When to clean out a wren house

Great picture of house wren feeding a chick

We were lucky enough to have a wren family take up residence just outside our picture window.  What a joy to watch the parents tirelessly tend to their little ones!

Yesterday they flew the coop - babies and parents are now hanging out in our backyard, chirping and flitting about everywhere.  I want to encourage a second brood, so should I remove their used nest?  Do wrens reuse their nests or are the old ones considered too dirty?

Thanks, Kim Young

Chester, VA

Photographer:  Scott Young

www.foreveryoungstudios.com

This is a wonderful photo! Thank you for sharing.

You asked a very good question about nest cleaning. By cleaning out a nest box you help deter parasite infestation, a predator’s ability disturb a nest through the entrance hole and it’s a good time to evaluate the house’s condition. You should definitely clean out all bird houses at least once a year. I like to clean them in the fall after nesting season.

I encourage people to clean out bluebird boxes after each nesting or at least every fall because they aren’t good excavators. Bluebirds just build on top of old nests until the babies are sometimes are too close to the entrance hole and fall out before they are ready to fly.

Wrens can clean out their own box and the presence of a used House Wren nest may actually encourage wrens to re-nest. But you should check to make sure the nest doesn’t have any unhatched eggs or pests. If it’s a mess inside and the drainage holes are plugged go ahead and clean it out. You can leave some sticks below the house to help them rebuild. There is usually at least a two week window before they nest again.

To clean the nest box I usually place a plastic bag over the nest and just sweep it all in and twist the bag shut. You can rinse out the house with a water hose or diluted bleach spray. Make sure the drainage holes are unplugged and leave the house open to dry for a couple days. Finally dispose of the old nest in the trash and wash your hands thoroughly.

Thank you very much for contributing to the blog. Please feel free to write again. Sarah