Revisiting How to Keep Swallows From Building Nests...
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Need link to help Tree swallows nest in EHS invaded environm.
Comments (8)If you do the math on the ability of this species to reproduce (2-3 nestings with 4-7 chicks per nesting) and the average life span (roughly 12 years), you realize how eliminating one breeding pair has the potential to have a tremendous benefit on species diversity, even within a small area. Kate: Sounds like you have had a lot of success. The Huber trap is a great idea. There are also others that are nice. Here is the web site for one: http://www.vanerttraps.com/universal.htm You may be aware of this, but I just think this caution bears saying for those who are reading: The one problem with putting in-box traps in a bank of martin houses is that you are likely to trap native birds as well. You have to monitor these kinds of traps hourly (which might be hard given the height of them) to make sure that the trapped bird is the intended target species. If it is not, you actually risk the life of the native bird(s), which, of course, is illegal as well as inhumane. So monitoring is absolutely essential. I would agree with everything else that you have mentioned. Certainly the males are the ones that control the area and have the most potential to harm native birds through passive and active competition. Most people who do this would agree that one of the best ways to catch them is with in-box traps during the heat of the nesting season. They are very saavy about ground traps. You can sometimes bait the ground traps with nesting materials that are glued to a heavy piece of wood (ripped plastic tarp material, trash, tissues, yarn, etc.). The best season to catch the adult males (and females) is the early spring. During the summer, it is best to use a ground trap baited with white bread. You can catch young birds and females by the dozen this way. I have included a link for a very good repeating ground trap. Good luck to you Rose. I think that everything here is really true and if more people would consider doing a small piece of this big problem species diversity could be noticably improved. Of course, this is all contingent on the laws in Canada. Here is a link that might be useful: Repeating Ground Trap...See MoreHelp! Other birds trying to take over barn swallow's nest
Comments (16)They are no different in Europe than anywhere else. It is true in the animal world it is hard to find a species that's completely innocent. Bluebirds will also kill and take over a nest if they have too. Barn swallows can do the same. I can give you a link with a story about swallows sealing a nest that a sparrow took over, and they sealed it with a sparrow inside (but the link is not in English). Swifts in Europe often take over a nest by killing the birds with its claws. The american cowbird is an angel compared to the European cuckoo bird :) I could continue with these kind of stories forever. Any way, I don't have a problem with your or anybody else's advise, but you should list all the possible solutions, not just YOUR favorite....See MoreWhen Can Barn Swallows Safely Leave Their Nest?
Comments (4)These cute little birds are growing so quickly! My concern is that another poster said that they return to the same nest, after fledging, to live for the next few months. Do you think that they will be able to safely find another place to live if we have to take down their nest, for our house project, after they have the ability to fly? Thanks to anyone who can help us make the right decisions!...See MoreHardware Cloth Under Shed to Keep Rodents from Nesting
Comments (9)We have been putting up garden sheds since the 80's on various rural sites, and have nothing but good experience using gravel with a hardware cloth interface. The very first shed I put up did not have the hardware cloth, and I constantly battled critters getting into the base surface. I spent hours trapping and baiting all the animals that found the shed-covered area their perfect base. We have a number of sheds now, and all have been successfully protected from the many burrowing animals with a simple gravel and wire system. What I am most pleased with are two sheds, one about 10x20', the other about 20x30. One was built in 1993, the other about 1995. In neither case have animals been able to penetrate the barriers I put down, but they have sure tried a lot. We have a particular problem with squirrels, rabbits and mice. I have seen lots of places on the exterior where they started to dig, found my protection, and finally gave up. We have no nests at all under either structure. My method is to put down about a foot deep layer of gravel, with the wire mesh extending out from the runners about 18". I prefer to put the mesh an inch or two below the surface. This makes the whole installation look better, and also seems to be very effective at deterring diggers. Once the shed is erected, I attach the mesh all around the sides of the sheds to the runners. In one shed which uses the gravel as its floor I placed the wire mesh under the whole area of the shed. The mesh probably costs less than a singe trap I'd need to get rid of an unwanted critter, only takes a few minutes to lay down, and I find it works well. Even on the inside of the shed with the gravel floor, I place the mesh about an inch or two below the surface. This really avoids any trip hazards, and makes for a good presentation. If I put up another shed, I will definitely put wire down over the entire footprint. A 20x30' shed would need about 700 square feet of wire cloth, about the amount in one 7'x100' roll which only costs 25-30 dollars. I would put down most of the gravel, lay the mesh, then lay the rest of the gravel. If you already have the gravel down, I strongly agree with Ken above: take the time to put the mesh in; you won't regret it. Renais...See More- 9 years ago
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