Bluebird Maintenance

One of my favorite birds is the bluebird. A few years ago my husband and his father started a small bluebird trail out in the pasture and for several years have added a few more houses. We've had some good years with many boxes filled with bluebird pairs and some not so good years when predators or nuisance birds moved in. We have learned that fall and winter maintenance are key. In late fall, once all of the bluebirds have flown south, we carefully clean out the nests, removing all the nesting materials. Then we plug the holes with steel wool. This prevents the bluebird houses from becoming home to the nuisance mice, chipmunks and squirrels. These critters have been known to chew out a larger hole and move right in to an empty bluebird house. Once they've moved in, they are hard to get out! They have even been know to return to the nest box after being removed and kill the nestlings and adult bluebirds.

We have in the past left the boxes open all winter hoping to attract the beneficial songbirds, such as nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, or downy woodpeckers, but have found that here in the county side, the mice, squirrels, and chipmunks are too much of a nuisance. So now, the boxes are closed tight all winter to keep them free from intruders and will be opened and ready for occupancy next spring when the bluebirds return.