They shouldn't of had a problem with the guard if you had it up like an extended roof, do you have sides on the guard or just the front part? That being said I did one year have a pair of Blues not accept a guard. I couldn't watch but I put it up during egg laying and when there wasn't an egg laid the next day I took it off and she laid her egg in the afternoon instead. Figured I couldn't jepordize the eggs and left it off. Somehow we got through that nesting without the wren bothering them. They both wanted to box at first and I was freaking out! I say try again with it just up, if you see them go in (it may take a bit as they will be very wary of it) then put it down but maybe shorten it at first so it isn't as long as it should be, once they accept that then make it longer. If they won't accept it when you have it on but just up then maybe they won't accept it at all. Once she begins incubation though I wouldn't mess with it anymore as she needs to stay on those eggs. Good luck! Donna

Kerfs on the outside sounds like a great idea. Have you seen her feet up close? We have had some blues with foot deformities on the forun before. Harold I think , had 2. I would go so far as to add a perch (under the Wren guard) if she is still having trouble. Make the Wren guard so it is at least 3" out from the box, or try the "training guard" first. I did just a short cardboard flap till my gal got the idea then did the full blown Wren guard. Add them togheter,less stress,they alreadty know the spooker!I am babysiting 18day old hide and peek babies at the moment! LOL

Saw the bluebird pair shopping at my HOSP trap house..??!! so I went to investigate their other nest.. TWO eggs are GONE!! I looked around and didn't find any shells. It wasn't a snake because it has an electric fence, plus he probably would have still been in there... I'm guessing a dang wren! (sparrow spooker in place and I'm trapping all the time!) I was hopeing it would just be okay, but murphies law.. My open house never had any sticks in it.. so I hoped they weren't nesting here. What about the other egg? I'm surprised they are shopping and left that one behind! So, If the pair renests, I will work with her to get a guard on there. I'll try a perch and everything suggested. I don't know if it was the guard or the ants last time, so maybe she'll work it out. If she can't figure it out, then I'll just have to let her move on. ok, my plan for possible new nest. Once I find the first egg I'll put on the training guard and add a removeable horizontal perch. When I wake up if there isn't a new egg, I'll remove the guard for a few hours. Once the egg is laid I'll put it all back on. I'll keep this up until she works it out, maybe allowing the guard in place longer each morning. Once all the eggs are laid, the guard will have to stay on. IF she hasn't figured it out by then, she will just have to abandon the nest. No reason to keep trying here, it just won't work.

Suzanne, a spooker should always be installed after the first egg is laid, if possible. Once an egg appears, the pair is more bonded to the nestbox and less likely to abandon it. However, if the spooker is installed after the female begins incubating eggs, you must observe the box to make certain that the spooker is accepted and she reenters fairly quickly. You don't want to interrupt the incubation cycle. Kathy