How to deal with problem Magpies

Magpies that become wary of your trap for whatever reason, can be extremely difficult to trap and you will often see them dance around your Larsen trap, but refuse to jump in or avoid it completely.

This is when you need to consider why this is happening, change strategy and consider alternative options.

Have you tried different types of bait to entice them in, or perhaps formed a dummy nest for example. As Magpies aggressively defend their territory, using a live decoy bird in your trap is by far the best method.

You may find that the trap is simply not close enough to the target birds territory or not visible from its favorite sentry point.

Moving the trap deeper into its territory is the most likely route to success. If the trap is situated in deep or dense undergrowth it may also pay to lift the trap up onto a bale or some other solid object making it more visible.

Raising the decoy in this way sometimes infuriates the territory holder into jumping in.

If you have still not caught anything within a couple of days, try moving the trap again or rest the site for a few days and then bring back the trap with a new decoy bird.

Fortunately, Larsen traps are small and relatively light so they can easily be moved around making it easier to deal with these problem birds. A few traps will allow you to cover quite a large area.

You may also wish to consider using a larsen mate trap, either in isolation or in conjunction with your Larsen trap.

The terms and conditions covering the use of these types of traps is covered by the general licences issued annually by the government agency for the UK country you are operating in - read more on this on our Legal Tips blog post.

Make sure you fully understand them before commencing trapping.

For more advanced tips on how to get the most out fo your traps, we have an tips blog post to help you.

If you have any specific questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments below.

Other useful documents:

BASC code of practice “Trapping Pest Birds” on the BASC website  www.basc.org.uk or direct link http://basc.org.uk/cop/trapping-pest-birds/