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"Tube Trap" Captures Pest Birds
Jim Criger of Springfield, Mo., had a problem with starlings in his barn. He solved it by building a simple, homemade trap that takes advantage of the birds’ nesting habits.
  “Starlings were tearing my barn apart,” says Criger. “During the spring nesting season they began to fly into the barn and destroy the insulation to use it as nesting material. It was either the birds or the barn. I picked the barn.”
  The trap is constructed from a 10-ft. length of 4-in. dia. pvc pipe, with a cap on both ends. A hole saw is used to cut a 2-in. dia. hole near the top of the pipe, and a small wooden dowel or pencil is inserted just below the hole to serve as a perch.
  A rectangular hole is cut into the bottom of the pipe. A piece of hardware cloth is then wrapped around the pipe and over the hole to create a sliding door, allowing the birds to be removed once they’ve fallen into the trap. The top inside part of the pipe is painted black so the starlings can’t tell what’s inside – once they enter through the hole, they fall to the bottom of the tube and can’t escape.
  The do-it-yourself trap is easy to install. Simply stand the tube up anywhere the birds would naturally nest, such as against a post or tree or at the corner of a building. Then tie it in place with a rope or twine. The trap is most successful during spring when starlings, sparrows or other pest birds are nesting. Once you’ve built and installed the trap, be sure to check it daily.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jim Criger, 2986 N. Farm Road 103, Springfield, Mo. 65803 (jimc417@yahoo.com).


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2013 - Volume #37, Issue #4