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During the nesting season, visiting the nest box regularly could save your swallows

NEST BOX MAINTENANCE

A little maintenance is needed at the end of each season. Remove the nest and clean the bottom of the nest box by scraping it lightly.

Then wet the bottom enough to soak it, and rinse. If necessary, use soapy water, but no detergent.

If the nest box has been infested with parasites, apply Sevin 50% generously once the box has dried.

It is a good idea to store the nest box during the winter. First, to protect it from the weather, and above all to keep house sparrows from using it as a shelter. If they do, they will be the first to build their nest when spring comes.

Changing the nest

It is well known that tree swallows use white feathers to line the inside of their nest. But where do those feathers come from? From nearby henhouses? From riverbanks where gulls have dropped a few? From a poorly kept pigeon loft, perhaps? Certainly! And the results are harmful to the swallow brood. When parasites develop in a swallow brood, the chicks' lives are at risk. Better to prevent than to cure. Replace the nest with a new one.

Simply remove the old one and throw everything away. Or better still, burn it all. Use dry grasses to line the bottom of the nest box. Pack the grasses down well so they do not become a trap for the young chicks. Take care, too, if the eggs have not yet hatched, that they are not lost or wedged in grasses that are too long and straggly.

Sometimes, when the infestation is serious, the operation has to be repeated.

At the end of the season, it will be useful to wash the nest box thoroughly with water containing a little bleach (one tablespoon per litre of water).

Sevin | Nest box maintenance | Abandoned swallow chicks

Practical advice

IN THE SPRING

Do not put your nest box up too early: house sparrows will take it over quickly. Unless it is fitted with the appropriate device discussed on this site. (The sparrow-proof pendulum)

A tragedy can happen in the nest box; if you take the time to visit it at least once a week, you could well save your brood.

Do not worry, your swallows will not fly off because you visit them.

ABANDONED SWALLOW CHICKS

Make sure the parents have really abandoned them. It is very rare for tree swallows to abandon their babies. Sometimes, for various reasons, the parents may be away for many minutes at a time without the babies going hungry. Wait patiently for the parents to return before stepping in. And if the babies really have been abandoned, then step in to save them.

Feed them insects or larvae. Or else, get hand-rearing food for exotic birds at your pet store and offer it generously to your new boarders, as often as they will take it.

You can also offer them small balls of ground beef (at room temperature, preferably).

To give them water, place an eyedropper filled with fresh water at the side of the beak. The water will slide easily into the beak.

When the babies reach the age to fly, keep feeding them outside the house until they fly off on their own.

Take care that the neighbourhood cats do not harm them.

Feeding chicks takes time and patience. Do not take on this task if you can. Turn to specialists if possible.