Can anybody help with my nestbox mystery (U.K)? (1 Viewer)

[Andy Lakin]

I took down a nest box today (one of the ones with a rectangular gap on the front for robins etc). I was really surprised just how many bugs there were I.e lots of earwigs and quite a few small maggots. But also on top of the mossy nesting material there were lots of small seeds of various kinds it looked like the type found in high quality food designed for small birds I.e robins tits etc. Would they have been stored there over winter by either a bird or a small mammal to eat when food was scarce?

Also do birds ever just build on the previous years nesting material with all the pests inside? It was a bit of a faff for me and would have been impossible if I hadn't made it with a base that could be unscrewed. Do commercially available nest boxes always come with the ability to easily clean them out before the next breeding season? I would imagine that in a lot of cases they wouldn't.
Cheers
Andy

 

[Anabana51]

Andy, the wooden birdhouse/nesting boxes that I've purchased have either a side or bottom attached with deck screws for easy removal. IIRC, they are either a product of or endorsed by Audubon Society. The bluebird house is the best as the whole face is hinged at the bottom and has just one removable screw below the peak of the roof. This makes the entire inside accessible for emptying and cleaning in situ. Also, I leave the front open for a few days to allow the sunshine to 'sanitize' it. Easy to do here in southwest USA. If I were younger and handier, I'd certainly make my own and always hinge the front or bottom!
I have no answers for your other concerns, except thinking earlier cleaning might have avoided the earwig infestation.

 

[Kits]

Our commercially made nest boxes have lift up roofs so the boxes can be cleaned. We clean them out in the autumn.