Nest Boxes
Dead adult bird
Q: I was cleaning out my next boxes and I found a dead adult Tree Swallow in one of them. How can this happen?
A: There are a couple of reasons why you may find a dead adult bird in
your nest box. Was the inside of the front of the box (below the hole)
rough or grooved? Very often birds get stuck in boxes because the
inside walls are too smooth and they can't climb their way out.
Also,
Tree Swallows migrate quite a long way--some of them come up all the
way from Central America. If they arrive after such a long journey to
wet, cold conditions, and a lack of insects (which is what they feed
on), they will often die.
To be safe, I would replace the box. Maybe there is something toxic in the wood that you are not aware of.
The Birdhouse Network, a citizen-science project of the Cornell Lab
of Ornithology, has a wealth of information for people who have nest
boxes. For features of a good nest box, check out the page, "Resources for Nest-Box Monitoring." You might also like to join The Birdhouse Network and let us know what is happening in your nest boxes.
Wasps
Q: I have wasps in my birdhouse. What should I do?
A:
According to The Birdhouse Network, a citizen-science project of the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, wasps and bees seldom usurp boxes from
nesting birds. They are mostly found in empty boxes. If these insects
are found in a box, it is best to let them be and not take any active
measures to exterminate them. Instead, wait to clean them out in the
fall when the weather is cooler and their activity has halted. You can
prevent wasps and bees from establishing themselves by applying a thin
layer of soap (use bar soap) onto the inside surface of the roof. This
will create a slippery surface between the insects and the roof of the
box. For more information about maintaining nest boxes, visit The Birdhouse Network.