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Index of Subjects --000000000000c5d2ee059607554e Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Hi Fritz, In the past, I've had good luck with an ovoid opening on swallow boxes, slightly more than 1-1/2" wide and less than 1-1/2" high. Swallows with their small heads and broad shoulders can squeeze through this, while squirrels cannot. This usually worked to keep squirrels out. On occasion, squirrels did chew a wider opening, so what might be ideal is some sort of sheet metal guard with a hole 1-3/4" wide and 1-1/4" high. Great that you hosted so many. Tree swallows seem to be disappearing as former hay fields and meadows grow up in brush. Parker On Mon., Oct. 28, 2019, 10:42 p.m. Fritz McEvoy, <fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com> wrote: > > > Hi All, > I cleaned out my Tree Swallow boxes last week and the results were > surprising good. Twenty-seven boxes were set up this season and most had > activity of some kind. The results were: > 27 boxes were used (1 is listed twice as it contained both a Red > Squirrel and Tree Swallow next). > 18 boxes contained Tree Swallow nests with signs of breeding (all had > droppings, 2 contained egg fragments and 1 had a dead fledge). This was the > largest number of successful nests I've ever had here. > 5 boxes had Flying Squirrel roosts/nests and one of those had an active > Flying Squirrel inside. > 2 boxes had Red Squirrel roosts (one was on top of a Tree Swallow nest) > 3 boxes were empty > All the boxes had predator guards (3" plexi squares with an 1-1/2" > entrance hole). Obviously these were somewhat unsuccessful in keeping out > squirrels - the only pest I am concerned about. The predator guards were > undamaged so the 1-1/2" hole size must be too big. I expect they keep out > pregnant Red Squirrels but allow in small Red Squirrels and most Flying > Squirrels. An 1-1/2" is the standard size given for Tree Swallow boxes - > and for similar commercial predator guards. I'm pretty sure remaking the > guards with an 1-3/8" hole would keep out most - if not all squirrels. The > problem is would it also likely keep out pregnant Tree Swallows? It's > probably something that should be researched, tested and written up > about out by someone - just not me. > The weather was similar to 2018 - cold and wet in June but mostly > hot in July. I didn't notice a large number of swallows in the area this > summer. In fact the numbers seemed low to me. So it was quite surprising > when 2/3 of the boxes had Tree Swallow nests with breeding evidence. Maybe > the Tree Swallow decline in this area is not as bad as I thought. We will > see if next season proves just as successful as this year. > All the best. > Fritz McEvoy > Sunrise Valley (near Dingwall) CB > --000000000000c5d2ee059607554e Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"auto">Hi Fritz,<div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">In= the past, I've had good luck with an ovoid opening on swallow boxes, s= lightly more than 1-1/2" wide and less than 1-1/2" high. Swallows= with their small heads and broad shoulders can squeeze through this, while= squirrels cannot. This usually worked to keep squirrels out. On occasion, = squirrels did chew a wider opening, so what might be ideal is some sort of = sheet metal guard with a hole 1-3/4" wide and 1-1/4" high.</div><= div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Great that you hosted so many.= Tree swallows seem to be disappearing as former hay fields and meadows gro= w up in brush.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Parker</d= iv></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_att= r">On Mon., Oct. 28, 2019, 10:42 p.m. Fritz McEvoy, <<a href=3D"mailto:f= ritzmcevoy@hotmail.com">fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><bl= ockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #= ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><br> <br> Hi All,=C2=A0<br> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0 I cleaned out my Tree Swallow boxes last week an= d the results were surprising good. Twenty-seven boxes were set up this sea= son and most had activity of some kind. The results were:=C2=A0<br> =C2=A0 27 boxes were used (1 is listed twice as it contained both a Red Squ= irrel and Tree Swallow next).<br> =C2=A0 18 boxes contained Tree Swallow nests with signs of breeding (all ha= d droppings, 2 contained egg fragments and 1 had a dead fledge). This was t= he largest number of successful nests I've ever had here.<br> =C2=A0 =C2=A05 boxes had Flying Squirrel roosts/nests and one of those had = an active Flying Squirrel inside.<br> =C2=A0 =C2=A02 boxes had Red Squirrel roosts (one was on top of a Tree Swal= low nest)<br> =C2=A0 =C2=A03 boxes were empty<br> =C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0All the boxes had predator guards (3" plexi = squares with an 1-1/2" entrance hole). Obviously these were somewhat u= nsuccessful in keeping out squirrels - the only pest I am concerned about. = The predator guards were undamaged so the 1-1/2" hole size must be too= =C2=A0big. I expect they keep out pregnant Red Squirrels but allow in small= Red Squirrels and most Flying Squirrels. An 1-1/2" is the standard si= ze given for Tree Swallow=C2=A0boxes - and for similar commercial predator = guards. I'm pretty sure remaking the guards with an 1-3/8" hole wo= uld keep out most - if not all squirrels.=C2=A0 The problem is would it als= o likely keep out pregnant Tree Swallows? It's probably something that = should be researched, tested and written up about=C2=A0out by someone - jus= t not me.<br> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 The weather was similar to 2018 - cold and wet in June= but mostly hot in July. I didn't notice a large number of swallows in = the area this summer. In fact the numbers seemed low to me. So it was quite= surprising when 2/3 of the boxes had Tree Swallow nests with breeding evid= ence. Maybe the Tree Swallow decline in this area=C2=A0 is not as bad as I = thought. We will see if next season proves just as successful as this year.= =C2=A0=C2=A0<br> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 All the best. <br> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 Fritz McEvoy<br> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 Sunrise Valley (near Dingwall) CB<br> </blockquote></div> --000000000000c5d2ee059607554e--
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