Cedar chips

[Guest]

This is probably a silly question, but here goes..........


The use of cedar chips in nest boxes sounds like a great idea, it should deter many pests. However, as a person with allergies to everything (including Ivory soap), my eyes burn/sting and water from the aroma that emits. So, how can those tiny little babies stand that? Does it even affect them? Does it dissipate in time?

Thanks!

Wannabee PM Thieves who wanna know before we have them,


HH and Peg

[Laverne]

Oh, yeah - the scent dissipates.

I use cedar "shavings" - sold as small mammal bedding (hamsters, etc.).

I put them in the very bottom of the nest underneath pine needles. By the time the eggs hatch you can hardly smell it anymore. And, if not replaced, the mites will show up before the young can fledge. So, plan on doing at least one nest replacement. PMCA recommends two - one at 10 days old and a second at 20 days old.

I've never had a PM nestling die from cedar shavings - but, I have lost several to mites.

Don't be planning on stealing any of "my" martins - they like it at my house...

Good luck to you guys for many purple seasons ahead.

[Guest]

I used cedar chips in my nest replacements last year and my PMs kicked it out. I also tried pine needles late in the season and they liked it and it stayed. I stopped with the cedar chips and went to pine needles. I have a neighbor with many pine trees (soft needles) and I go pick them up and clean them. Many other landlords don't have a problem with the chips, but I did. Just an observation. Good luck. At least you are doing the right thing to prevent problems with bugs.

[Guest]

Thank you both!

Oh, yeah - the scent dissipates.


Don't be planning on stealing any of "my" martins - they like it at my house...

Good luck to you guys for many purple seasons ahead.

Well........ since you live in TX I doubt I can steal yours, he he he... But we have neighbors who do have them in run down shantys, those are the ones we want. We will do them right! I hope anyway.

Don't get me wrong, we have used 5% Sevin on our 'little' farm in the past and don't have a problem with using it in the future if we can't control infestation problems any other way. We know Sevin works, but we are open to any other method that can produce results.

My biggest concern was the smell of cedar, wow, talk about knocking your socks off.....

But, since it dissipates then there really isn't a problem.

I used cedar chips in my nest replacements last year and my PMs kicked it out. I also tried pine needles late in the season and they liked it and it stayed. I stopped with the cedar chips and went to pine needles. I have a neighbor with many pine trees (soft needles) and I go pick them up and clean them. Many other landlords don't have a problem with the chips, but I did. Just an observation. Good luck. At least you are doing the right thing to prevent problems with bugs.

I wonder, did you offer both the cedar and the pine straw at the same time? OR, did you just put in cedar chips? The pine straw may be what they were looking for anyway, if you had put it on top of cedar chips, would they still kick it out?

We put up our brand spanking new Troyer gourds, added cedar chips and pine straw on top of the cedar chips. The smell is really strong, but low and behold, our little caravan of looky-loos (which were only five at the last count) turned into SEVEN today around 11 central time! They looked into the Troyers many, many times. We were so thrilled, what a show. But, we don't have any homesteaders yet, just the looky-loos and they are multiplying. Then at 1 pm central we found that our seven had turned into NINE looky-loos, all of them chattering, singing and swooping. They checked out every single mailbox and troyer, looked inside but nobody actually ventured inside. I wonder though, was the cedar too strong or are they just looking around for possible homes for next years brood?


Thanks again,

Wannabee PM Thieves who wanna know before we have them!

Peg

[CraigMo.]

I don't use cedar chips anymore. When they get wet they stay wet forever. I use the soft pine needles

[Guest]

I don't use cedar chips anymore. When they get wet they stay wet forever. I use the soft pine needles

Thank you Craig, now that does bring up another question though!

If the nest is wet, should you do a nest change? How often is too often? I know there are guidelines for approximate changes, but when things go bad how much interference is too much?

Thanks again!
Peg

[J and J]

It was suggested by a landlord in Nebraska to use pine chips, rather than cedar chips...When I put cedar chips in last year, the female pushed many of them out....So will try the pine this year.

The first nest check (10 days) is due tomorrow. Last year I took everything out of the nest and replaced it with cedar chips.....The nest consists of primarily twigs and leaves. Should I remove all of it, or leave it unless I see mites or something.???....I didn't know if the nests are susceptible to mites or other insects in the midwest (i.e. Iowa, NE.)

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Guest]

J and J-

I am in midwest too-Kansas. I had awful mites last year until I did the nest change. I took everything out, then wiped it all down with an alcohol soaked rag (which I threw away) Then I replaced with cedar chips. The PMs kicked or threw them out. I saw Laverne say to put pine needles on top of the cedar chips. Good idea, then you get some of the bug protection of the chips and the pine needles cover them. That may work better. This year I cheated and used Sevin, no mites so far. Babies are 15 days old. Best of luck. Hope it helps.

P.S. I had a grackle nest of 5 healthy looking babies. They all bailed out a few days ago. Prematurely. I saw 3 dead ones, they had areas of reddness on their bodies, like they were pecking at something on the skin. I bet it was mites.

[CraigMo.]

Peg I can't answer that one on how often , I am still a 3yr newbie. When I did nest changes last year . I removed babies, removed all the nesting material and I added pine needles(white pine ) to make a bowl shape then put the babies back in. I never had a problem doing it. All the martins stayed. I also used sevin at the bottom of nest. Mites were very thick. This year they have not been thick yet. I think a wet nest is dangerous but you will have to wait for a more experienced landlord for a better answer

[Guest]

Peg I can't answer that one on how often , I am still a 3yr newbie.


I think a wet nest is dangerous but you will have to wait for a more experienced landlord for a better answer

Thank you Craig! Any experience is better than none and all opinions count.

We appreciate any and all opinions, ideas, suggestions and most importantly experience, especially since we are still in the wannabee/looky-loo stage!

Peg