Problems with Predators at a Nest Box or Bird House

Problems at a Nest Box or Bird House

As a home owner and nature lover you will probably put up a nest box in your yard or garden for wild birds to nest in. However you may find that despite your best efforts there are problems with your bird houses.

There are many wild birds that will consider using a bird house nesting box in your backyard, but it is not always so easy to get the bird you want to nest in the box.

First of all you have to make everything right for the type of bird you wish to see using your new bird house. To most birds the local habitat in your yard around the nest is important and you can change or improve this to make more attractive for the birds you are targeting.

Other things like the design of the box itself and whether your intended occupants will feel safe when inside the box are critical factors. Placement of the box in your yard must also be carefully considered. The box needs to to be situated at the right height and on the right structure to really tempt your birds to nest there.

Unfortunately there are some birds and also some animals that will be only too happy to move in and live in the nest boxes you have provided. These will not be want you want in the boxes so you will need to monitor the boxes regularly and remove any intruders that you do not want.

Starlings and house sparrow are usually the worst offenders as they will both nest almost anywhere. If you don’t want them you will have to evict them. Make sure that you have a bird houses that open on top or if you can’t get these then at least get ones that open at the side. This makes access to the inside of the box so much easier, so you can clear out and clean the box after evicting your unwanted tenants.

If you get an infestation of insects then they must first be physically removed and their nest cleared out, before soaping the inside of the box. If the insects invade the box during nesting then just apply a lightish dusting of pyrethrin or rotenone. Whatever you do You Must Not Use Chemical Sprays as these will kill both the adults and the chicks!

If you find that snakes and other climbing animals are a problem then you will have to use physical barriers to deter them. Try putting a PVC pipe over any metal pole if that is what your bird house is on or use metal sheeting if your bird house is mounted on a tree or wooden pole.

You can deter unwanted guests even more if you also smear the PVC or metal below the birdhouse with vaseline that you have laced with hot cayenne pepper. Do not use automotive grease as it is lethal most to wildlife.

You can help even more by installing a predator guard over the entrance hole to the nest box. Furthermore make sure that you do not install bird houses which have a perch below the entrance hole. This just makes it easier for predators to attack the baby birds on the inside.

In the event that you do find birds trying to attack the adult nesting birds, the eggs or the nestlings in the box then what you do next really will depend on what is performing the attacks. Before taking action do some research and take professional advice if possible.

All birds apart from starlings and house sparrows are protected by federal law and local state laws. You can not harass or otherwise harm or persecute falcons, hawks, owls, crows, jays, shrikes and grackles.