Cleaning and disinfecting nest boxes in trees

[BigNibbler]

Does anyone have experience or ideas about cleaning and disinfecting nest boxes, that are outdoors?

I have some cedar wood nest boxes for my wild friends.
They now that I periodically every nine months or so, clean them out. And replace their old material with new flannel 1 x 6 inch strips.

Might I go further and actually spray the boxes with some disinfectant ?
How would Ivermectin work ?
Has anyone done this ?

Just want to eliminate small mites etc.
I could probably take an hour or two to do, if I had to, to let it dry or air out.
But not much more.

[Jackie in Tampa]

may not be what others do.. or would suggest... but

I do it and always have...
bleach and water ... soak with water and scrub...
rinse well..
let dry in sun...
no flannel, has strings to wrap around fingers... try using polyfil, like inside a throw pillow... NOT COTTON... cotton rots and mildews..
polyfil is synthetic and does not absorb... and it acts as a mosquito barrier too..
it is possible for it to wrap around a digit, but less likely and I have never seen it happen in ten years of nest boxes..I have about 20 hung at all times..clean them out 1-2 times a year usually... some are too high, a tree guy hung them...

I would imagine lemon juice and salt in the sun would work...
I am a bleach fanatic...

[BigNibbler]

Jackie, thanks so much for your advice.

How long does it take for the squirrels to go back in ?
I was not thinking of actually unbolting the boxes from the tree.
Perhaps I should have planned better and screwed the boxes to a plank first placed on the tree, but I did not.

Don't particularly want to keep making holes in the tree.

I cut off all the hems from the flannel. thought that was the safest material. Will check out yours. Thanks.

[Jackie in Tampa]

yeah us too... some of the boxes are there...
be careful... ladders can be dangerous...:wave123

[BigNibbler]

My squirrels are used to going back in within an hour or two.
I guess I could rotate the boxes, take old ones down and put up new.
Wish I used a back plate.

Is this what you mean Jackie ?
http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=Polyfill+Stuffing&adid=22222222220202434682&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=g&wl2=&wl3=22526272469&wl4=&veh=sem

Do you cut small pieces so they can take to augment periodically ?
Mine take more cloths after a bad rain sometimes or preparing for baby delivery!

[Jackie in Tampa]

yes... the stores carry a smaller size bag as well in their craft department...
fabric stores also.:thumbsup

[Jackie in Tampa]

the natural stuff and nut shells that the sqs take inside composts and I always find nice soil in the boxes...:shakehead
maybe a good scrap'in and a hose out will suffice in the suicide boxes...

[BigNibbler]

i wanted to clean them out today, been putting it off for two months.
They are crowded in there, with the growing babies.
They can throw out a lot, but with all the compost that builds up, and is packed so tight, it is difficult to come up over the edge of the port to dump unless absolutely required.

But maybe I will wait a few more days, to get that polyfil and hear some more suggestions. I do not want to take down the box. Its up with 3 five inch screws! Just flushing with water, is only going to increase the mold.
I usually use a sharp spatula to scrape it all down. Seems mighty clean actually. I keep the stuffing sometimes, in case I want to make a pet carrier more homely for an injured squirrel!

Thought I read about Ivermectin spray. Or some effective but not harmful fumigant.

[cnmnnaturalist]

Another way of sanitizing is using hydrogen peroxide or vinegar instead of bleach. I have to use similar things with cleaning out my salamander's tank, since bleach is dangerous to them even in tiny amounts.

In our wood duck boxes, we use cedar shavings or cedar chips. Cedar oils have a great repellant quality to them and keep mites, lice and other things at bay fairly well (as long as it's not too old). We empty the shavings out and put new ones in every spring, but even after a year it still has a fresh quality to it. You can even use cedar oil diluted in a spray to add an extra repellant quality to your boxes.

If you REALLY want to get fancy, you can get veterinary cleaning supplies like Mango Pet Focus.

[BigNibbler]

I would not use cedar shavings. I read that it is not good for breathing. Asthmatic.

But they are cedar boxes, so that is some good when new, like you said.

Of course the idea is, that the squirrels are not scared of it ,and that they want to return right away. Normally if a nest is disturbed its abandoned, so i do not want to give it a whole new smell. Just mild change.

[elliek1]

Does the entire inside of the box need to be cleaned or just the floor? Mine is bolted to the tree, so removing is not possible. If one sprays with something like a mixture of vinegar or bleach, don't you then need to rinse that away?

[Mel1959]

I would not use bleach unless it could be thoroughly rinsed. Vinegar has disinfecting properties and would not be harmful, I dont think.

Why must you clean the box?

[elliek1]

I keep reading here that we are supposed to clean them!



I would not use bleach unless it could be thoroughly rinsed. Vinegar has disinfecting properties and would not be harmful, I dont think.

Why must you clean the box?

[HRT4SQRLS]

My nest boxes were invaded by carpenter ants. I climbed the ladder and then the tree WITH the garden hose. :eek Wow, that was treacherous.
I tried to climb above the box and blasted the inside of the box with the hose. It did a great job cleaning the box. Of course, I was soaked and I can't think of many more ways easier to break my neck than doing that.

If you do that be sure to have a spotter. :dive :rotfl