End of Season Nest Box Cleanup & Reporting
It is that time of the year again! The bluebirds, tree swallows and maybe even the wrens (if you have them) have fledged. Now is the time that we, as trail monitors, begin our annual fall cleaning of the bluebird nest boxes.
This is an excellent opportunity to gather bluebird samples for Aaron Veale at the University of Lethbridge for his thesis. Aaron is doing a western bluebird/mountain bluebird hybrid study and is collecting samples to support his hypothesis. Learn more about the project and how you can participate here.
For MBTCS Treasurer Kathy Koenig it was another successful year for their trail of 38 nest boxes on the southern edge of the Porcupine Hills. They had 41 bluebird fledglings - one more than last year! Three of the boxes were used for two clutches of bluebirds - an exciting observation!
So how did your year go? Report your annual MBTCS statistics to our data-master Joe Michielsen so we can compile our annual reporting.
Excerpt from Essential Information for Trail Monitors:
Nest Box Clean Out
Clean out the nest box after the nestlings leave the nest to reduce parasites that collected in the nest material. Ideally a monitor should clean out the old nest immediately after the bluebirds have fledged and before any new nest has been built.
Always use latex gloves whenever you clean a nest box and if mice are present spray the nest with a 10% bleach solution to prevent dust when removing the mouse nest!
Clean-out and repair boxes after the bluebirds have fledged which should happen by mid-August. Check and prepare boxes in spring, February – March in case there was over-winter damage or the floor was dropped in the fall
Leave no trace. Clean up along your Bluebird Trail! Explore our Maintenance page for detailed instructions on how to deep-clean and renovate nest boxes.
Beware of dangers and diseases when you are cleaning out nest boxes.