Although those of us that live in Georgia do not have to withstand the bitter cold that winter brings to the northern sections of the country, it still gets mighty cold in these parts.
When temperatures plummet into the 20s and below, simply trying to stay alive on a frigid winter night can be a life-threatening event for many of our wildlife neighbors. One way in which we can assist birds such as bluebirds that roost in nesting boxes survive extremely cold weather is by winterizing nesting boxes.
If you have erected a well-built nesting box, it is equipped with several 3/8″ ventilation holes drilled under the eaves of the box’s roof. These vent holes are designed to dramatically reduce the temperature inside the box in hot weather. However, during the winter vent holes allow heat to escape.
With that in mind, it is a good idea to plug these holes before the onset of winter. By so doing, you will increase the amount of heat retained in a box.
Now that most of us are getting our first taste of cold weather, there is no better time to perform this simple task than right now.
When the last threat of severely cold weather has passed next year, do not forget to unplug the vent holes.
I cleaned out the nesting material of my most popular box a few weeks ago. Should I put something pine straw or something in it?
Trisha,
It is not necessary. However, since you have removed an old nest, a couple of inches of pine straw would not hurt. The drain holes in the bottom of the box will still allow waster to drain, however, it would prorvide the birds with a little extra insulation. I would just remove the pine straw before trhe onset on the next nesting season.
Terry