Does anyone maintain bluebird boxes?
#6515376
04/11/19 09:21 AM
04/11/19 09:21 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,702 Sandhills Nebraska
Gary Benson
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Sandhills Nebraska
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I'm building some bluebird houses to put out this spring. Just wondering if anybody else does it and if they have any tips. I'm making the holes 1 1/2" and will face them east. I think I read where they like to have a bush or tree 40' in front of the house for the fledlings to land in when they leave the nest. Anybody? I think we have Easterns here, but I swear I saw a longer sleeker bluebird clear down in SE Nebraska last weekend.
Life ain't supposed to be easy.
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Re: Does anyone maintain bluebird boxes?
[Re: Gary Benson]
#6515437
04/11/19 10:11 AM
04/11/19 10:11 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 15,688 MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
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MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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Our Sportsman club every year builds 75 wood duck houses and 75 bluebird houses. The bluebird houses have a slotted opening. We pass them out to various scout organizations in the area and anyone else who wants them free of charge.
I have 3 around my place. Everything 330 said is exactly how I maintain my bluebird houses. I haven't had a problem with sparrows, more so with tree swallows. I was told the slotted entry discourages tree swallows better than a round hole. Don't know if that's true or not. As 330 said, definitely want to place the house in an open area.
We are told not to judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but are told to judge all gunowners by the actions of a few.
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Re: Does anyone maintain bluebird boxes?
[Re: Gary Benson]
#6515493
04/11/19 11:21 AM
04/11/19 11:21 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 15,688 MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
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The tree swallows I had weren't migrants as they stuck around all summer. They are really feisty little buggers! I keep a couple houses with round holes for them now too. I agree, they are a very beneficial insect-eating bird.
I have two wren houses in some high bush cranberry trees. You are right, wrens seem to like being tucked away a little. Pound for pound, they are tough little buggers too!
We are told not to judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but are told to judge all gunowners by the actions of a few.
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Re: Does anyone maintain bluebird boxes?
[Re: Gary Benson]
#6515497
04/11/19 11:23 AM
04/11/19 11:23 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 15,688 MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
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I'm confused about the slotted openings..?? I've seen oval and round. Oval is a better choice for a description. Slotted was a poor choice of words on my part. I'm sure they are one and the same.
We are told not to judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but are told to judge all gunowners by the actions of a few.
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Re: Does anyone maintain bluebird boxes?
[Re: Gary Benson]
#6515498
04/11/19 11:24 AM
04/11/19 11:24 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,702 Sandhills Nebraska
Gary Benson
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Posts: 21,702
Sandhills Nebraska
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I'm confused about the slotted openings..?? I've seen oval and round. Oh I see now. How high do you make those openings?
Life ain't supposed to be easy.
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Re: Does anyone maintain bluebird boxes?
[Re: Gary Benson]
#6515506
04/11/19 11:34 AM
04/11/19 11:34 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 15,688 MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
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We have a school whose shop class cuts out all the pieces for us. We have to put them together. I would guess about 2 1/2 inches in length.
We are told not to judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but are told to judge all gunowners by the actions of a few.
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Re: Does anyone maintain bluebird boxes?
[Re: Gary Benson]
#6515511
04/11/19 11:37 AM
04/11/19 11:37 AM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,240 West Michigan
Getting There
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I banded BB for years. I made it so the nesting box could be cleaned. I also put a added piece of wood over the hole to keep the starling from sticking there heads in a taking the baby's out. I just put an extra piece of wood over where the hole was a drilled through both with a 1-1/2 hole saw. I would remove the next when the young were a week old and sprinkle rose dust to kill the blow fly larvae. At one time I had 100 box going. I stopped because I was spend every weekend checking boxes all summer.
To Old U.S. Army 60-63 SGT.
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Re: Does anyone maintain bluebird boxes?
[Re: Gary Benson]
#6515523
04/11/19 11:49 AM
04/11/19 11:49 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 15,688 MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
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I hate starlings, but rarely ever see any where I live. However, we have a place on the lake where they are thick. We have a martin house and the starlings were constantly harassing the martins until I bought a Starling-proof martin house. I found out from a martin expert that there can be a problem with mites in martin houses. He said to clean out the house each year and spray the interior with Sevin.
In my Audubon book, it's one of the only birds they say it's difficult to find anything beneficial about starlings.
We are told not to judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but are told to judge all gunowners by the actions of a few.
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Re: Does anyone maintain bluebird boxes?
[Re: Gary Benson]
#6515581
04/11/19 12:54 PM
04/11/19 12:54 PM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,240 West Michigan
Getting There
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West Michigan
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Then put the nest back in after the rose dust? Yes, just dust the bottom with rose dust or seven and slide the next back in.
To Old U.S. Army 60-63 SGT.
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Re: Does anyone maintain bluebird boxes?
[Re: Gary Benson]
#6515583
04/11/19 12:57 PM
04/11/19 12:57 PM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,240 West Michigan
Getting There
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West Michigan
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If I found wrens, swallows or sparrow starting a nest out the went. Wrens were all sticks the size of the lead in a pencil, a tree swallow will always have a white feather inside the box, a sparrow is made with everything in the nest..
To Old U.S. Army 60-63 SGT.
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Re: Does anyone maintain bluebird boxes?
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#6515584
04/11/19 01:00 PM
04/11/19 01:00 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,972 Minnesota
330-Trapper
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If I were to make some blue bird houses could I put them on the T post that hold up barbwire fence or would that not be predator proof enough?
Go up from the T post with a 3/4" galvanized rod. Attach the rod with bolts or 3 hose clamps. Then up high where the birdhou see is use half circle conduit bracketa to 2 of them. I like my houses up about 8' and on a rigid contuit so nothing can get a hold / grip.
NRA and NTA Life Member www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com
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