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The bluetit broods from my 2 boxes fledged about a fortnight ago.Should I now clean them out or wait until the autumn?
Also should I leave it bare or put some material in the box for any birds that may possibly want to roost in them at some time?
It's not always easy to hug a hedgehog.
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't.
Hi madpeguin,
you can clear the box now. Leave the box bare, a roosting bird generally won't bring materials in.
Just to give you some insight, I have 300+ nest boxes which I check annually as a nest recorder. I have already started removing nests a fortnight ago.
If you find any addled eggs they must be destroyed, but be aware they may smell.
Regards Buzzard
Nature Is Amazing - Let Us Keep It That Way
Thanks Buzzard-I shall put that on my 'to do' list !
Cleaned out the 2 boxes yesterday.
The first box which was occupied very early on and heavily defended by the male had no eggs and no dead chicks left so must have been successful.
The second box which was occupied right at the last minute (They must have been desperate to find a nesting site or maybe were disturbed from a previous one?) had 2 small eggs undeneath the nesting material (which makes me think that they were laid before the nest was constructed) and 1 dead chick.
The eggs were so tiny,about the size of a smartie!
Both boxes had sucessful broods but I do not know how many chicks there were.
Boxes now both clean and hopefully will be sucessful again next year!!
Rachel
How do you all clean your nest boxes? I will have to take the top of the one that has been used as there is no way I can get the old nest out. I am nervous in case there is anything ie a dead chick left behind.
Hi Coral
I have a wooden box with a roof that comes off.I used an old fork to hook out the old nest and then I pour boiling water over it,especially the inside to get rid of mites,etc. Then I leave in the sun to dry out and air for a couple of days before putting it back in place.
The other box is a woodcrete box and the front unscrews.Cleaned this out the same as the wooden one.
I open mine at arms length to check what is inside,I had a dead chick in one but nothing to get nervous about, just made me a bit sad.
Thanks Rachel, when mum was feeding her chicks I saw flies buzzing around the box so I guess one chick had died but I researched and it said mum will push the deade chick to the side and leave it there?
This box has a fixed lid but I will prise it off now and tell you soon what I find....
Oh that was horrible. There were two dead chicks that looked ready to fledge. I have poured boiling water over it, I will get my lodger to fix it all back when it has dried. Poor little things, I hope they were not trapped in there.
Hi there
I have two bird boxes and they have been out of action over the last year. I need to clean them out for nest year as they need tidied up for future use.
A bee colony ended nesting in one of them too so I will have to dispose of the old nest too!
I used the boiling water trick and it works. I do not use any other products at all.
In the past I have used an old clean brush like one you do the cups with and it is ideal for getting all the mess out of the corners of the box
Then flush any bits out with the high powered jet hose pipe, and drip dry
I think that it is good to hang the boxes up during the winter months (with a little something for them to sit in) as birds like the Goldcrests and the Wrens can hide if the weather is really cold - and have a better chance of survival.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
I have a nest box with a camera in it. It is great and blue tits have used it for several years now.
The mum bird removes dead babies if she can. When they die at quite a late stage this gives her a problem and this year it took her 2 days to get one baby out as she could hardly lift it and fly up to the hole at the same time. When she got there with it she could not get herself and it out of the hole at the same time. She eventually managed it much to all our relief!