Maureen, have you gotten your minis yet?? Please update us. I placed an order for five with BB last weekend and am anxiously awaiting mine. Last year, I bought four from her, but the evil powdery mildew got all but one (I thought I was being so careful... I think I need a fan in my office). I've just sterilized all of my pots (little blue bonsai pots with which I wick-water) in anticipation of their arrival. Yay! Korina, you crack me up -- I was happy to "see" you over on the begonia board today -- I have a begonia at my office with my AVs, and just bought three more (uh oh) gorgeous NOID begonias for home, so I was researching a potting medium for them. Sounds like I can use my sphag-perlite-vermiculite AV mix for the begonias, too... also, off-topic, how do you like the SciFi channel's Doctor Who? (It's my first exposure, though I've heard of the show before...I find him kind of cute!). Anyway, posts from you always make me laugh, so it was neat to "run into" you over on the begonia board. But really, Maureen, this is your thread, so please let us know if you've gotten your new babies yet!!

They should be there but some could still show up, don't give up hope yet. Here in Central WI I have one pair incubating eggs already and another pair just starting to build a nest. Donna

Welcome, Tim, and congrats on the hatching. House wrens can certainly cause harm to bluebird eggs and young hatchlings so you are wise to be cautious when they are around. You might consider reading about wren guards at www.sialis.org . They are simple to make and are worth trying. You are also wise to be concerned when neighbors use chemicals on their lawns, etc. Tainted insects are often fed to young, sadly, and this causes many failed nestings. Good luck with your babies--I wish you a trouble free nesting season. Welcome! Kathy

Hi Dana. Bless your heart. Thank you so much for wanting to help the Bluebirds by buying a house for them. :o) Unfortunately, successfully hosting Bluebirds usually involves more than just erecting a house. I think that dzyg is trying to say that it would be best for the Bluebirds if everyone who erected a Bluebird house would take a little time to research them and their nesting preferences and to learn about how to offer the safest place that can be offered to them. The sialis website offers so much valuable information. It's a wonderful place to learn all about what you will absolutely need to know. The first thing you want to do is to learn about nest box placement to be sure that yours is properly placed and also has appropriate guards in place. Once you have accomplished that, you need to know about what can go wrong and what to do about it. House Sparrows (HOSP) are not native to this country and are not protected by federal laws. Thus, it is legal to remove their nests, eggs, chicks, and to trap and kill the adults. HOSPs cause so many problems for the Bluebirds that a Bluebird host really has to deal with them swiftly and diligently, never ever allowing them to nest inside any nest box. Even if the only thing you do is to plug up the hole to prevent the HOSPs from entering the box, that is doing something good for the Bluebirds. Once a male HOSP has laid claim to a box, it is really really hard to deter him. If you close it and wait patiently though, he will eventually move on. Of course, you may miss out on a chance to have the Bluebirds nest as a result. Still, that is better than allowing the HOSP to have the box. Bluebird pairs will raise 2-3 broods per year, so you still have plenty of time. If you can deter or eliminate the HOSP, and the Bluebirds build a nest in your box, you can place a "Sparrow Spooker" onto the box to deter the HOSPs. The sialis site tells you about those, and they can be purchased or made easily at home. I hope that helps you, and please feel free to e-mail me privately if you want to.~~Angie Here is a link that might be useful: Sialis/ Advice for New Bluebirders