Need Advice

[Thomas Maddox]

I found a PM fledgling yesterday evening on the ground. It looked really healthy and strong. I didn't want to lower my house because I have many very close to fledgling and I didn't want to spook them out too early. Should I have? I tossed it into the air toward the house and on the 4th try it landed on top of the house. This morning, I found it on the ground again. I found a dragonfly (dead) and gave it to it. I put it near it's mouth and it gobbled it down. I tossed it again and this time it landed on a porch. I have no idea which cavity it came from. I saw a female appear to bring it some food. The times I tossed it, it could only fly about 30-40 feet before landing on the ground. Again, it looks healthy and no obvious injuries. If it ends up in the yard again, what would you do? Any guesses on how old it might be? I'll try to get a picture.

[Martintown33]

Hi Thomas.. tricky situation for sure.. I’ve had similar situations and difficulties this season where I’ve had no choice but to lower the racks with fledgling edge martins inside.. I plug and pull any that are 20 days or older.. then lower.. I’ve had to return jumpers twice and actually treat mite infested gourds with even 28 day old birds inside.it’s a little nerve wracking but . it can be done.. it’s amazing how calm they remain, even at advanced age.. just be cautious of not leaving anything open.. try to feed him first.. then, if you can, put him in a nest with like “sized” birds is the most important thing.. not necessarily the age in days.. if you find him on the ground a 4th time, again, then it’s a very tough choice but at least you know you did all that you could..
To plug and pull, easily, with older fledglings, I use a system originally built and posted by Thomabear . This allows you to plug before lowering . And no strings necessary.. Check the photos. Sorry for the duplicates, but check the last photo. I made 12 entrance plug blocks so I can plug as many on a rack as needed.

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I Wish you well and this little guy well..
Rob

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[C.C.Martins]

Thomas,
I'd follow Robs advice. Plug the entrances, place the martin chick back in, raise it, wait 15 minutes and after putting it back up, pull the plugs.

Exact same thing here, found a starving chick under our porch. Very pronounced keel. Fed it for a day and a half, it ate 19 crickets last feeding. It came from a cavity with 2, and a single female feeding them. Checked the chick in the cavity, very fat, that one was hogging the entrance, female did what she could.

Plugged and placed him or her in another cavity. It is just a bit older than its new nest mates, but size wise, its in a good spot.

Plug, lower, place the bird in, raise it up, wait and pull the plugs. Likely its starving.

[Thomas Maddox]

Thank you both! I had another jumper and decided to lower. I was able to successfully put it back in. A new infestation of lice found. I have a bottle of Southern AG Carbaryl 5% and dusted it generously. I just bought the bottle last year. I can't find an expiration date on it.? How quickly does it usually work?

[C.C.Martins]

Good catch sir! And well done. Iv seen a few, didnt know what they were, chased one all over a poor chick till I finally squished it. Lice! Makes sense.

Should work pretty quick, humidity affects the ingredients, but a year isn't that old.

[Conrad Baker]

I think the storage of the Sevin (or whatever) dust is most important when trying to keep it viable. I keep mine inside and in a ziploc bag to try to preserve it. If it is stored in an open container in the shed or garage with no climate control, it won't last as long. Since the pest control products seem to keep getting less and less effective due to the diluted amounts of pesticide in them, trying to preserve them at optimum potency is really important. I don't think buying a new container of it every year is going to work if the manufacturers keep making a weaker product. It seems it would be better to preserve what you have if it is working, at least you know what you've got. I'm sure everyone is storing it as best they can to keep it working. Maybe storing it in an airtight container (an army ammo can or Tupperware) with some dessicant packets in it will help? Those little packets you get inside your pill bottles will help if you collect a few keeping them in an airtight container, then putting those in the ziploc with your container of Sevin.

[Thomas Maddox]

Conrad, this is most probably the last bottle of Carbaryl I'll ever have as it's been banned from sale. I keep it in my house to preserve it as long as possible. It's weird that there is no expiration date on it. It's still working for now though!

[Conrad Baker]

I used to keep mine in the garage, but for the last several years I have been keeping mine inside in a ziploc. The bottle I bought from Home Depot is inside and I'm hoping it keeps it's potency at least until next year. Seems like my birds are thinning out, and I don't know where the fledglings are going, but I have half the birds I had a month ago. Last year they were all gone June 23rd.

[Martintown33]

Thomas, the old carbaryl dust didn’t have an expiration date on it. Mine does not. And Conrad is correct as far as how it is stored. The better storing conditions the longer it will last.
Rule of thumb: an unopened bottle kept inside will keep its potency for 5 years. An opened bottle with the cap on, kept inside the garage will keep its potency 1 to 3 years.
Rob