Thanks for the info. I buy my mealworms at Southeast Insectaries for $38 and change (includes shipping) for 5,000 large and they do a great job shipping. They include an icepack in the shipping container when the weather turns hot. I keep the worms in a 2" high 6X10 platic container with several holes in the lid. I also tie a small sponge under the lid and keep it damp. I use wheat or oat bran I buy at the Feed Store as bedding for the worms. I only take them out at about 3 weeks and place several slices of apple or potatoe on the top and leave them out of the frig for the day (I'm always sure to remove any apple or potatoe pieces before I return them to the frig so they will not rot). That is the only extra feeding I do and they last until gone.

Boy,am I relieved.This morning at 6:15,I saw Daddy at the box,thought he just might be feeding Mom.I didn't want to check that early in case Mom might be laying another egg.Just now when I came home,I decided to check the box.Dad was in a nearby tree and when I opened the box,there was Mom sitting there all crouched down,nice and cozy.she never even moved.Needless to say,I closed the box quickly and left her alone.I was very relieved and excited.I have no idea if there are more than 3 eggs or not,just happy they are ok.Also on the way back to the house,I walked by a box that has been mounted on the side of the garage for a few years and has always gone unoccupied.My husband mentioned the other day that he saw a bird sticking his head out ,but was unsure what it was.As I walked by,I gently tapped and out came a white breasted nuthatch.How exciting,that is a first for me.Very cool.This box is difficult to open,so I will just have to leave it alone and enjoy.Glad to share some good news.....Jane

Bluebirds have many vocalizations. They sing, warble, "danger" call, even chirp for various reasons. During courtship they might both sing. I've heard the adults make baby sounds when they come for mealworms. I've heard the male sing very softly and quietly nearby for hours while the female is incubating eggs. I've heard a female call for her mate all day long at the top of the highest tree, after he went missing during a terrible hailstorm. As fledglings grow older, their calls change, and when fledging time is near, the parents call to them to encourage them as they tease them with food, and maybe even tell them where to fly to. It amazes me when I see a fledgling pop out on their very first flight, and make an immediate U-turn in mid-air up to the woods--how did they know to do that? I recently purchased a little recorder, and hope to be able to share some of these sounds someday, maybe to go along with some of the stunning photos many of you post here. If only that UPS truck would quiet its brakes! That screeeeech is piercing my ears! BlueBars

OH man what to do??? I wouldn't plug the hole cause that for sure would make them go to the bluebird box. Adding a wren guard now to the blues box would be a bit risky unless you could really watch closely after up put it up to make sure mom and dad accepted it. A really easy gaurd is using a shoebox, cut one side off and attach to the roof so the other side is covering the hole, this way it has sides too. You could try it anway as long as you could watch closely, I think that is what I would do. Chances are though with the boxes that close the wren may have already seen the hole in the blues box. I sure hope it doesn't go over there. Like I said those nestlings aren't safe until day 7. Donna