Sparrows

[1900_LE]

How do I keep sparrows out of my martin house? Too late this year, but I want to be prepared for next year. Thanks

[dan z]

not sure if this would help but are the holes in the house the perfect size for martins? If their to big/small the martins will get kicked out by pest birds

[Catmendo]

IMO.....Good-Luck! The common house sparrow is a tough little competitor that in not easily discouraged when it comes to giving a good nesting location. I have watched as a much smaller male sparrow went blow for blow, peck for peck with a much larger male martin. The end results....shared accommodations!

Maybe someone here can lend their advice on how to resolve this issue. I simply gave up trying and decided to let them figure it out.

[1900_LE]

The martins never had a chance. The sparrows took over the house within, maybe, a week after I put it up. Even after pulling their nest out 2-3 times they were pretty persistant. The martins tried to move in to the opposite side but never did. Thought about shooting them,(as I read somewhere on the internet) but didnt want to wreck and/or destroy my new house.

[gatorhunter]

I stopped yanking sparrow nests out a couple of years ago. I get 6 or 7 pairs of martins every year. So sparrows and martins coexist in my 16 room martin house. Truthfully, I wouldn't want 16 pairs of martins especially when they all had a kid or two. My lawn would be well fertilized but that's way too many martins.

[Steve Foss]

My grandmother had martins on the farm in Wisconsin. As soon as the martin young had left the house, she stuck small glass pop bottles in the holes and left them there until she saw the first martin of spring.

It worked for her. Plenty of things a person could use to plug them.

[glenn57]

what he said. plug the holes after the martins leave.