Wow, it looks like she left you the mother lode there, Sherry! ;-) I think the most I ever had in a bunch was about 24. They're my very favorite caterpillar to raise. I love to put a few lengths of vine in a big storage container and watch the cats scurry along on their way to somewhere that I guess they have in mind. They always make it look like it's urgent. Ha. That's a Carolina wren for ya, building a nest in such a strange place. One year I had a pair build a nest on one of the shelves in my workshop after those little opportunists sneaked in there a few days when I had the door open and made themselves right at home. I didn't shut the door again until after the babies fledged. I have bluebird houses stacked up in our corncrib and one year the Carolina wrens made a nest in one of them even with it turned upside down. My dad had one build a nest in his fishing net one yet. Out of all of the birds that I get here, I call them the most eccentric. :) They sure are cute little things and they love the peanut butter/cornmeal/shortening mix that I put out in a log feeder for them in the winter. Cathy

It is just natural competition. Carolina wrens are harmless native birds, not invasive imports! It is illegal to disturb their nest. If the Carolinas are building, then the chickadees have already moved on. Anyway, I think they can enter with a 1&1/8-inch reducer. Why not put up another house? Maybe the chickadees will try again. I would be THRILLED to host either one or both. BlueBars Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.sialis.org/nestboxguide.htm

DUH !! Sorry Lisa- I looked it up on the internet. Not too bad for a mentally challenged ex- PE teacher, huh? Seven years ago, I had to have an 8 yr old show me how to turn on a computer at the public library!!

I would advise strongly against using black plastic netting and instead use tobacco netting. It may save the lives of many birds in the long run. I lost a male bluebird and cardinal in this type of netting. It was just awful and totally preventable, I was so sad about it for weeks. The tobacco netting I use is white plastic and although it may seem that less sun gets through, its actually fabulous for my berry plants. I use it for my blueberries. Its wonderful and no birds have gotten caught in it because they can easily see it.