I think potworms annoy Reds. Separation by hand had P.Worms all Stuck to Reds.(Some did have Baby Reds In tow like mother nature program LOL) earmark for Eggs? Look for P.worms, find eggs.interesting hunt! Why all the Pot worms- interest in eggs? Is this due to bad conditions that lead to egg laying? Maybe. Mine hatched 20 pink reds AS I separated eggs.Took hours, all in my 1st bin. Yes, the pinks stood- out even in new born. Gently found more babies and may, SLOWLY watch 1st bin casting-Call for more BEFORE using it. Note: I finally Dipped each Red in rain water, counting as I went. Fewer potworms transfered in process, count 128 adults! I believe Some actually knew I was cleaning Off Pot worms, b4 finally dipping 2 save time. Egg hunt Is STILL ON...W-S N.C.

This happened to me last year. My husband actually removed two eggs when there was a live baby inside. He slept through the entire thing. He took a piece of heavy cardboard and carefully slid the nest on to it. Then, using a spoon that was bent (like what you would use to dip easter eggs) he carefully lifted out both eggs and handed them to me. Then he slid the nest back into the box. The two eggs hadn't developed (it was during a really hot spell and they were almost like boiled eggs). Removing them gave the surviving baby more room in the nest and he really seemed to appreciate that. He fledged a week later. Good luck. tara/fairychick

I checked the box when I came home today and the unhatched egg was still there.I removed it with a spoon as suggested,it was definately not fertile,so I am glad I did remove it before it became a problem.I agree if it hatched too much later than the others,it would be fighting for food.However that was not the case,so all is well and there are 4 beautiful babies in the box.Now to decide how long to leave the wren guard on.Decisions,decisions.Who said this wasn't work?But it sure is enjoyable.Happy bluebirding to all.......Jane

Congrats, and break out the candy cigars! Sometimes they remove unhatched eggs, sometimes not. I like to wait at least 3 extra days to see if it will hatch, but after that, a nestling would be so far behind the others, it would not likely be able to compete and would not survive anyway. You don't have to remove unhatched eggs, but usually I do. They are SO fragile, though, it must be done very carefully. You don't want to crush it and soil the nest, which would surely attract ants and other problems. You can use a spoon; I have a nice plastic one that came with MiracleGro that has 2 ends, one end is very deep and holds the egg nicely so it won't roll out. BlueBars