cedar chip bedding question

Welcome to the internet's gathering place for Purple Martin enthusiasts
Post Reply
John Evans
Posts: 323
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:56 pm
Location: Cocoa Beach Florida

How effective is cedar chip bedding for nest compartments. Does it retain it's nest repellent properties for a longer period of time and is it effective against nest mites?

Thinking about supplement this with the pine straw I add as the martins return next year.

Thanks

John
PMCA Member
Top
ToyinPA
Posts: 2227
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm
Location: PA/Avis
Martin Colony History: The 1972 St. Agnes flood wiped out all the Martins in my area. One day, in 1997-98, 5 or 6 Martins landed on the power wires crossing my back yard. I had no house for them. They kept coming back day after day. We got a martin house a few weeks later & they have been coming back every year since. I average 12-15 pair per year.

I use cedar chips as a base, then straw & then the dried white pine needles. Sevin wears off in a short period. The cedar chips seem to help keep the mites out of the nests. Will it prevent all mites...I doubt it.

Toy in PA
PMCA Member
Top
John Evans
Posts: 323
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:56 pm
Location: Cocoa Beach Florida

Thanks Toy. I use Sevin too.Just want to leave no stone un turned.

John
PMCA Member
Top
marcus
Posts: 314
Joined: Tue May 10, 2016 10:21 pm
Location: Fairland OK
Martin Colony History: Mom n Dad had a plastic 12 unit martin house with some martins as long as I can remember. In 2013 they had 1 pair. I don't think they fledged any. I then started learning how to take care of martins and in 2014 we took that house down and put up a Troyer 18 gourd rack. We had 7 pair with 28 fledged.That summer I built a T-14 (I was only 12). I was also given 4 natural gourds that I hung beneath the T-14. In 2015, we had 23 pair although only 22 pair fledged young. They fledged 88 young. In 2016, we had 36 pair, 210 eggs, 163 hatched, 149 fledge!! One pair fledged 2 broods. In 2017, I had 36 pair with 35 fledging young. They laid 204 eggs, hatched 155, and fledged 152.

I pre-nest half of the gourds with cedar shavings and the other half with pine needles that I picked up from under our pine trees. Before I treated with Sevin the worst nest for mites was one that had a pre-nest of cedar shavings. It doesn't help keep out parasites in my opinion.
Top
wyatt
Posts: 823
Joined: Thu May 17, 2007 1:24 pm
Location: Florida/Tallahassee

My experience has been that they did not like the cedar chips if that was all that was in the nest. They would throw it out. May be OK with pine needles on top of it.
Top
marcus
Posts: 314
Joined: Tue May 10, 2016 10:21 pm
Location: Fairland OK
Martin Colony History: Mom n Dad had a plastic 12 unit martin house with some martins as long as I can remember. In 2013 they had 1 pair. I don't think they fledged any. I then started learning how to take care of martins and in 2014 we took that house down and put up a Troyer 18 gourd rack. We had 7 pair with 28 fledged.That summer I built a T-14 (I was only 12). I was also given 4 natural gourds that I hung beneath the T-14. In 2015, we had 23 pair although only 22 pair fledged young. They fledged 88 young. In 2016, we had 36 pair, 210 eggs, 163 hatched, 149 fledge!! One pair fledged 2 broods. In 2017, I had 36 pair with 35 fledging young. They laid 204 eggs, hatched 155, and fledged 152.

I had one pair do that this season. The others seemed to like it. My second brood was in cedar shavings.
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Purple Martin Forum”