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Susan, that is great that you have a styrofoam shield on – that is definitely a great help, but I can understand your worry about this excess heat. I did put another layer of foam on the top, with LOTS of overhang, a couple days ago for extra protection. Don’t know if this was needed but I felt for sure it wouldn’t hurt anything. Just made SURE the air gap between the wood & foam wasn’t compromised. This is about all we can do, is our best as we know what to do. We just have to have faith they will make it. By the way, you really need a cage feeder for those worms because those other large birds will always steal them! You really are wasting your money on the worms if you want to feed only your blues & they aren’t getting them. Good luck!
Susan. we too had about 98 degrees today, heat index way over 100 degrees. I believe you did the right thing by taking umbrella down ans it was good that you watched and saw they did not like it! Those babies could have starved. Did you ever put any kind of shield on the box? I have had a foam heat shield on for several weeks. Since I was also concerned about the extreme heat, I put an extra layer of styrofoam on the lid with VERY large overhangs to try to shade somewhat. All we can do is our best, but we must be cautious about trying to fool Mother Nature. My pair are taking worms to babies so I am hoping they can make it a few more days through this heat spell. They aren’t due to fledge for another 10 days or so. Hope yours make it through this spell, also.
Susan, someone (or maybe several) have used this car windshield thing as a bird house shield. Don’t know how you would keep it in place or anything, but you must remember it absolutely HAS to have a dead-air space of at least 3/4″ between it and the wood. Otherwise, it is just keeping the house hotter.
Gin, glad I “unconfused” you about the aluminum, yes, it is called flashing, very thin. I believe the easiest might be a 2nd foam roof with lots of overhang at this point, as the babies are growing at a speedy rate. Weather forecast is 97 for 3 days later in the week, with 101 on Sunday, all actual temps. I will look into this tomorrow – I have plenty of extra foam because I bought a 4×8″ piece this winter to make 4 shields and have more than half left.Thanks Gin, I thought about the umbrella, too. Problem is there is hardly a day goes by that we don’t have lots and lots of wind here. Ours is a rural subdivision so not much protection from the wind by close houses. I don’t think I could ever keep one up. And I’m gone quite a bit during the day so would not be around to put it up and down. Another thing that crossed my mind is to just put an additional layer of the foam on the top with very large overhangs and additional air flow spacers. Don’t know if layers would help or not. I’m just brain-storming here. P.s. I believe the aluminum the Sialis site was referring to is actual sheets of aluminum, not foil.
You need to grease the pole with heavy grease, like axle grease they use for wheel bearings (Vaseline or anything would work in a pinch but will wash off easily). Don’t know your setup exactly but you need to put about a 1-2″ wide band around at the top of the pole, just under the box – ants cannot cross this sticky barrier in theory, but you need to be sure they are not already in/under the nest itself, because then they could not get out. This is the easiest & least expensive way. If ants are already in the nest, there are things like DE (Dianthias (spelling?) Earth), which is supposed to be a safe product if you get the right kind.
Lisa, I am NO expert by any means, but almost 10 years of experience does help. And each year there is something new to learn. I have found that people do like to actually visually see what your subject is all about, thus the video presentation. But I’m sure they would get some great information out of just a verbal talk and then let them ask questions.
Cardon, what you have described using the trap is about what I have read about. I have used a ground trap only very little because I, too, was getting too many other birds. White millet, trap up off the ground and keeping a decoy is what I have heard others do. Possibly a little higher than 6 inches may be what is needed, but 3 feet sounds a little high. Don’t know. Oh, by the way, white bread pieces is also supposed to be something they like – think big box stores where people throw out scraps of bread from sandwiches, etc. – tons of HOSP there. That is what I used and did catch some but way too many other birds. I just do the in-box trapping.
Connie, I’m confused – you taped the “opening” (meaning round hole?) and he went through the “top opening above the door”? Is this a different type of box or what? Most boxes only have one way in, through a hole. Maybe you have a Gilwood box that does have a type of opening above the hole because there is a wire separating the hole & top area. Anyway, yes, they will get those sticks in a hole by turning it every way until it gets it in. I have witnessed this several times, also.
Lisa, go for it! I have given about 15 public video presentations in the past few years, to garden clubs, civic clubs, etc. Have not done any the past year or so because most every club around here has had me do one. I have been asked to go to Kansas City, but don’t want to go that far (about 75 miles) and I WILL NOT drive in the city – my hubby does all city driving. It took me more than a year to get it all together but it was really worth it and very rewarding. Of course, all these were free presentations.
Lisa, I too was concerned about covering my Gilwood box hole (which is a bit oval), but Gin reminded me that it was the side vents that provide the necessary ventilation, think air flow from one side through the other. I do believe you need the Styrofoam on the west & south sides of the box, also. That west sun bearing down on the back (at least that is the way mine faces) of the box is horribly hot. As far as wrens giving up, I don’t know what to tell you about that there in Alabama. I still have a wren singing away wanting to find a mate and has started a nest (several times) in one of my boxes. I just keep taking out a few sticks at a time, and it keeps him busy. I have 4 baby blues just 3 days old so this is still a dangerous time for them. I do have a wren guard on, plus my foam heat shield and NO shade! So I am a little anxious, also, about the heat this coming week. But I have done all I can at this time.
Tammy hit the nail on the head! We have always had cats, the last one we had to put down at 20 years old. She was spayed and never went anywhere except to our barn and then directly to our house. She was very timid and never once tried to get a bird, we would watch her go her path directly from the house to the barn where she stayed for a few hours. The past several years (since my bluebirding) she was mainly a house cat. Our new cat is strictly a house cat because she is younger & was a runaway. BUT, LISTEN TO THIS – we do take her outside for about 30 minutes a day ON A LEASH. YES, WE WALK OUR CAT! She, too, is spayed and is fed daily. However, one day as we were talking around the house she spotted a bird in one of our bushes and got hold of it. Well, I immediately made her turn it loose and scolded her. And this happened the other day again, so I have learned not to walk so close to the bushes. This definitely tells me this is their instinct, nothing you can do about it except keep them away from the birds. At least, this is my opinion.
Gin, I will continue to use Google Chrome (it came on my computer) for the time being, as I don’t want to install Foxfire – had a bad experience with it once at my office. Yes, probably compatibility issue, I don’t even TRY to keep up with all the new stuff – about the time you get and like one thing, it changes or is no longer compatible with something else – drives you Crazy!! Oh well, so what else is new!
Gin, this is a “screen shot” of what comes up with IE. Notice the double banner at top and all the top choices (Home, About Us, Information, Emergencies, More, Forum) are not there and the log in does not come up at the top right side. Strange – using Google now and is okay but wonder what is going on. All my favorites, etc. are on IE. If you use zoom you can see it better.
Something is for sure going on – only way I can log in is with Google, which is okay, but not sure what’s up here. When I try to log on with IE the site comes up, but with a very weird header – has a double banner or something and it does not show you logged in. I can see posts but cannot respond. I’m using Google right now.
This is a pic of the heat shield I use – made out of about 3/4 to 1″ Styrofoam. Need to use it on the south side & west side of box and on the top. VERY important to have dead air space between foam & wood box 1/2 to 1 inch. My boxes are also in full sun and I’m in Missouri. We do have some heat here but not like in the more southern states. I usually put it up when temps reach 90 degrees because we have lots of humidity and heat index is always a lot higher. Lots of different ways but I find this works fine and I keep shields from year to year. Do notice the dead-air space in the pictures – this allows the flow of hot air to get away from the box. Something to look at. Good luck. P.s. That tree is probably 200′ away from the box – no shade at all.
