Replacing a birdhouse

[iBozz]

OK, maybe this isn't the "right" thread, but it's the nearest I have found so far (bird watching is a hobby, right?) - so bear with me please!

For several years we have had families blue-tits nesting in a birdhouse in the garden. Recent strong winds have blown the house down and, although it looks relatively OK just now, I suspect that it will need replacing fairly soon as it is beginning to rot in some parts. It is many years old so it owes me nothing!

So, my question is this: at what time of the year would I be best replacing it so as to eliminate, or at last significantly reduce, the chances of scaring the next breeding pair away? I am assuming here, from a position of total ornithological ignorance, that I need to do it when potential future residents are most likely to be away and also in good time for the new birdhouse to be "seasoned" and lose all human and "new wood" smells.

Any budding Bill Oddies out there?

Thanks.

[muttleymacclad]

Now is the best time to fix, replace and clear out old nests from nest boxes. you will find that it does take time for the birds to get used to new nest boxes. they also might use them for roosting in over the winter.

So now is the best time to replace it.

MML

[iBozz]

I am much obliged, muttleymacclad, and please accept my apologies for not acknowledging your speedy response earlier.

I have now bought a replacement box (not from The National Trust as I'd hoped as my three local NT properties "don't sell them at this time of year") but from a local garden centre. It's a rather smart affair with a slate roof and was made by Tom Chambers Ltd!

I hope that our regular family of blue-tits like it and will continue to use it.

Many thanks again.

[muttleymacclad]

you're welcome Ibozz. I have had very little joy with my nest boxes, (I make my own http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/factsheets/nestbox/shn.php ) but have had great tits (waits for the witty retorts from df regulars!) nest in an an old decaying tree trunk for the last 2 years..typical.

MML

[Ganty]

but have had great tits (waits for the witty retorts from df regulars!)

MML

Yeah, I love a nice pair of tits.

Always whistling a cheery song

[RSV]

I had a pair of blue tits in my garden this morning..... I locked the bloody missus out there

[iBozz]

As a matter of interest, mutters, why does one clean out old nests? In the wild that won't happen and I presume that if it was really necessary then the residents would instinctively spend the first part of each year chucking the old nest out before rebuilding. Maybe they do, but in the years where I have forgotten to clean the box out the family don't seem to object and there is no evidence of the furniture being thrown out by an irate female!

As I said, I have cleared them out in the past but have always wondered if I'm not actually interfering in some natural process and even, possibly, seriously proverbialling off the blue-tits who, after a hard winter, come home find that their house has been vandalised whilst they were away!

If the "macc" in your name indicates residency of a certain Cheshire town then you aren't too far from me, so maybe the local blue-tit "culture" is similar, in which case they may take several years to adopt a new box. I had ours first on an east facing wall and nothing went near it for many years so I moved it onto a north facing wall and again, it was totally ignored for about four years. Then one year they moved in and they, and presumably their descendants, have been there ever since.

I just hope that the new box is adopted from the start.

[muttleymacclad]

Hi ibozz

Yeah I used to live in Prestbury / Macc when I was a young'un. Moved down south now though.

Your'e right about cleaning them out, seems a bit daft as it wouldn't happen in the wild. the main reason is to kill off any mites, fleas or bacteria that would be in the nest box. hence why when you empty the box ideally you should clean it thoroughly with disinfectant.

I guess anything you can do to stop any cross infection year on year helps. In the past when I've cleaned out old boxes they've occasionally got a dead fledgling rotting at the bottom that the parents didn't chuck out after it had died.

If you do leave the nest in the birds will often clean it out before starting a new one. one tip though, it's always worth putting a small amount of new moss in the bottom of the next box ready for the spring.

MML