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Given that most if not all standard boxes will be vacated at this stage, the months of September and October present the best window of opportunity to give any accessible boxes a tidy.
At the weekend I checked on a box that was used by blue tits in the spring, unfortunately the nest wasn't successful and this cleaning window enabled me to find out why. It looks like they were put off after the egg laying stage, a cat was seen nearby at the time, as there were 9 unhatched eggs inside a perfectly formed moss, grass and feather lined nest. Cat deterrents are now in position and the box has been cleared out, the nest and eggs composted and it is ready to provide safe winter roosting for any birds in the neighbourhood,
If you are faced with a box that is a bit mucky then take it down, give it a good scrub with a stiff brush and warm water, if you use a disinfectant make sure you dilute it about one part in twenty with water and rinse it thoroughly afterwards. Allow it to air dry properly before popping it back into position.
If you clean your boxes out, let us know what you find.
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
A timely reminder Ian,thank you.
Hi Ian, We've also just just cleaned/scrubbed all our boxes (whether they were used or not) and glad to say the three that were occupied at nesting time were all empty so no eggs or dead chicks and all BT's appear to have fledged successfully :) the mossy lining was quite luxurious in one box but the next box it was a very thin layer so I guess birds are like humans who either don't mind housekeeping or get lazy LOL
We cleaned our boxes with just plain warm water but for next time I wondered rather than diluted disinfectant whether I could spray the Bird-safe inside it ? not sure how strong this is or whether that needs weakening down also. Any advice much appreciated, thank you :)
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Regards, Hazel
Hi Hazy, as a precaution I would rinse off any chemical cleaner used regardless of the dilution.
Lolly, most birds have already picked where they want to nest by March, even if they are not quite ready for nest building, cleaning a nest box at this time is not recommended as it could put off any birds that were prospecting, it is a job best carried out once a year during the autumn. It is also worth bearing in mind the legal connotations. In our birds and the law leaflet we have the following as part of the FAQ's;
Q. I have a nest box in my garden and last year the birds deserted their eggs. Is it all right to clean the box out ready for next year?
A. Yes, but only between 1 August and 31 January. (You are not allowed to keep the eggs.)
Hi Ian,
I have 2 nest boxes, each with a camera inside. One has not even been entered by a bird and is spotless. The other had a nesting pair who abandoned it before the nest was finished. I currently have a bluetit rooster in this second box. However, it does need cleaning due to the part formed nest and droppings but will I disturb the rooster if I do this now? I usually leave them through the winter because roosters make such a mess, and clean them in February. Is this a mistake?
Cheers, Linda.
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Hi Sparrow, personally I would not risk cleaning the box out in spring in case you put the birds off (and to avoid any legal issues!). If a box was used for roosting over winter then yes it can get messy but if they choose to nest in there they build on top of the mess, for a short nesting season this should not be a problem and a deep clean in the autumn should be sufficient.
With the current roosting bird if you clean the box early in the morning and give it a good chance to air dry, pick a windy and bright day, you should be able to get it back up in time for the evening when the birds comes back to roost. You could add some wood shavings in the bottom for a bit of soft furnishing. Hopefully they would not be put off by this.
Thanks Ian.
By the way, adding soft furnishings doesn't work. I've tried that in the past and all they do is systematically remove it!
No worries. Some birds can be extra fussy, i've tried it a few times and found some gets left, some gets turfed out and some ends up in the mix of nesting material, i'm not sure if it is by design or accident though!
As far as I am aware there is no evidence to show that adding material to the box effects the chances of it being used either way. I think it is more a human nature thing, we like to think we are giving them a soft bed when all they really want is a safe hole out of the weather where nothing can eat them!
Ian H said:Hi Hazy, as a precaution I would rinse off any chemical cleaner used regardless of the dilution.
much appreciated Ian :) at least this job has been done for this year.
We cleaned our nest box and found 3 Dead, tiny fully formed Blue Tit chicks with soft feathers.The nest was all moss and a few soft feathers very neat and tidy. we have no idea why the chicks did not survive, we used to watch the parents going in and out several times a day, then i noticed only one parent used to come and have a look inside then fly off again. then never came again. So sad we wer looking forward to having babies fledge. This was earlier in the year of course.