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A 4×4 is not the best thing. I’m with Randy. You need a new pole! As it is, even if you are somehow able to devise a way to keep the snakes out, ants have a broad highway.
With HOSP around you have a spooker right?
Gin
Atlanta, GAI don’t use feeders during nesting season either. Like Randy, I try to minimize traffic and give the nesting birds a little peace.
Having said that, the female is committed to those eggs. A feeder wouldn’t cause her to leave.
Gin
Atlanta, GAThere are too many variables to determine the lifespan of any one box. Among them are material, design, and quality of construction.
If you put a bigger roof over the one you have, the interior will always be dry.
Gin
Atlanta, GABrad, I once made a guard that reached almost to the bottom of the box. I would watch the female swoop under that guard like nothing. It was a beautiful thing to watch.
She’s going to get in and might have already. You have left plenty of room and she is committed.
BTW, eggs can be laid at any hour of the day. Depends on the bird. Some even like a happy hour egg laying session.
Gin
Atlanta, GAThe only thing I can think of regarding hawks is remove feeders but that’s about it. They do hunt where the prey is and there isn’t much you can do about that. What I really don’t like is when they take an incubating female. That’s the worst. I wish they could be taught to take only HOSP, EUST and HOWR.
Gin
Atlanta, GALisa, you used the shoebox idea? Cool! That hit me one day when I looked at a guard I made and I thought duh. Why not just cut out one long side of a shoebox? You could spray paint it and make it last longer.
J, I really don’t like HOWR. Even their “song” annoys me. They tried to start in all of my boxes a week ago. The holes are now all blocked. I block them instead of leaving them open so they don’t get wet inside.
Gin
Atlanta, GAI think the simplest way to guard against ants is to grease the pole by reaching up under a raccoon baffle and applying the grease there. I use lithium grease and it lasts a very long time.
You really do need a raccoon baffle on the pole. The birds would be so much safer from snakes, raccoons (everybody has them), and any other 4 legged critters.
Gin
Atlanta, GAI don’t know about the distance issue but please consider reducing the size of the hole where the dees are. They can enter a 1.25″ hole. The TRES and EABL cannot and it would keep the dees safer.
Gin
Atlanta, GANo idea who will win the box but I’m not betting on the dees. They are usually bullied by the larger birds.
It looks like the dee started and was taken over. They don’t use all that coarse grass that is on top.
Gin
Atlanta, GATodd, is the roof bigger than the box? I large roof helps keep out blowing rain.
Another thing that helps is a pivoting box. My boxes are mounted with a flange and allowed to pivot with the wind. After a storm I often have to swing them around so they face away from the normal prevailing winds but the pivoting action helps keep the interiors dry.
Gin
Atlanta, GAWhat a disappointment, Carol. So sad.
BZ, take the babies out one by one and put them in a paper towel lined container. Cover that with a cloth. Remove the nest and replace it with the new one. Transfer the babies. That’s all there is to it. You can do it!
Gin
Atlanta, GAThe kindest thing to do is absolutely nothing until they lose interest. Pretty soon they will know if the eggs are viable or not.
When they stop tending the eggs is the time for you to remove them and the nest. I know it’s hard to wait but it is the best thing for them. Imagine if you were taking care of those eggs and then they vanished. Please wait.
Gin
Atlanta, GAEggs rarely cause a problem. If it makes you feel better and it’s easy, go ahead and remove it when the time comes.
Gin
Atlanta, GAThat female’s instinct says to incubate those eggs and she will. Good that you are helping her with food.
If the eggs are not fertile she will eventually give up. Please don’t remove them, no matter how long it takes, until she loses interest.
There is another possibility. Sometimes the males seem to totally disappear during incubation, almost like they have a golf game somewhere. I had one do that one year but he showed up when the eggs hatched.
And yet another possibility. If EABL are very scarce where you are, his territory could be quite large and he is busy tending another female that you haven’t seen.
Gin
Atlanta, GA
