Cedar Shavings For Nesting Purposes

[Clem/South Carolina]

Will martins be OK with putting cedar shavings in the gourds as a nest ? I have read where pine needles are OK and see where my martins will use a mixture of pine needles and pin oak leaves sometimes. I was thinking about adding some cedar shavings for them to nest on but do not want to discourage them from not using my gourds.

[Whippy]

Some here don't like to use them because the eggs can get lost underneath them. Some use very few of them but discourage using too many for that fear of losing eggs as they work down through the shavings. I personally stay with pine needles and use sevin dust for mite and flea control.

Coolwhips

[Brad Biddle]

IMO the biggest problem with shavings, when they get wet, they stay wet.

Pine needles, or pine straw as we call it in AL, dries once it gets wet, until it starts breaking down.

[C.C.Martins]

Id not use them, used a handfull as an underly for nest material 2 years ago, big mistake. Got wet and stayed wet. Pine needles best.

[James Strickland FL]

NEver use it due to it can and will get wet. When they get wet it can clog up the drain hole and when it rains again it will flood the nest.