Garden

[PA Mom-mom]

We had an active bird house with wrens nesting. Now, we see no bird activity; and we see bees flying in and out. There are bird's eggs in the nest, but no bird activity. We are assuming the eggs are no longer viable. We plan to dispose of the whole thing. Has this happened to you?

[fthunt]

I never got in to bird houses - I"ll feed them but they have to get their own motel.

Used to put out dryer lint for nesting; but guess they didn't like the smell of Tide - 

houses too dirty - mice move in - not my thing.

[Lilysmom1]

@PA Mom-mom @we were unaware that wasps had moved into a birdhouse in the garden.  DH was working there one day and they swarmed.  He got bitten twice.  We used the spray and taped over the hole.  S

[PA Mom-mom]

@Lilysmom1  Thanks for your reply. Actuallly, these might be wasps. I didn't get close enough to make sure. I think we will go the spray route too.

[NickNack]

@PA Mom-mom   Here s some information from bluebirdnut.com about bees and nest boxes.  Please don't spray the nest box.  If you do, take it down and throw it away.  It can poison a future nest.

There are wasps building nests in my nestboxes. How can I get rid of them?
Paper wasps can be a problem, as they like to build their nests on the inside of nestboxes of all kinds. Bluebirds will avoid nesting in boxes inhabited by wasps. If you see a Bluebird repeatedly fluttering at the entrance of a nestbox, but refusing to enter, especially if it contains an active nest, suspect a wasp invasion. Never spray any kind of insecticide into a nestbox to kill bees, whether the nestbox is currently occupied by Bluebirds or not! The residual could kill the next Bluebird that enters the house. Instead, apply a thin coat of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to the inside of the nestbox, especially on the top of the lid, and the tops of the sides. You can apply it with your fingers, or use a small, stiff brush to get into all the corners. This will make the surface of the box slippery, and prevent the wasps from attaching their nests to the wood. The same can be done with PVC boxes. Remove the PVC and apply a thin coat to the underside of the box roof, and the top 1/3 of the inside of the PVC. The coating must be thin enough that the birds do not get globs of it stuck to their wings. Some people have successfully used bar soap in the same manner, but this can be a bit trickier to get into all the corners.

[Lilysmom1]

@NickNack , I taped over the hole for entry after I sprayed.  Not looking for another nest to mess with.  Insect bite allergies here.  S

[PA Mom-mom]

@NickNack  Thanks for the detailed information! We are definitely planning to throw away the nest box after we spray. It's old and getting flimsy. It's just so sad to see those abandoned wren eggs 

[NickNack]

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@PA Mom-mom wrote:

@NickNack  Thanks for the detailed information! We are definitely planning to throw away the nest box after we spray. It's old and getting flimsy. It's just so sad to see those abandoned wren eggs 

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@PA Mom-mom   Yes, it would be very sad to see the abandoned eggs.

[Dazlin]

@PA Mom-mom , I have had mud nests from wasps in my bird houses.   It was during no nesting period of birds, thankfully.   Since then, after flushing out the house with the hose, I coated the upper sections of the inside and roof area with a bar soap.   Just rub the soap in well to coat the inside.   Do this only about a third way down the sides and back, and under the entire roof.  I have had no problems since.  I do it at least 2x a year, and always after the birds have finished nesting.

[PA Mom-mom]

@Dazlin  and  @NickNack I do like the soap idea more than the petroleum jelly. Seems less to go wrong.