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Does everyone here use a baffle on their poles? I was wondering when the best time to put it up would be. I have a bluebird nest on my trail nearby. No eggs yet, but didn’t want to sxare them off by messing with the pole
Lots of us here use baffles on our poles – this is to discourage/keep away anything that could climb a pole, like snakes, raccoons, etc. Using a slick pole instead of wood to hold the box is also necessary, and the baffle is an extra security. Personally, I don’t have a snake problem but there are lots of raccoons and neighborhood cats in our rural area. Put on the baffle as soon as you can – it will not deter the blues at all. I would think on a trail there might be more snakes than usual, but would depend on the area I guess. Good luck. P.S. The wobbling baffle is the best most believe.
Carol is right about the deterrence they offer to climbing predators. This is the one that I have for my nestbox. It is a 24″ x 6″ metal stove pipe mounted about 4 & 1/2′ above the ground. The pipe is 1 & 1/2″ PVC and I cut a hole in the top of the stove pipe cap to fit over to top. I also included a snake trap at the top of the stove pipe made out of several layers 1/4″ hardware cloth with smaller bits of that wire with the metal wires bent down to stab an intruder. A also grease the pole with lithium grease to keep ants and other creatures away. The baffle wobbles on two 2 1/2″ screws.
David
Stafford, VA
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