Mimi, the snake trap is fine as long as you monitor it. If a snake becomes trapped, you must be nearby to release it or it can become entangled and die. Instead, I recommend that you baffle your nestboxes--I use the stovepipe baffle on all 35+ nestboxes that I monitor and I have never lost an egg, nestling or adult bird to a climbing predator. The stovepipe I use is 6" in diameter and 24" long . . . others use 8" diameter stovepipe. It is important to install the baffles so that they wobble as this keeps climbing predators such as raccoons from being able to shimmy up to the nestbox. I also recommend using the hardware cloth (as shown on the link below) as this entices snakes to climb inside the baffle towards daylight. Since they cannot get through the hardware cloth, they become frustrated and leave. I know for certain that there are snakes at all my nestbox locations, including the ones here at the house, and I also know that these baffles work and are doing their job! Kathy Here is a link that might be useful: Predator Baffles

Are you sure the completed nest has no eggs?Chickadees will cover their eggs when leaving the nest.DON'T poke around the nest to check.I always use a 1 1/8" reducer on all my houses that Chickadees choose.I have never had any abandon the nest,But I always install it after I am sure eggs have been laid.If if were me I would keep a eye on them for a few days.When you are sure eggs have been layed ,install the reducer.As far as the nest that has just been started,If the blues do take it over,a least the Chickadees can still use the empty box you have.I have never used a reducer during nest building.

I had nearly the exact thing happen this year (2025). This box had crisis last year when I found the nestlings wet, their nest soaked and berry seeds abundant. What I was told was that the parents were feeding them non-native berries because there weren't enough insects! I took the nestlings out, cleaned the box, replaced with a dry nest and supplemented with mealworms. Two males and a female ran nearly 100 mealworms into that nestbox within the next 20 minutes! It was a rescue mission. The nestlings all survived and fledged three days later. But this year, that nestbox wasn't touched until way late in the season. I was glad to see they were back, better late than never. But maybe not. Four eggs, four nestlings, all looked well. I checked them a day ago, providing rehydrated mealworms. I noticed some dog doo near where I put the mealworms. I wonder if that could affect the nestlings by contamination. I took the bos down and it felt light. I wondered if they had fledged but it was too soon. All four melding together and decomposing! This park is chemical-free, the only one in Orange (CA). All the other nestlings in the other five boxes had a good run. This was a special box and had yet another disaster this year! No evidence of foul play, no insects, etc. Another seasoned monitor told me it might be due to the male not returning, maybe killed in a fight, and the female abandons the nest. The nest box is down, washed out and waiting for a thorough cleaning. I hope they return to this box next season. We'll see. Very sad.

Dax, Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but if you don't intend to properly mount the boxes, monitor them all once or twice a week, and control invasive species like house sparrows and european starlings in your area, then you won't get bluebirds in your boxes. If you do and don't control house sparrows in your area, one day your bluebirds or any other cavity nester you get will be attacked by sparrows. It sounds like you are willing to learn and we all have to start somewhere. I would like to invite you to join the bluebird nut cafe and post your question there for much more professional help and advice as to what you should do. Hope to see you there. http://bluebirdnutcafe.yuku.com/forums