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Brad, I believe your guard is a little too long – http://www.sialis.org said “L-shaped piece of wood that extends from the front edge of the roof to just below the entrance hole.” “Wrens tend to perch on the roof and then enter the box . . .” also from the sialis website. Check it out – you may be okay, but then again maybe this is why she is not going in????
Your set up looks okay – does the guard just come down enough to cover the hole? It looks a little long but can’t tell from pic. Too long down from the hole & they would have trouble maneuvering into the hole. Imagine the distance on the shrubs & tree are misguided by the picture, also. They look close. But looks like you have done a good job. And we all have to “tweak” along the way. You really need to be sure she can get in the box – make it a point to see her go inside early in the morning. They are usually very active about 1/2 to 1 hour after daybreak, and sporadically until about noon.
Agree with Randy. But mama needs to be laying more eggs or begin incubating soon. 30′ is too close and draw predator or competitor birds.
Denene, I was concerned that some “ant killers” work over a period of time (Terro) and does not kill the ants immediately like a spray would, and of course no one would use a spray at a box. I was thinking about possibility of a bird eating ants which had ingested poison might be harmful to them. There is a nonchemical product called DE (Diatomaceous Earth) that is supposed to be able to used safely around animals/birds. Even recommended to put underneath bird nests if you have a problem with mites/ants & food grade is even used in some food. They ingest it and it somehow dehydrates the insect & they die within 24 hours – cannot hurt anything by just coming in contact with it – must eat it. DE apparently needs to be kept dry, which in this crazy weather we are getting, would not be possible. Anyone here used DE?
Denene, I’m sure you have researched what you are doing – this thought just popped into my mind about the birds eating ants that had taken poison. I did buy some DE when I had my ant infestation this year in case I could not do a nest exchange, but I was able to do that and did not use the DE. Good luck.Todd, several of us have had this problem. Just found my 5 blues dead inside box which I believe due to the weather. Although I noticed one slightly damp side on the box I did not think the bottom of the nest was wet. When I removed the nest and babies today, they were just dead, no trauma. I believe the mama just could not keep all 5 of the then 5-6-day old babies warm enough. They had been feeding them regularly until yesterday evening when I noticed they did not bring them the mouthful of worms. Since you have no eggs or babies yet, and suspect the nest is wet, maybe you need to do a nest change if you have a spare nest. P.S. Always face your box hole AWAY from the prevailing winds, which is different in each locale. Prevailing winds here in Missouri are definitely north and south, so we face our hole south-east – you would never face it west because of the hot sun in the summertime.
This is Carol from Mid-Missouri – just got a great capture of the Baltimore Oriole at my hummer feeder. Notice the rods on the side of the nectar bottle, which holds it solid and they are unable to tip it, but still can drink. I just untie the bottle from the rods to refill it and usually leave one of the bee guards off so it is easier for them.
Ron, hope your blues don’t get in a hurry if it is still cold up there. I just found my 5 babies dead after I noticed parents weren’t bringing the worms out to the box yesterday & this morning. Just too cold & I guess mama wasn’t able to keep them all warm. They were 7 days old. I even found a live worm in the nest, so I know they were being fed. Parents are guarding a different box this morning – I haven’t had a chance to make sure it is cleaned out, though I had been taking HOSP nests out of it recently.
Yup, babies are all dead. Pulled out nest & babies & cleaned out box- took a picture but is too sad to post. Guess it was just too cold & rainy. I checked the underside of the nest and it definitely was not wet, just maybe a little damp. Either mama was not able to keep them warm, since they were getting a little larger, or something. No trauma to them, just 5 little dead babies. I would suspect pesticide if it were a different time of the year, since we have a large pasture on the other side of our property – one year the owner sprayed and almost killed several of our large trees and shrubs. P.S. This was a Gilwood box – I’m still not too sure about having 5 babies in it, since it is a little smaller floor size and with more ventilation at top of hole, maybe just was too much for this weather.
Gin is right, Ron – it is early yet, especially for Kirksville area (I visit there regularly). I have 5 babies being fed mealworms and my batch of 10,000 will go quickly. Be sure to feed those worms & give them some carrots or potatoes for moisture, usually every two weeks or even every week to keep them alive, and of course, refrigerated.
We, too, had continuous rain and WIND this weekend. I also checked my box yesterday after rain quit in late afternoon, as I was concerned about wetness. I found some dampness along one side, but didn’t notice anything underneath the nest, although like you, didn’t want to disturb the 7 day old babies. I just came in from watching outside and parents are still bringing worms to babies, so guess they are okay. But I am still a little worried about this cold (41 degrees this morning), damp spell on them. Maybe it is better they have not fledged yet and have the box as some protection, and I believe mama is still keeping them warm. If your nest is “slightly damp” I would leave it alone, but that is just my opinion.
Hi, Mark, and welcome! I have not witnessed this sort of aggressive behavior towards humans, but I imaging all are different temperament. I do have an idea and suggestion, however. A wooden post is really not a safe place to put a box, due to predators (snakes, coons, cats, etc) being able to climb it. It is best to have a slick pole with a baffle underneath the box to control these climbing predators. My thought is that your pair either saw a snake or other predator and therefore, is more cautious about their nest. But that is just an idea. We might get by for some time with a wooden post, but this is just sadness waiting to happen. Maybe those babies are getting ready to fledge? Do you monitor the box, in other words, check it to see if there might be wasps inside, dead birds, ants, etc. Do you know a date when they were born, etc. When we invite these precious birds into our yard, we are really playing with nature, and therefore need to protect them as best we can. A yard box stands out like a sore thumb more than a hole in a tree and therefore is probably more susceptible to predators. We shouldn’t over-manage them, but just use tried and tested predator controls. Check out http://www.sialis.org and a wealth of information. The author is on board of Directors of the North American Bluebird Society and has an enormous amount of info there. Good luck.
