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Hi All,
I finally finished cleaning out my Tree Swallow boxes yesterday and ha=
ve some interesting findings.
There were 30 boxes checked this spring but only 25 were available for =
nesting last year. Five boxes were left as is last season because they had =
either active flying squirrel nests or were near active squirrel nests. Thi=
s year I was able to clean out and remove four of those boxes for repair an=
d relocation to a better location. The fifth box contained a red squirrel a=
nd was again left as is for now.
The 25 other boxes were cleaned out, repaired and relocated where need=
ed. Twelve of the boxes contained Tree Swallow nests with breeding evidence=
. Two of these nests had egg shells and none had dead chicks. There were no=
partial nests. There was 1 flying squirrel nest, 1 partial flying squirre=
l nest and 1 contained a red squirrel and roost/nest (I observed the squirr=
el bring nesting materials into the box). The box left was left as is for n=
ow.
June 2018 was a frigid month here and the tree swallows did not did n=
ot construct nests or breed during that period. They left the area in late =
June but returned in mid July when weather conditions were warmer. They the=
n proceeded to build nests and breed in Mid to late July. This is when the =
12 nests mentioned above were constructed. I've never seen this behavior be=
fore but it is interesting.
Last season I made and mounted 25 predator guards (3"x 3" x 1/4" p=
lexi with a 1 1/2" hole) on the boxes not left as is for the flying squirre=
ls. The results of this experiment were positive but mixed. None of the gua=
rds showed any sign of squirrel damage but three had either red or flying s=
quirrel roosts/nests and in one I observed a red squirrel entering a box wi=
th nesting materials. This tells me that squirrels (both red and flying) ha=
ve no problem entering a nest box through the 1 1/2" hole that is accepted =
as standard in the nest box literature. Whether a squirrel can use the box =
for breeding seems unlikely (a pregnant squirrel would be pretty big for an=
1 1/2" hole) but it seems using it has a roost or for predation could be p=
ossible. I'll check the box in a couple of weeks a to confirm if its a nest=
or roost.
I can't find much info on whether a smaller hole size will keep tree=
swallows from using the nest box or how small a hole is required to keep o=
ut squirrels. All the commercial predator guards I saw on line had 1 1/2" h=
oles and I saw no reports of them not keeping out squirrels. It's all a puz=
zle to me. All the best.
Fritz McEvoy
Sunrise Valley (near Dingwall)
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<div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; col=
or:rgb(0,0,0)">
Hi All, </div>
<div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; col=
or:rgb(0,0,0)">
I finally finished cleaning out my Tree Swallow boxes y=
esterday and have some interesting findings. </div>
<div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; col=
or:rgb(0,0,0)">
There were 30 boxes checked this spring but only 25 were avai=
lable for nesting last year. Five boxes were left as is last season because=
they had either active flying squirrel nests or were near active squirrel =
nests. This year I was able to clean out and
remove four of those boxes for repair and relocation to a better location.=
The fifth box contained a red squirrel and was again left as is for =
now.</div>
<div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; col=
or:rgb(0,0,0)">
The 25 other boxes were cleaned out, repaired and reloc=
ated where needed. Twelve of the boxes contained Tree Swallow nests with br=
eeding evidence. Two of these nests had egg shells and none had dead chicks=
. There were no partial nests. There was 1 flying
squirrel nest, 1 partial flying squirrel nest and 1 contained a red squirr=
el and roost/nest (I observed the squirrel bring nesting materials into the=
box). The box left was left as is for now.</div>
<div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; col=
or:rgb(0,0,0)">
June 2018 was a frigid month here and the tree swallow=
s did not did not construct nests or breed during that period. They left th=
e area in late June but returned in mid July when weather conditions were w=
armer. They then proceeded to build nests and breed
in Mid to late July. This is when the 12 nests mentioned above were constr=
ucted. I've never seen this behavior before but it is interesting.</div>
<div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; col=
or:rgb(0,0,0)">
Last season I made and mounted 25 predator=
guards (3"x 3" x 1/4" plexi with a 1 1/2" hole) =
on the boxes not left as is for the flying squirrels. The results of this e=
xperiment were positive but mixed. None of the guards showed any sign of sq=
uirrel
damage but three had either red or flying squirrel roosts/nests and in one=
I observed a red squirrel entering a box with nesting materials. This tell=
s me that squirrels (both red and flying) have no problem entering a nest b=
ox through the 1 1/2" hole that
is accepted as standard in the nest box literature. Whether a squirrel can=
use the box for breeding seems unlikely (a pregnant squirrel would be pret=
ty big for an 1 1/2" hole) but it seems using it has a roost or for pr=
edation could be possible. I'll check
the box in a couple of weeks a to confirm if its a nest or roost.</div>
<div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; col=
or:rgb(0,0,0)">
I can't find much info on whether a smaller hole=
size will keep tree swallows from using the nest box or how small a hole i=
s required to keep out squirrels. All the commercial predator guards I saw =
on line had 1 1/2" holes and I saw no reports of them
not keeping out squirrels. It's all a puzzle to me. All the best. <br=
>
Fritz McEvoy</div>
<div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif