when to put sevin under the nest???

[razman]

i have at least 2 pairs at my site this year, even more lookies! i can't remember in the past when i added some of the Sevin powder under the nesting tray to prevent mites. before they lay eggs, or wait til they lay eggs and hatch? thanks, Rick

[flyin-lowe]

I try to treat just once a year. I wait until a day or two until the first eggs are due to hatch. Sprinkle a little under the front of the nest. Unless your nests get wet, the seven should be effective long enough to keep the mites at bay until they fledge. This has always worked for me in the past. Last year, as my colony has grown quite a bit I had a big gap in when the ASY's laid eggs compared to the SY's. I might have to spread the applications out this year.

[SoIndyDon]

I add it to the pre-nest white pine needles to start the season. Then at egg laying followed by as needed. As needed may be several more occasions when I find mites. This has worked well here for 21 years to prevent illness and death in nestlings and makes for strong fledglings.

[Whippy]

I put it in when I'm pre-nesting so I can wipe out the pests when they arrive from their journey. In the 7 years of hosting Martins I've had to retreat one gourd only once. I can tell when a new bird arrives because he/she is the only one scratching.

Coolwhips

[razman]

thanks everyone for the responses! how much powder are we talking per nesting cavity? 1/2 teaspoon? more? less? and apparently it doesn't need to be spread out evenly under the nesting tray? thanks again, Rick

[Martintown33]

I use a little less than 1/4 tsp under each nest.. I smear it around a bit under the nest. I definitely wouldn’t use more than 1/2 tsp. You don’t need much..
Good luck,
Rob

[flyin-lowe]

I use 1/4 teaspoon or less. Just a very small amount under the nest and the mites will crawl through it.

[Elmo]

I have gourds. What is the best way to introduce the severin when the nest is already built? Should I sprinkle it around or in one small pile?

[Conrad Baker]

Sprinkle it around, a little goes a long way. I try to get it into the corners and edges of the compartments (I don't have gourds). That's where the mites scoot to when they aren't clinging to the birds. Plus, if a bird carrying mites comes into the housing, it is more difficult for the mites to spread to the other compartments to infest the other birds if they have to crawl through Sevin dust in the edges and corners.

[razman]

is it safe to put sevin powder under a nest that does not have a tray in the cavity?

[Whippy]

is it safe to put sevin powder under a nest that does not have a tray in the cavity?

Yes. I pre nest my gourd and the first thing I put in is the Sevin dust. Then I put the pine needles on top of that. If I need to re-apply during the season I open the lid of the gourd and use a spoon to lay the Sevin dust on the inside wall of the gourd as far down under the nest as I can reach.

In my T-14 and Trio Wade I put a good amount under all of the nesting trays but not in the nest tray itself. Seems to work well as last year I Had zero infestations anywhere in my colony.

Coolwhips

[brent]

Whippy, I have 2 Trentsetters. From what you posted I understood that you put Sevin under the nest trays. How much? I plan on nest checks tomorrow and have a lot of chicks. It's been a while since I added Sevin so I thought about the need to add some tomorrow and was planning on placing some in the tray under the nest and was planning how to do that and not disturb the chicks. If putting some "under" the tray has worked for you then I'll do that. Let me know. Thanks. Brent

[Whippy]

Brent,

Since it is under the tray I don't really measure it I just slap it in there. You can pull the tray out and put the sevin in and put it back I don't think the babies will grow up with a complex and jump off bridges if you do. You might get some tray jumpers with older babies but the little ones won't mind a bit.

If you can't pull the trays because of nest materials go to dairy Queen and get one of their ice cream spoons. They have long handles on them and you can lift the tray a bit and slide the spoon under and dump some in that way. There is no real urgency to put the sevin in any particular place as it'll whack out just about anything that crawls around.

Coolwhips

[brent]

Thanks Whippy. I’ll give it a try tomorrow. Brent.