Any thoughts on leaving last years nesting material ??

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rtolliver
Posts: 67
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:28 am
Location: Indiana / Washington

I'm so far behind this year !! Any thoughts, pros or cons about leaving the previous years nesting material ? I know I will sprinkle seven under the material to destroy any parasites as safety !!
2007- 1 pair, 6 fledge

2008-12 pair, 45 eggs, 34 hatch, 12 fledge of only 4 pair ( year of flood and gnats )

2009-26 pair, 113 eggs, 98 hatch, 84 fledge

2010- 40+ pair approx 180 fledge
2011 45 + pair (max). Fledge about 220
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Guest

I'm glad you brought this up. A friend of mine suggested that I take a nest from a established site and put it in one that has no birds to give it a used look. Wondering if anyone has tried this. To me it sounds like a good idea.
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RC Moser
Posts: 1546
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2003 3:25 am

Yes, some people swear by it. Also there are probably thousands of PM houses that never get cleaned out? Adding sevin IMO ensures the nasty bugs gets laminated. I also put sevin around the base of my poles to keep the 30 or different kinds of ants from climbing the poles and biting the babies. Believe it or not I lost couple new borns from tiny red ants. So I always apply seven around the base, grease the pole and even add fly tape to my wooden pole. I smear grease in the layed cracks so the ants can't by pass the it if they able get get pass the other two safety nets.
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flyin-lowe
Posts: 3788
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
Location: Indiana/Henry Co.

I personally change my nest but many people leave them year after year. It won't hurt, especially since you are using seven.
2026 HOSP 26
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
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dsonyay
Posts: 1677
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:10 pm
Location: Louisiana/Broussard
Martin Colony History: 2010-2014 located in Slidell LA. Gourd rack with 16 gourds. Max of 2 pairs during this short period in Slidell. Plenty of fledglings.

2014-present.. moved to Broussard LA. Same Gourd Rack but added a 6 room house (modified from a 12 room)

2020: after a long drought of nothing, 4 pairs and 4 nests, 23 eggs total.
6 fledges.

2021: 9 pair, 47 eggs
36 hatchlings
30 fledged

2022: about 12 pairs.. many eggs, all fledged.. only had one hatchling die.. probably because of our schnauzer. :(

2023: 16 pairs. So far about 60 chicks with about a dozen eggs to go.

2024: 13 pair. About 60 eggs
2025: 14 pairs .. 69 eggs.

At the colony in Mandeville La (along the lake) we have left the old nests alone for the second year. It doesn't matter at all at our location. The new arrivals move right in and sure don't seem to care at all.
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~Ray~Gingerich
Posts: 2122
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:24 pm
Location: Delaware/Dover

You could sprinkle Diatomaceous earth under the nests for bugs resistant to sevin, I know swallow bugs crawl through sevin dust with no affect.
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
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