|
Welcome to
The Bluebird Box
since 1995 |
Problems/Solutions with Ants in Nests (Part 1)In addition to Messages that have appeared in the Bluebird Mailing Lists on this topic (also see Anting), the following are on the Audubon Society of Omaha website: Predators and Problems On The Bluebird Trail Subj: Re: Q re ants (addendum) Subj: Fire Ants Subj:
RE:fire ants Subj:
RE:fire ants Subj: fire ant protection Subj:
Re: fire ant protection Subj:
ant killer? Subj:
ant killer under nest Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 09:05:15 -0600 We are plagued with them here as well here in Texas. Although many on Bluebird-L are opposed to ALL herbicides and pesticides, we use Amdro to kill fire ants, usually applying it to individual mounds. Our hay meadow was full of mounds, which made picking up hay bales torture, so we broadcast at 1-1/2 pounds per acre, and by the next cutting they were GONE. The mower commented on it, and the people picking up bales did not find any. I don't believe it caused any harm to birds, rather the opposite--we have meadowlarks all over the place, whereas Keigh Kridler only 50 miles away commented that they seemed to have disappeared from around his area. Fire ants are a major threat to them since they are ground nesters, so I think judicious use of bait-type fire ant killers helped rather than harmed these birds. I have known of dogs eating Amdro and not being harmed, but I always take care when applying it to avoid potential problems to non-targeted critters. I do not use Dursban and some of the other insecticides, because they are extremely harmful to beneficial insects as well as birds and other warm-blooded creatures. I hope this helps. Kate Oschwald Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 16:37:37 -0700 (PDT) Hello all...I'm looking to see what some people's solution to this problem is. I'm helping a friend monitor her EABL box which she has unfortunately on a wooden pole in her backyard. Actually, she's had it in place for several years before I knew her & has had successful fledgling of EABL for several years in the past. So a couple weeks ago, her EABL finished the nest & I've been asking her several times whether there were any eggs in the nest yet? She kept saying, no..not yet. But when my friend checked the nest a couple days ago, she found a stream of ants crawling up & down the pole into & out of the nest. I told her that's probably why the female hasn't laid her eggs. What should she do? She wanted to spray the nest, box, etc. I told her don't spray the nest & box..just spray the pole say down to the ground & gently take out the nest & maybe she could shake the nest & get all the ants out of it..& also hose out & clean the box. Then put it back in & hope the EABL will come back..maybe to lay her eggs. I've heard other people I think say in the past to make another nest & put it in the box. But I don't think this friend of mine wants to try making another nest. Any simple solution that might work for her right away...Thanks...Horace in NC. Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 18:02:05 -0700 Linda Violett Horace, I use hanging boxes so control of ants is fairly simple. Pipe cleaners are coiled around the hanging wire and smeared with a couple of teaspoons of Tanglefoot. The same concept could be used for your friend's wooden post-mounted box by using a lot more Tanglefoot. Up until this year, I had several boxes with ant problems. If the nest was infested, an old unused nest substituted. Because fire ants are now in our area, I decided to take preventative measures against ants this year and added Tanglefoot to the hanging box wires before the nests were even built. It is my understanding that ants follow a scent trail. With this in mind, I'd probably trace the ants to their home and dig up the dirt around the the ant trail and nestbox post to confuse the ants . . . then flush the dirt with water for a few days.... Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 21:17:01 -0400 Horace and all If it were my ant-infested nest I would take it out, microwave it to kill the ants and eggs, and return it as soon as possible. Then I woulld try tree tanglefoot or something similar on the post to keep them out. Ruth Edwards, Westport, MA Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 21:13:39 -0500 Horace, I have this problem after heavy rains, the fire ants will invade the nests. I take the nest out and place it on top of the box, open the front up and leave it over night. The ants will leave rather quickly, maybe the same day, and then replace the nest and close it up again. Kind regards, Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 21:22:34 -0500 Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas more hail yesterday gee what a year! If the nest is messed up and some of the young are gone then either a cat, raccoon or opossum got up to the box last night and will likely come again tonight! You could block the entrance hole with hardware cloth tonight or even screw a block over the hole and remove it at daylight. Do you have a metal pole or predator guard stove pipe on the pole? Check around the entrance hole and roof edge to see if there is any hair at these points. Some times the parents will abandon the survivors but normally will continue feeding. Need a little more box and pole information to really help. What style nestbox? How deep from the entrance hole to the nest cup? Do you have a wood predator block on the entrance hole and how thick is the entrance and what type hole (oval or 1&1/2")? Ants: A tea pot of nearly boiling water is lethal to ants and if they are fire ants the entire pot should be poured on the mound. It only has to be around 150*F to wipe out insects quickly and this will erase the scent trail. Pour down the wooden post and if there are fire ants move the box to a metal pole and use either grease or tangle foot as a preventive. Can you identify the species of ant? There is a species of carpenter ant in the south that will carry their young into bird nests and will sometimes live peacefully with the nesting birds. Fire ants on the other hand are only coming to a food source; eggs, young birds or left over insects from old nests. In the south where these fire ants are common old bird nests will ATTRACT fire ants. Carefully collect all nesting material in a bucket or plastic bag and leave nothing for the ants to feed on anywhere near the nest. I have seen 5 bluebirds 12 days old reduced to skeletons in 48 hours with these ants. KK Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 11:40:52 -0400 (EDT) Vaseline works to prevent ants from climbing up the pole. It is better in my opinion because it doesn't stand much of a chance of doing harm to a bird....tanglefoot can really stick their feathers if they get into it. Another thing you might consider is to sprinkle powdered cinnamon, crushed mint leaves, Mint tea, Mexican hot pepper powder or all of the above at the base. You can spray it too if you make a brew of it. Planting mint at the base works too. Mint is, invasive as a plant so remember this. It thwarts them for a time anyhow. I've experimented with these things and really like how it works. Marion Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 10:44:37 -0500 ...Dan, I'm confused! You take the nest out of the box and leave it out overnight? What about the eggs or the babies? Also, in what part of Plano do you live? My mom lives near the intersection of Plano Parkway and... I can't remember the name... Park? Kind of near that new Catholic church on Plano Parkway. She doesn't get many birds where she lives and I would be surprised if I saw a bluebird at her house. Marisa Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 11:42:20 PDT In my experience, the biggest problem with leaving nests in the box after the young have fledged is: ANTS. The ants move in to scavenge the detritus left in the nest...fecal matter, undigested food, uneaten berries, other insects and so on. We're not talking about a few ants here....but, in some instances, thousands who completely move in, create nests and lay their eggs. In these situations, if bluebirds create a new nest before the old nest is removed, any disturbance of the box after the eggs hatch and nestlings are developing is likely to cause the ants to swarm up from the bottom of the box and attack the nestlings. I know...been there...done that... and it is a NIGHTMARE!!! These are in boxes where there was NO ANT PROBLEM to begin with. The problem develops after the fleging takes place. There almost always are some ants on the premises, but when the big invasion takes place, you'll have a real management problem. Dean Sheldon, Huron County, OH Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 11:49:46 -0400 Hi everyone, I need some advice as to what I can do about little tiny black ants that have taking up house in the bottom of my Bluebird nest . My 4 babes are about 6 days old. I removed each one to inspect for bites. No visiable bites on the skin.The babes are fat and healthy! There was a tiny black fly on the back of one baby. ( not biting at the time) I removed the fly and pinched it between my fingers, there was a little blood. I totally removed the nest and scraped the bottom of the box with a metal spatula, removing most of the ants that did not run into the drain holes. Before I put the nest back in I noticed some ants were scattered among the nest bottom! It is made of pine needles. What can I replace the nest with? We have had 4 days of rain and cold here, so the pine needles on the ground here are very damp. I read on the list last yr. that you can attach a cotton ball soaked with ant poison on the bottom of the house to deter them. Is that advisable? Please reply soon! Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 14:01:19 -0700 Kathy, I use Tanglefoot on the post my boxes are on to keep the ants out. N 43* 04.511 W 83* 36.447 Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 14:19:56 -0400 Kathy: - I've never had this problem, but I've heard people
recommend a standard bird-cage preparation, - Pyrethrin, I think
it's called, - to rid their houses of things like ants, lice,
mites, etc. It's harmless to canaries, so I'd GUESS it would
be harmless to Bluebirds. You'd better check this name, however.
I'm not sure I've got it right. I hope someone writes to correct
me if I'm wrong. Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 14:14:44 -0500 Dear Kathy, You failed to state how your nestbox was mounted. The preparation Tanglefoot is a nursery product and used on trees to keep crawling insects from crossing the band of applied Tanglefoot. If this can be used, you can find it at your local nursery. Gather up enough pine needles to make a new nest and bring
them indoors to dry them. Replace the old nest with the new
pine needle nest and carefully set the fledgelings back. Closely
monitor your nestbox to see that no ants return and that the
parents continue feeding the fledglings. Wishing you great luck, Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 21:14:59 -0400 --------- Forwarded Message ---------- Normally, the ants do not bother anything. It's when you open
the box that they boil up and sometimes attack the nestlings.
You did just the right Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 21:08:59 -0400 To Marion & all, Ant problem is solved!!!!!! Thanks for the tips. I immediately went out and sprinkled cinnamon on the bottom of the floor. One ant that must of been in one of the drain holes came out heading for the hills!!!!!! I have fresh mint in my garden , will put some crushed leaves on the bottom of the nest box. I smeared Vaseline on the post too. I will put some crushed hot pepper at the base of the post. Thanks to all who replied so quick with your advice! I will purchase that bird aresol just to have it on hand. This afternoon my sister gave me the advice of micro waving the nest to kill the ants. Wow! it was a great tip as it worked great! I put the nest in a zip lock and microwaved at 50% power for two minutes. The ants came out real fast and was zapped dead!!!!!!! The nest did not catch fire! That was my worry. I let it cool off a couple minutes and gave it a fluff and put the babes back in it . They are as snug as a bug in a rug!!!!!!! Papa was feeding them shortly after. Speaking of papa Bluebird... we had very cold and rainy weather
for 4 days, most of the time the temp was 46* + even during
the daytime!He In response to the spider plant nest... Could it be a Finch nest? Around here I have seen Purple Finch's nest in window boxes, planters, etc. I don't know what color their eggs are. Best advice is watch for the bird! Kathy Bennett Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 21:33:20 -0500 Kathy asked what to do about ants. Go to WalMart and get caged bird spray (Pyrethin, etc). It is approved for birds. Bluebird Bob, Northeast Oklahoma. Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 21:45:29 -0500 OOPS! I forgot to also mention that petroleum jelly on the post will keep ants away. (also works great on Hummingbird hangers and wires) The bird cage spray is for when they are already in the box. Bluebird Bob, Northeast Oklahoma. Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 10:16:04 -0400 In two of my paired boxes, I have 5 bluebird hatchlings in one and an almost-completed tree swallow nest in the other. I've read a lot about fire ants in the reference guide but couldn't find anything specific on the tiny black ants that are invading these two boxes. I'm in the process of trying to control them but so far am not succeeding in getting them all. Any harm with these small black ants? Thanks, Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 21:43:23 -0500 Lynn asked about what to do about small black ants (or any ants except possibly fire ants. I don't have them here so I can't speak for them). Lynn - go to WalMart and buy the caged bird spray (Pyrethin). Spray it under the nest, on the post and on the box, etc. It was developed for use with birds. Bluebird Bob, Northeast Oklahoma. Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 16:19:01
EDT Date: Mon, 05 Jun 2000 20:54:12 -0400 Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 08:25:23 EDT Yesterday at my golf course I found a box infested with little black ants. This box had five fledge around May 30. A new nest was started on top on my next visit after fledging and I planned to lower it as soon as there were eggs. The eggs were there yesterday and so were the ants! I knew there had been a recent discussion about them on the list and did what I remembered had been discussed and with the materials I had with me. Removed the bottom (old) part of the nest, cleaned out all the ants I could and put vaseline on the pole. I have just read the discussion again on Best of BB-L and I will get some Pyrethrin, and also try the mint/cinnamon etc. on my next visit. Does the Pyrethrin kill the ants or just keep them out? Having already greased the (metal) pole if it just deters them, how will they now get out? Hope I didn't do the wrong thing by putting the grease on BEFORE applying these other things? I see in the discussion on Best of BB-L that Dean wrote that this is a problem with leaving old nests. This is borne out by what I found because in another box where young had fledged at about the same time I was able to remove the old nest before a new one was started. This box now has a complete new nest, 3 eggs ( same number as the ant infested one) and NO ants. Only a sample of two I know, but interesting I think. Jane Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 08:40:49 -0400 Hi, Gang! All the talk about ants in nests (and I mean the small black ones that everyone is reporting) has raised a question in my mind. Why are these ants a problem? What do they do to the birds? Many species of birds intentionally allow ants on their bodies to rid them of parasites. I wonder if we're making this a problem when it really isn't. Brenda Date: Fri, 09 Jun 2000 06:11:54 PDT The ants are there as scavengers and are only doing their job
in cleaning up what is left in the nest after fledging takes
place [i.e. fecal matter, food particles and other edible detritus
left. In my judgement, this is good reason to clean out the
old nest and clean up the nest box ASAP after fledging takes
place. The ants are peaceable in the nest box until disturbed
by a monitoring visit....and then they boil up from below the
nest and could attack the nestlings if a new nest has been already
built on top of the old one. I've experienced that any number
of times. In and of themselves and without an external interruption,
I do not believe that ants are a problem for the nesting bluebirds
or tree swallows. Dean Sheldon, Huron County, OH/just south
of Lake Erie Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 10:35:22 -0500 Although not often seen, the process of birds rubbing ants on their body is known as "anting". This rather amazing behaviour is used by many birds the world over. There is both "passive" anting and "active" anting behaviours. In passive anting, the bird will perch, or lie down on an active ant hill and allow the ants to swarm over the bird's body. Often, the bird will extend it's wings and tail feathers to allow complete access to all feathers and body parts. In active anting, the bird will pick up a single ant, crushing it in it's bill, and then groom it's feathers with the ant's crushed body. Although little research has been done on this odd behaviour, it is thought that the formic acid which is contained in biting ants rids the bird of parasites such as mites etc. There may be some analgesic properties in the formic acid which could be involved here. Many bee keepers will swear that being stung by bees relieves their arthritis! The venom in bee stings contains formic acid. I have witnessed this unusual behaviour twice, both times it was with Blue Jays. Fread J. Loane Date: Fri, 09 Jun 2000 11:54:44 -0400 Hi all - we have an ant hill in the back about a foot in diameter, slightly raised from the ground, with black ants larger than those found in bird boxes but not as big as carpenter ants. About 4-5 times a day, one of the crows nesting nearby will flop on the ant hill, spread its wings and tail feathers, and scrunch around for about 5 minutes. The crow then shakes violently, maybe to throw off the ants. It obviously gives them pleasure, or at least relief from something, as Fread suggests. Whatever, it looks really silly! Dot ... Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 16:25:14 EDT ...Right enough. Has anyone ever seen a bird take an ant bath?
Some species do this to allow the ants to rid them of parasites.
To quote The Birder's Handbook, "many songbirds "ant"
by spreading their wings and lying on an anthill, and squirming
or otherwise stimualting the ants to swarm up among their feathers." (p.
487). Having said that, I lost one box with five, one week
old nestlings last year to ant, but they were FIRE ANTS. A
different animal, indeed. Phil Berry Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2000 08:05:33 EDT Dean and list, ... This is exactly what happened. When I opened the box I didn't see the ants at first but they began to "boil up" as you say. Then, since I was having to lower it ( new nest on top of old ) they really started swarming around. There are only eggs at the moment but since I will obviously be monitoring the box once or twice a week and disturbing the ants each time, I presume I should go ahead with taking steps to rid the box of the ants before there are nestlings that they may bite? Seems that ants may be beneficial to adults at times - the infomation on "anting" was very interesting - but not I assume to nestlings? Thanks Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2000 11:23:23 -0400 Haleya Priest AMherst MA Black ants - The past two nests that I opened and found swarming with black ants and eggs - one bunch of them I disturbed physically (just poked at them, didn't even brush them out) , but no other action was taken, and the other I didn't do ANYTHING - well, both show NO ANTS WHAT-SO-EVER after next monitoring of a couple days. Either this is an anomoly or perhaps a large percentage of the time they'll leave on their own accord just by opening the box???? Others comments??? This would be good to know that we don't need to intervene most of the time. H Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 12:52:51 -0400 Hi All: Just recently the List discussed ants in nest problem. These are tiny black ants that became agitated when I removed abandoned Tree Swallow nest w/eggs under Bluebird Nest with four eggs under incubation. I believe the end result of our discussions was there would be no harm to incubating female and eventual nestlings. I can spray box w/bird cage spray if ants can cause problems and spray nest w/same safe spray. If no harm can come from ants would prefer not to interfere. Please advise what action (if any) is best. I checked Bluebird-L but could find no guidance on ant control. Many thanks - Betty Nichols Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 21:54:36 -0400 Haleya Priest, AMherst MA Isn't it better to do NOTHING than chemicals, herbs, grease on the poles, etc etc...... At least better to do NOTHING if we dont' need to... :-) H ... Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2000 07:05:21 -0400 Hi Haleya: You bring up some good points; however, as the eggs are due
to hatch 6/19 I had to make a quick decision. The end result
was that I ret'd to examine replaced Bluebird nest later in
day &found no ants remained. After lightly spraying cleaned box w/safe bird cage spray, applying fresh grease to pvc pipe, replaced untreated clean BB nest w/eggs, watched mama Bluebird return to nest. Several fat mealies were left for reward for her tolerance of risky human intervention. Now, here is the interesting part: After returning home I examined Tree Swallow nest that had been removed earlier & placed in sealed plastic bag. IT CONTAINED THE ANT NEST - those little black rascals were scurrying everywhere carrying eggs. No T/S eggs were broken but I will use this experience as one more reason to remove old nest BEFORE another cavity nester builds on top of abandoned nest. Upon the advice of Jane Hope, I later located the entire previously discussed episode of ants in the Best of Bluebird-L and refreshed my memory. Had I taken the time to do this before placing problem on list I would have been able to handle alone. I regret length of response here but feel it is imperative that we stress research available at our fingertips (as you have done) if we can calm down enough before screaming for help! Many thanks for all your help thru this List-Serv. Betty... Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2000 08:55:31 EDT Haleya, Betty and anyone else interested, I had a similar thing last week - ants swarmed up when I removed old nest from under-neath new one. Like Betty (and as Dean has said) I think it is an indication that old nests should be removed ASAP. Since I didn't have spray or mint with me at the time all I have done so far is clean out the ants and grease the pole. This nest is not near hatching so I could experiment for awhile and wait and see if the ants have gone without further action for now. But since Dean has said that ants will be disturbed by monitoring and 'boil' up and may bite nestlings, if I see any sign of them when it is getting closer to hatching I will spray and put mint around the pole ( as Betty has done since her nest is very near hatching). Jane Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2000 09:06:31 -0500 Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas 97*F "at" 6 PM yesterday I checked out the insect repellants last night at the store and the ones with permethrin should work well on the mounting poles well away from the nestbox. The active ingredient Permethrin is used in this area to treat inside houses and also for termites! For those with ants in the box these insects must go to ground for water and food if none is available for them in the box itself (baby birds could be food!) Using the caged bird sprays on the pole should be safer than spraying inside the box itself. As the ants travel down the pole they will be in contact with the insecticide and should not live to return. As most are finding out, disturbing the ant nest triggers a mass exodus of the area but this does not mean they will not return or possibly harm the young birds before leaving. This does not mean we should all rush out and start treating all of our nestbox poles! But if you did have a can of the insect repellent already in the car or back pack with Permethrin as the active ingredient when you encountered these ants a couple sprits on the poles (not in the boxes) probably will eradicate the problem ants. It should be active for less than a week giving very limited control of new scout ants. In my area the ants are different species from those mentioned
but they seem to enter the old nests here to clean up feces
& dead insects but also seem to feed on the mites and lice
still inside the nestbox. They are basically just taking out
the garbage or can be using the new nest in a new box for a
nest site. Either way they should not be grounds for panic or
the basis for a major chemical warfare battle. Just something
else to deal with! Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2000 22:56:32 -0500 I have been hearing about boxes that have holes in the top with either screens or plexi-glass. I was wondering if the nestlings would get sunburn. If bluebirds usually nest in cavities, and they don't get feathers right away, what protects their skin from the sun in boxes with holes on top? Also, there has been talk of ants as a problem, and some mention of using mint as a deterent. Would planting a mint plant below the pole that the box is mounted on disturb the bluebird in any way? If mint keeps the ants away, having a living mint plant under the nest would be like having a "renewable predator gaurd." We have three types of mint in our "garden," and all of them smell of mint. Is it the smell that the ants don't like, or some kind of chemical? Addie in WI Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2000 07:46:04 -0500 When we speak of "mint", we are actually refering to a very large cosmopolitan family of plants. One member of that family is Peppermint (Mentha piperita), which has a rather astounding list of chemical components (in excess of 45 chemical constituents). The essential oil of this plant, which can be upwards to 2.5% in dried leaves, is mostly menthol (up to 50%), menthone (10-30%), and menthyl esters (up to 10%). It is the menthol and menthyl acetate which are responsible for the pungent and refreshing odors. While it is true that some insects are deterred by this plant's essential oil, the plant must be bruised to release those oils. Those oils are not long lasting and the effects quickly wear away. I would seriously doubt the effects of planting any mints beneath nestboxes to discourage ants. It is interesting that aphids will readily attack mints. Ants will "farm" aphids and protect them. They will drink the excess fluid that is given off by the aphid. Somehow, I hear the celebratory tinkle of glasswares and the tiny hiccoughs of ants sipping Mint Juleps when I think of this combination~~~~~ Fread J. Loane Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 00:11:04 -0500 All, We've found that plain old axle grease spread in a THICK unbroken band around the box pole, 2-3 feet from the ground, has been 100% effective in keeping ants out of 7 boxes. It's not real pretty, but it looks better than a nest full of dead babies! Sheryl in Muggy Mississippi Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2000 22:38:44 -0500 Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 16:05:04 -0500 Hi, I am new to the link and I have a question. I have a very productive bluebird trail that produces over 60 young eastern bluebirds each year over the past four years but I have a problem with black ants. I would like to know how these should be controlled? When just the nest is in the box? When just eggs are in the nest? When baby birds are in the nest? Birdman Bob of Ky. Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 20:58:18 -0700 Hi dean, thanks for the reply on black ants and I live in Western Ky. near Ky. Lake. Birdman Bob Bob: You asked about what to use for black ant infestation in nestboxes.
Unless I missed something, I didn't see a reply from Dean, so
don't know what he suggested. Perhaps he replied to you privately.
What I would suggest is trying DE (diatamaeaous earth). It is
readily available at garden supply stores and nurseries, inexpensive,
non-toxic, and effective. I use it to control earwigs, others
have reported wonderful success with mites in the nests of swallows,
and success with fire ants in Texas. It's very easy to apply;
simply put it in an old spice bottle with holes in the lid,
and shake it over the entire nest. I put it into empty nestboxes,
nests with no eggs, sprinkle it into nests with eggs and "work
it in" just a bit. With nestlings, I use it only UNDER
the Wendy Guglieri p.s. What DID Dean suggest? Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 09:02:28 -0500 Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 21:48:40 -0700 From: Linda Violett lviolett"at"earthlink.net Subject: Re: "Anting" behavior Linda Violett - Yorba Linda, Calif. Bill, I have seen newly-dead birds literally swarming with little black ants . . . it is unknown whether the ants caused or aggravated their death. Were the nestlings abandoned/dead first and then the ants came? Or did the ants take over and then the bluebird parents abandoned? When I visit some sites and sit in the grass, tiny black ants will find me within minutes and bite me until I leave. If they can bite me, they can bite nestlings. But nestlings don't have the option of leaving. I've had nests with dead nestlings set aside overnight at my home awaiting examination, only to find them nearly picked cleaned by ants the next morning. A stream of ants seen carrying off the spoils. I know there are many different species of even the "black" ant, but I don't trust ANY of them in my nestboxes. And now that fire ants have arrived in So. Calif., I'm trying to fine-tune my anti-ant routine. ... Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 00:11:47 -0700 (PDT) Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 14:03:53 -0700 (PDT) What about the Barn Swallows I come home from work for lunch
in the heat of the day (VERY HOT)... and there are two or three
barn swallows in my driveway in direct sun, it is gravel, they
are very reluctant to move, They are all Spread Eagle with their
wings stretched out, I have to stop and watch because I can
get very close before they fly ... they scratch under their
wing pits and fluff-up their feathers make a little dust cloud
then finally fly off. I have never checked for Ants in the driveway
... first time I seen them I thought they had been run over,
then decided they were basking in the sun, or maybe Anting?? Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 19:17:57 -0500 IN CHICKENS, THIS IS CALLED "DUSTING". I'm not sure
why they do it unless it is a way to clean old oil and mites
off their feathers. ... Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2000 17:06:59 -0400 From: David J Ferguson Subject: ants Hi, all Just a quick question about ants... I noticed a few ants in the nest box today. (they are NOT fire
ants, thankfully.) Someone had suggested sprinkling a little
cinnamon under the nest, which I did when the eggs hatched.
Haven't noticed any ants today. Any ideas what I should do now?
The box is mounted on a tree (I know...shame on me. I didn't
know any different until after I put it up and the nest building
began...sorry). The ants (so far) do not seem to be bothering
the babies at all (they are 10 and 11 days old). Should I try
to clean the box? I noticed some fecal smudges on the inside
of the box. Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2000 22:37:17 +0000 From: ehwarren"at"bellsouth.net Subject: Ways to ant proof post Bluebirders, I need help with ways to stop ants from invading my boxes, I have used petroleum jelly on the post, but the weather here in Georgia is so hot the petroleum melts very quickly and allows the ants to get into the boxes, I have done the obvious things like spraying the ground around the post before the nests are built and other preventive things, but am still having lots of problems with the ants. We have had extremly hot weather (99 degrees plus) and very dry, This may have contributed to the problem I have had this year. This is the fifth year I have had birds in my backyard and this is the worst year yet for ants. If anyone has suggestions of how I can deal with this problem, I would appreciate it. I usually have birds hatching as late as the latter part of August or early Sept. as it is still hot here then. I only have four boxes but I'm happy about every bird that fledges and want to do the best I can to help these beautiful birds. Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 10:15:11 -0700 Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 23:29:33 +0000 Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 19:25:46 -0700 (PDT) Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 06:54:07 -0600 Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas light freeze again If ants were in Linda's box in an active nest then the ants themselves were the ones to use greenery to plug the drain holes. There are several species of ants that use active bird nests to build a colony here in Northeast Texas and both of them are more of a nuisance than a threat. Only the fire ants will normally kill nestlings and make the adults abandon eggs in my area and they attack from the ground and carry off the young birds a piece at a time and return to their colony. I believe there is a specie of leaf cutter ant in California and these very well maybe the culprit in Linda's box. One of the carpenter ant species in our area will even go so far as to attempt to plug the 1/2" ventilation slots in my boxes on occasion and I used to wage continuous war on them until I realized they are mortal enemies of the fire ant. Unfortunately they are becoming increasingly rare as they are losing habitat since the fire ants will take over these carpenter ant colonies & termite colonies high in dead trees. Even if you build a rain proof box especially in the eastern part of the country if you have three days of rain while the female is nest building she will have built a nest very much like a wet sponge! Twice in the last 20 years we have had a month during nesting season where we had over 25 days of rain in 30 days. Every trip an adult bird makes into a nest box will carry in additional water. Have you ever had a dog come into your house on a rainy day and shaken itself on your clean floor? Different parts of the country have different amounts of rainfall and nesting material available for the birds to use. These can all affect how wet the nest will stay in identical nestboxes. KK Problems /Solutions with ants in nests (Part 2) |
BEST OF BLUEBIRD_L CLASSIFIEDS HOME | Audubon Society of Omaha | The Bluebird Box | Bluebird FAQs | Search | Contact meAll material was originally posted on the Bluebird_L or Bluebird mailing list, and has been reposted here with slight modifications to make the posts more readable in an HTML format. In cases in which quoted material has been deleted to save space, this is indicated by an ellipsis (...)For more information about Bluebird_L, check out http://www.cit.corn.edu/cit-pubs/email/using-lists/index.htm. If you wish to contact the author of a post, you will need to edit the e-mail address, replacing "at" with the "at" symbol (above the number 2 on your keyboard). (This change was made to discourage spammers.)If you are the author of a posting and would like to see a particular post (or posts) removed from these web pages, please contact me with the web page address, title of post, and date and time of the post(s), and I will remove whatever material you like. If you have a different opinion from one posted here, you need not contact me, as often I will have a different opinion too. The intent is to try and provide both sides to the issues facing bluebirders, and to do so in an impartial and objective manner.If you have problems, encounter broken links (unless they are within an e-mail thread, as I do not maintain those links), or have suggestions on how the site can be improved to make it more useful, please contact the Best of Bluebird-L Classifieds webmaster.Website design by
Chimalis
|
