How to keep sparrows out of wren houses?

Wren houses are basically the birdhouses that are specifically built for brown birds named House Wrens. Sparrows can attack and destroy the wren houses. They can also kill House Wrens. Thus, it is necessary to protect the wren houses from sparrows.

The following are the precautionary measures that should be taken to keep sparrows out of wren houses.

• Keep an accurate size of entrance hole
• Make use of reflective surfaces to scare sparrows
• Put selective food in wren houses
• Perches should be absent
• Place decoys near wren house

It is impossible to protect wren houses from sparrows without special care. Carelessness can only lead to harm. Therefore, it is important to take care of wren homes.

You can follow the above instructions to protect your wren’s homes. Proper implementation of all the above methods works effectively to keep sparrows away from wren houses thus providing them protection.

Here is a complete description of all the above methods so that you can apply them properly for the desired results.

Keep an accurate size of entrance hole:

The size of the entrance hole of the wren houses is very important to provide protection to the wren houses. Since house wrens are small birds, a small opening may be sufficient for their entry. Oversized openings may allow entry of sparrows. Sparrows can build nests in wren houses and damage them.

They can also kill house wrens and destroy their eggs. So, you should be very careful while building or buying a wren house. The diameter range of entrance holes for wren houses should be 1 ⅛ -1 ½ inches.

This size blocks the bird’s entrance, thus keeping them out of homes. If the size of the entrance hole is larger than 1½, the sparrows can easily pass through them and enter the wren house, resulting in damage.

You can measure the hole size by using a size measuring tape to have the correct size of the entrance hole.

Make use of reflective surfaces to scare sparrows:

The use of reflective surfaces is among the easiest ways to keep sparrows away from wren houses by scaring them. You can use anything with a reflective surface such as CDs. CDs are easily available in the market. Take CDs and thread and pass the thread across the hole of the CDs and tie them tightly.

Then tie the thread with a branch of a tree near the wren house. Whenever the sparrows come near the wren’s house, they get scared by hanging CDs due to their reflective surfaces and fly away from them.

Perches should be absent:

The presence of perches can be a threat to wren homes because they attract sparrows and other birds. Sparrows usually sit on perches. Therefore, it is important to choose a house that does not have a perch.

If you hang or place the wren house near the perches, you can cut or remove them using a sharp cutting material.

The best practice is to avoid buying wren houses with slats or place them on or near the slats to keep sparrows away.

Put selective food in wren house:

Putting the selective food in the wren houses can help in keeping the sparrows away from them. Sparrows are mostly attracted to the places having their favorite food. They mostly eat cracked corn, millets, wheat, milo, etc. So you should not put these foods in the wren houses.

The House Wrens love eating sunflower chips, pieces of peanuts, Bark Butter, etc. The sparrows don’t like these food materials. So you should put this type of food in the wren houses to protect them from sparrows.

Moreover, you can also put the cracked corns in the bird feeders and can put them on the ground many miles away from the wren houses. The sparrows will eat the food from here and will not come near wren houses.

Place decoys near wren house:

Scaring the sparrows by placing decoys near wren houses can be an effective way to keep them out of wren houses. You can use different types of decoys such as rubber snakes and plastic owls. The owls and snakes are predators of sparrows, so their decoys can effectively scare them.

These decoys are easily available in the market. You can put these decoys on the land near the wren houses or can place them on the branches of the trees.

The decoys act as frightening material to sparrows, so they avoid coming near them due to fear of dying. In this way, you can protect wren houses from sparrows.

One con of using these decoys is that it will also keep the wrens away from their own houses. Once the wrens are used to it, they will enter their houses. The sparrows as a new comer will avoid entering the houses.

Wren homes and containment placement

Proper placement of wren houses plays an important role in deterring sparrows. Mount houses on poles or posts rather than trees, as sparrows are less likely to reach houses in more open areas.

Place houses 5-10 feet high, away from prevailing winds and offer some shade. Place deterrents such as reflective devices or noise-making objects near homes to create an undesirable environment for birds.

Natural Ways to Keep Sparrows Away

Applying natural methods can help prevent sparrows from taking over wren houses. Planting dense vegetation around houses makes entryways difficult for sparrows while providing cover for sparrows.

Additionally, installing nesting boxes specifically designed for bluebirds or chickadees can attract these species, which are less likely to have conflicts with rigs.

Additional measures to prevent sparrows out of wren houses

If sparrows continue to occupy the nesting boxes, consider taking additional measures. These may include trapping and relocating sparrows, removing their nests, or using deterrents such as motion-activated sprinklers or ultrasonic devices.

However, it is important to check local regulations before attempting any trapping or relocation methods.