How do I get rid of them? Take a Q-tip and dip each end into a bottle of Terro ant killer. Staple the Q-tip to the outside bottom of the nestbox. If you see ants again, you may need to apply more ant killer to the Q-tip. I'm worried about predators How should I mount the nestbox?
If you can't get a hold of the pvc pipe, be sure to put a baffle a few inches below the box. You can also grease the pipe to stop ants from climbing up to the box. I want to attract Bluebirds, what can I put out to feed them? Most common would be mealworms, set them out in a glass dish on a flat tray feeder or bluebird feeder, near the nestbox. You can raise them yourself or buy them. We also found these recipes for suet type mixtures you can try. Also, be sure to have water close by.
Is there anything I can feed bluebirds besides mealworms? Homemade Bluebird Suet. Here are two recipes for bluebird suet that we found at an online bluebird forum. Both writers said their bluebirds ate this nearly as fast as they could make it. Both recipes use corn meal, a recent suggestion at the bluebird forum was to check with your local feedstore or co-op to see if you can buy it in bulk.
What can I plant in my yard to help attract Bluebirds. Field Marks: Adult males have cobalt blue wings and tails as well as an all-blue head, chin, and throat, and a white belly. The upper breast is chestnut with varying pat-terns of blue and gray. The back may be partly or entirely chestnut. Females are a paler, grayer version of the male. Voice: The song is a series of call notes described as few or kew.
Chatter calls sound like cut-cut-cut. Soft tch-tch-tch calls can also be heard. Feeding: Western Bluebirds eat insects in warm weather, and fruits and berries in winter.
Mistletoe and juniper berries are favorites, and they love mealworms at feeders. Range: Mountain Bluebirds are found primarily in the western mountains from east-central Alaska to south-central Mexico, migrating to the northern parts of their range to begin nesting in late April. Field Marks: Breeding males have a turquoise-blue back, a paler blue breast, and white belly and under tail coverts.
Females and juveniles are gray above and have pale blue wings and tail and a buffy chest. The adults are slightly larger and thinner-billed than other bluebirds; their wings are proportionately longer than the other bluebird species. Feeding: Mountain Bluebirds feed on insects, including weevils, wasps, beetles, bees, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and crickets. In late winter, they rely on native berries of mistletoe, hackberries, juniper, and hollies.
In southern states, bluebirds may start looking for nesting sites as early as January, so have nest boxes ready for them. However, this may be two to three months later at their northern limit.
During the breeding season, check nests at least once a week. Since bluebirds typically lay eggs in the morning, the ideal time to check nests is in the afternoon. Include perches in your bluebird landscape. Both adult and newly fledged bluebirds like to sit on small trees or fence posts from which they can scout for insects on the ground. Bluebirds are mostly insectivorous, but they also eat wild berries.
Offering mealworms near nesting sites, and planting berry-producing grapes, blackberries, dogwood, elderberries, and serviceberries, might induce bluebirds to stay around your property. Supply fresh water for both drinking and bathing. At the end of the nesting season, clean out the nest box one last time and make any needed repairs.
Bluebirds and other species often use nest boxes for roosting in cold weather. Nesting habits: Female bluebirds build tight cup nests atop a looser built base. Thin bark strips, pine needles, and dry grasses are typical nesting materials. The inner nest cup may be lined with softer, finer materials.
Eggs: Range from two to seven pale blue and, very seldom, white eggs. First clutches average five to six eggs; second clutches average four to five eggs. Bluebird houses should be in rural areas or on the fringe of the suburbs. While bluebirds have been spotted in cities, they rarely nest there. The best places for bluebird houses are open areas scattered with a few trees or near the edge of a forest. To build a bluebird house , start by cutting a 1-inch thick piece of wood into 6 pieces so you have 2 sides, 1 front and 1 bottom piece, 1 back piece, and 1 piece for the roof.
Then, use a spade bit or hole saw to make an entrance hole in the front piece. The entire nesting box can be constructed from a one-by-six inch board roughly 5-feet long. Set the nesting box height based on the bluebird breed from 3 to 6 feet above the ground. What color birds hate? A dull or bright white signals alarm and danger to birds, causing them to avoid those areas. Do Bluebird houses need perches? No Perches - bluebird boxes do NOT need perches on the exterior of the box.
Since bluebirds are cavity nesting birds, their feet are adapted to clinging to wood. Also, the presence of a perch may attract house sparrows which seem to prefer them. Do bluebirds kill other birds? What attracts bluebirds to your yard? Seven Tips for Attracting Bluebirds Open it up. Bluebirds prefer open areas with low grass and perches from which they can hunt insects. Ideally, the nest box's opening should face toward trees or shrubs within feet so young bluebirds have a place of safety for their first flight.
Situate the nesting box to face an open area that allows access to trees and low vegetation. This makes it easy to catch and feed the hungry brood insects after hatching. After setting up nest boxes, monitor them to help improve nest survival, as well as to identify any issues that may arise to correct them. To help attract bluebirds to nesting boxes, set up a food station that includes mealworms.
This also helps the female by having food close by while she incubates the eggs. Regardless of compass orientation, bluebirds prefer nesting boxes with openings facing away from prevailing winds that might blow rain into the house, as well as away from midday to afternoon sun that overheats the inside.
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