untreated corn in ratios ranging
down after the pigeons have settled down for the
from the usual l-part AVITROL and 29-parts
night. The trapped birds can then be captured by hand
untreated bait to l-part treated to 19-parts untreated
or with "butterfly" nets.
Sparrows. Sparrow traps come in various sizes
where other bird food is available. No dilution ratio
less than l-part treated to 9-parts untreated is
and shapes. The sparrow funnel trap is a double funnel
Module Three Chapter 4, Pg 8
|
 
|
|
|
||
