New to birdhouses (1 Viewer)

[Amy5]

Hi all -

I'm looking forward to adding a birdhouse or two to my yard in the spring, but need some advise:

- Should I get a bluebird house, if I've yet to even see a bluebird in my yard?

- I think I read something about wasps and soaping the house, what's that all about?

- I was also leaning towards the recycled milk jug type since they would last forever and I think would be easier to clean. Any advise on plastic vs wood?

Thanks everyone,
Amy

 

[Joe1980]

Nothing beats the look of a nice cedar birdhouse, so I prefer wood. As for the wasps and hornets, yes, you should definatly do something to deter them, although most birds start nesting before the wasps and hornets start building nests, so if there are birds in it, wasps and hornets won't be an issue. Some birds do move in late, sometimes for second or third broods, so I would take the measures to prevent the wasps. There are a few options, all of which should be rubbed/applied to the interior roof and the sides near the roof. You can use the bar soap, cooking spray, or grease. I've used them all with success. My favorite route to take is the cooking spray, perticularly the olive oil kind, because the butter flavored may attract raccoons. Either way, you should re-apply each spring to be safe. The intent of this is to make the surface slippery, which prevents the wasps and hornets from attaching the little paper pulp stringer that their nest is hung from.

As for what type of house, that's up to you. I have 2 bluebird houses in my yard, and 3 wren houses. I've never gotten bluebirds, and am usually just shooing house sparrows out. I get house wrens every years, and sometimes chickadees. House sparrows can't fit into a wren house, so definately put one up. Wrens are territorial, so place their house out of sight from others, such as on the opposite side of the house. I also built a screech owl/american kestral house. I had some kestrals check it out, but not nest. All I ever got was a family of squirrels once. I did get yellowjackets last summer, so i am removing it this spring.

 

[KC Foggin]

Every year the Chickadees grab the bluebird boxes first and then the Bluebirds arrive and at first they are patient but then they get impatient. The Chickadees usually hold their ground though.

I put up the boxes last weekend and within 5 minutes the Chickadees were scoping them out

 

[Amy5]

Nothing beats the look of a nice cedar birdhouse, so I prefer wood. As for the wasps and hornets, yes, you should definatly do something to deter them, although most birds start nesting before the wasps and hornets start building nests, so if there are birds in it, wasps and hornets won't be an issue. Some birds do move in late, sometimes for second or third broods, so I would take the measures to prevent the wasps. There are a few options, all of which should be rubbed/applied to the interior roof and the sides near the roof. You can use the bar soap, cooking spray, or grease. I've used them all with success. My favorite route to take is the cooking spray, perticularly the olive oil kind, because the butter flavored may attract raccoons. Either way, you should re-apply each spring to be safe. The intent of this is to make the surface slippery, which prevents the wasps and hornets from attaching the little paper pulp stringer that their nest is hung from.

As for what type of house, that's up to you. I have 2 bluebird houses in my yard, and 3 wren houses. I've never gotten bluebirds, and am usually just shooing house sparrows out. I get house wrens every years, and sometimes chickadees. House sparrows can't fit into a wren house, so definately put one up. Wrens are territorial, so place their house out of sight from others, such as on the opposite side of the house. I also built a screech owl/american kestral house. I had some kestrals check it out, but not nest. All I ever got was a family of squirrels once. I did get yellowjackets last summer, so i am removing it this spring.

Yeah, I was afraid those house sparrows would take over. Now switching to hulled sunflowers might just give me more HS. We'll see. But I think I did read in another post of yours... they are very entertaining at the bird bath. I actually withheld millet/crack corn for a few days. And the HS seem to have left me... and I have to admit the who yard has been sort of empty... I think the other birds hear them (how can you not hear them!) and come running when the yard is full of activity. Or maybe I am totally reading into nothing. :-O

 

[Joe1980]

Oh no, you are right on with your observations. There were times when the sparrows teed me off, and I withheld their food. In my case though, they just go right to my black oil sunflower, so I am better off just feeding them the millet and corn. Anywho, one time I had some crows who were hunting house sparrows, which I know sounds crazy, but I saw them catch sparrows on the wing. The sparrows caught on and disappeared for about a week, and let me tell you, I missed them! I think that other birds use them as security, because no house sparrows equals no other birds either. I have read that birds are attracted by other birds, so I believe the sparrows are making other birds feel safe to come and feed. And, as I did say in the past, they are one of the few birds I see actually go INTO the birdbath and splash around. Its great when a dozen of them are in there splashing around.

But, the down side is that you can't put up birdhouses other then wren houses, because sparrows will claim them in winter, well before any nesting birds come back to the north.

 

[Amy5]

Oh no, you are right on with your observations. There were times when the sparrows teed me off, and I withheld their food. In my case though, they just go right to my black oil sunflower, so I am better off just feeding them the millet and corn. Anywho, one time I had some crows who were hunting house sparrows, which I know sounds crazy, but I saw them catch sparrows on the wing. The sparrows caught on and disappeared for about a week, and let me tell you, I missed them! I think that other birds use them as security, because no house sparrows equals no other birds either. I have read that birds are attracted by other birds, so I believe the sparrows are making other birds feel safe to come and feed. And, as I did say in the past, they are one of the few birds I see actually go INTO the birdbath and splash around. Its great when a dozen of them are in there splashing around.

But, the down side is that you can't put up birdhouses other then wren houses, because sparrows will claim them in winter, well before any nesting birds come back to the north.

Since I don't have the bird houses yet and were in the same general area... when is the best time for me to put them up?

My yard has been so quiet this whole week. I did see the hawk again today go after a group for morning doves. If this hawk is "hanging" around, could that explain why the birds have left me?

 

[Joe1980]

A lingering hawk will definately keep the birds away, but, with no birds, the hawk will give up and move on, so be patient.

As for the bird houses, well, timing varies with species. I leave mine up all year, and obviously the year-rounders will always have first dibs, and unfortunately, that means house sparrows. But right now, I have a chickadee who has claimed territory on one of he wren houses already, and he sits in the burning bush below calling his little heart out. As for which birds nest in houses around here, well, bluebirds usually arrive in late March, so for them, have those houses ready. Tree sparrows will nest in the same houses, and usually come around in early May. House wrens show up around early June, and happily accept my wren houses, and my backyard bugs, which I appreciate. Occasionally I'll get a downey woodpecker, and thankfully they are year-rounders, and as of right now, I have one who stakes claim to a bluebird house back in November.

Note: Times may be a tad earlier for you, being farther south. We may be talking only a week or two though, but none-the-less, get those houses up by March, if not now.

 

[etudiant]

Hi amy5,
Joel1980 is quite right, now is a good time to put up nestboxes.
If you are interested, you might mount double nestboxes.
Bluebirds and Tree Swallows happily shared adjacent boxes on my lawn in CT, both about 5 ft off the ground.
I did have to use traps to deter House Sparrows from taking them over, but you may have fewer of them. (http://www.vanerttraps.com/index.html).
If you leave them out year round, the birds can use them as roosting boxes to shelter during the winter nights. Just put in some pine needles of wadding in the fall, after cleaning out the old nests.

 

[Amy5]

I was so excited me to find this link today for:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleBird...e=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade she sells cedar birhouses for relatively cheap and is somewhat in my area... just what I was looking for. My grandpa (rest his sole) was so handy and taught me a ton about woodworking, but i just do not have the tools.... so when i found Mary's site, i was thrilled

 

[etudiant]

Etsy has a wonderful range of birdhouses. You'll be happy with them.
Do note that you may want to put on a predator guard, just another piece on inch thick wood, around the nest entry.
You'll want to drill the matching hole lined up right, so your birds still fit in, but starlings cannot reach in to peck at the nest.

 

[Amy5]

I ordered 3 houses today. 1 bluebird, 1 wren/chickadee and 1 robin platform thingy since we get a ton of robin that nest in the area. I'll be sure to spray the inside roof with the olive oil and I should be good to go. I am going to put the wren house in the tree out front, pole mount the bluebird house and place in an open area of my side yard and then the robin platform mount near the garage (where they seem to like to build their nests anyway). I ordered the unassembled type, my daughter is so excited to build a bird nest!

On a side note, I wish I could spray my umbrella with the olive oil; we get a lot of wasps/hornets. I do think the http://waspinator.net/ works, but of course I cannot hang that in the bird house.

etudiant, I will also add the predator guards. It would break my heart and my daughters to see a starling pecking at the babies. I was sick enough with my 1st hawk attack. This type of attack could push me over the edge. LOL!

 

[etudiant]

Hi Amy5,

Olive oil?? I'd have thought that would go off pretty fast and the smell might attract unwelcome visitors.
It may be a deterrent to wasps, but if so, it is new to me.
My boxes never had much trouble with them anyways, as the birds nest earlier than the wasps , at least so it seemed in CT.
There were often some small mini nests in the boxes in the fall, when I was cleaning them out and putting in pine needles and fluff for winter roosting, but they never were anything bothersome.
Of course, I'll probably have to eat these words if you get infestations, but it would be a big surprise.

 

[Amy5]

I just read through some of my posts and realized I really need a dictionary. Never been a good speller… :-C LOL!