Part of being a responsible Bluebirder is removing the nesting material from the nestbox. There are two main reasons for taking this action.  The first is that Bluebirds do NOT reuse a nest but instead will often build a new nest on top of the old one.  This will quickly lead to the nestbox becoming unusable because of excess nest debris and bird excrement.  The second reason is that with the addition of another nest, the height of the nest places the eggs and new hatchlings dangerously close to the entrance hole. This allows predators to reach inside and remove the eggs/hatchlings.

Listed below are four typical scenarios that necessitate nest removal.  Two of them require “rigid” monitoring to keep track of dates.  Simply pick a day of the week that you will consistently check your box and record your findings (nest/number of eggs or hatchlings) each time for future use.  You can print and use our Trail Monitoring Form.  Recording the dates at each visit will help you feel confident about the 3-week time period in scenarios 1 and 2 below.  You can monitor more frequently but monitor and record your status, at minimum, weekly.  If you go to remove the nest and find that a new nest has already been started just leave the previous nest in the nestbox. Otherwise, follow the steps below depending on the circumstances:

1. If it has been 3 weeks since your nest was completed but no eggs have been laid- Remove the nest, place it in the trash (not on the ground), remove the debris from the nestbox, and spread a teaspoon of Diatomaceous Earth (DE) on the floor of the nestbox.
2. If it has been 3 weeks since the entire clutch of eggs has been laid but none have hatched- remove the nest and eggs, place them in the trash (not on the ground), remove the debris from the nestbox, and spread a teaspoon of Diatomaceous Earth (DE) on the floor of the nestbox.
3. If your eggs or immature hatchlings disappear due to predation- Remove the nest, place it in the trash (not on the ground), remove the debris from the nestbox, and spread a teaspoon of Diatomaceous Earth (DE) on the floor of the nestbox.
4. If your hatchlings mature in 16-21 days and fledge- Remove the nest, place it in the trash, remove the debris from the nestbox, and spread a teaspoon of Diatomaceous Earth (DE) on the floor of the nestbox.