MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 3, 2024
Q: “Something has been chipping away at the entrance to my bluebird nesting box, almost as if (it) is trying to widen the opening. What is going on?” A: A fairly diverse group of birds will use cavities, but other animals— particularly mice, chipmunks, and squirrels—are very fond of cavities and all the protections they provide. An easy homemade option: make a guard by adding an additional board around the birdhouse entrance, with a hole the same size as the one in the birdhouse. Just adding this extra half inch or more of material that a predator would need to gnaw through will likely be enough to deter them. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox