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Nest Box Monitoring Supplies
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Reprinted with permission from: The Bluebird Monitor's Guide (2001) by Cynthia Berger, Keith Kridler, and Jack Griggs.

Please note, it is not necessary that you have all the supplies mentioned below, as this list is a compilation of recommended supplies from dozens of nest box monitors.

CLEANING SUPPLIES

Gloves (rubber and/or leather)
Trowel
Spatula or putty knife - for squashing wasps and scraping out debris
Whisk broom
Paintbrush or toothbrush - to get the box really clean!
Plastic or Paper bags - to carry away old nests or dead birds Spray bottle with dilute bleach solution - to spray on mice nests before removal

DATA COLLECTION

Notebook or data sheets
Pencil or waterproof pen
Binoculars
Maps of box locations
Roll of surveyor’s tape - for marking potential sites for new boxes
Stepladder if needed
Bondo spatula or pancake turner - for pulling nests out of a box
Mechanic’s mirror - to help you see inside boxes
Magnifying glass - to help you read numbers on banded birds
Camera

NEST BOX MAINTENANCE

Screwdriver and screws
Hammer and nails
Pliers
Cordless drill and drill bits
Wire cutters and wire
Weather stripping - to seal box vents in cold weather
Duct tape - for emergency weather stripping or door hinge
Extra box-mounting clamps
Vise grips
Spare nest boxes or box parts
Pocketknife or multipurpose tool
Sandpaper
Pruning tool or handsaw - for cutting back vegetation around mounting posts
Carpenter's apron to hold everything!

PERSONAL ITEMS

Sun hat
Snack
Drinking water
Sunscreen
Insect repellent
Baby wipes - for quick hand cleaning
Paper towels
Cell phone
Spare key to your vehicle

PREDATOR CONTROL

Baffles and hole guards
Hole restrictors |
Tanglefoot - to deter ants
Bar of soap - to deter wasps
In-box sparrow trap
Grease - to deter climbing Predators

RESCUE GEAR

Mealworms - to feed hungry orphaned nestlings
Shoebox or bucket - for carrying orphaned nestlings to new nest
Hot-water bottle - to keep orphaned nestlings warm during transfer
Bag of dry grass - to replace wet or blowfly-infested nests
Name and phone number of your local bird rehabilitator

BB NEST BOX WARNING PLACARDS

Copper tags for nest box vandalism 10/$2.50 postpaid.
Bluebird Recovery Program, c/o Mary Kalinoski, 1411 Camwood Trail South, Baxter, MN 56425

NEST BOX NUMBERING TAGS

500 3"x7/8" heavy duty aluminum (Aluma-boss) tags/ties (use ballpoint pen to add #'s onto tags) = $39+shipping and come with light aluminum wire ties.
A.M. Leonard, Inc., 241 Fox Drive, Piqua, OH 45356. 800.543.8955/ FAX 800.433.0633