Never mind! I copied and pasted FAQ's in case someone else thinks the same thing I did----it's infrared light and doesn't bother her. Guess I can go to sleep now. Listen, I know I fly off the handle--nothing new----it's just that I CARE---with all my heart, I CARE. Ask Little White-Foot Mouse who lives in the woodpile on the deck, just outside the window. Right now she's getting up dropped seed from the feeder---she knows I see her, but she goes on with her work. I respect her work ethic. ************************* What kind of cameras and lighting are used? The cameras are Logitech Orbit AF (daytime) and Agama V-1325 R (infrared, nighttime). There are 4 infrared (IR) LEDs on the camera that are invisible to owls and humans, but allow the camera to pick up an image we can see at night. There is also ambient light from the neighborhood that comes into the box at night. Is this camera hardwired, battery operated, or solar powered? ItÂs hardwired. Can the night cam zoom in? No, only the daytime camera has zoom and is height-adjustable. The infrared camera is positioned lower and gives a different view of the nest. Does the light at night annoy Molly? There is some ambient light from the neighborhood, but there are no extra lights used at night. Molly doesnÂt seem to mind. Are the cameras actually inside the box? No, they are attached to the exterior of the house with a protective cover.

Well, I went with a solid brick raised terrace rather than piered decking so there wouldn't be a drainage problem against the house foundation. I suppose the latticing you plan can be backed by screening but if they're determined, they'll hang their nests under your deck stairs. Houses have landscaping and lights that attract bugs and spiders which are handy food for wasp larva. The bug bomb under the deck sounds like the easiest solution. On the deck at my other house I had the guys install a collar of two boards wide, parallel to the foundation and attached with easy to remove screws. This way, when it's time for termite treatments it is easy to get that treatment right there at the foundation in an area that seems always moist and shaded..a termite favorite.

Elly, is the term 'witches broom' a new one to you? I'm sure you've seen them, but didn't know what they were. They don't qualify for barred owl housing. (See image in the attached link.) Spinster, I heard barred owls many times last year. One would even land on the peaks of our roof and call away. THAT'S something that will make you jump right out of bed! Anyway, a witches' broom is a dense cluster of branches, seeming to rise from a central point. It is a mutation found on a wide number of woody plant species, and is caused by a genetic mutation, or by a mutative response different kinds of insects. They can be huge or very small. Some witches' brooms result in some interesting new plant cultivars. The ones found in conifers are often hunted and collected. Here is a link that might be useful:

Many of the birds you mention aren't cavity nesters, so a nest box wouldn't matter. Probably chickadees are the most likely. If you put up a box for chickadees, of course make sure it's protected from predators with a baffle on the post or pole, especially since you mention cats and racoons. The hole size is 1 1/8", small enough that house sparrows and starlings won't be able to enter. One thing I read is that chickadees might prefer a larger hole to start with, like 1 1/4", and then once they have established use of the box, you can put a 1 1/8" hole reducer on. Much depends on the habitat in your yard and in the surrounding area. Chickadees seem to like the nest box to be on the edge of a woody or shrubby area. A chickadee box might also attract house wrens, so I guess it depends on whether you want to potentially host them or not. You don't mention what state you live in, so I don't know if you have house wrens. Other suggestions for nest boxes could be wood ducks (since you live near water), or even screech owls, which could use the same box as wood ducks. Or, you could try putting up an Owl Shack in the fall. I've got two up, no luck so far with screech owls, but the woodpeckers sure like to drum on that nice resonant box! If you have many dogs and cats running around your neighborhood, then you might not get anything at all. If that is the case, then you might not want to try and attract wood ducks, because they have to jump out of the box to make their way to the water, and would be easy targets for cats.