Boxes!

[Headfry]

I would love to know how many of us have new or old boxes that are in use!
bat, bird, bee, frog, toad or hedgehog. There are a lot of us here with wildlife homes- could we have a 'pole' or survey?
We seem to be doing our very best to help wildlife- homes, food, water and creating environments ie wildflowers, piles of wood, leaving seed heads.
Is it making a difference? Does anyone know???
Are manufactures exploiting our worries for nature and our 'we need boxes to help the wildlife' instincts.
I have a box for almost every thing, but so far only thing in 10 years that has been used is my very old hog box for the first time this past winter. New box remains empty.
Maybe I am doing something wrong, I try to place them in the very best places for wild life. The hog box was dragged up to car parking area by greenhouse waiting for repair so was in worst possible place as we are very busy in that part of the garden and have to walk and drive just 2 feet away form it daily. It is in the open to a degree- how odd that we should get a hog using it for its home.
Have any of the nature trusts/programs every carried out such a survey? who can I ask?

[snakeshack]

the blue tit box I put up last year had blue tits in,when the youngsters left a group of bumblebees moved in.
Two for the price of one!

[selfraising]

the blue tit box I put up last year had blue tits in,when the youngsters left a group of bumblebees moved in.
Two for the price of one!

I had that last year, perhaps its a timeshare scheme I have got a bumblebee box but so far nothing. This year I have relocated it to the sunnier side of the garden in amongst some shrubbery to see if that makes a difference. Also got a solitary bee house this year which I have fixed to a fence post and have a bug home but that hasn't been fixed up yet. I do think some manufacturers are getting on the 'have your own bug/mammal home' band wagon but with bees in decline, I do want to do my best to encourage them, if they choose not to use it then at least I feel I've done my best.

[Jenegade]

There is a bird nest box challenge/ survey going on through the bbcs breathing spaces website and BTO BBC - Breathing Places - Do one thing - Nestbox Challenge

They're recording what boxes are used, where they have been put, height, what's investigating them, what birds are using them etc...

And this link is for the bumblebee conservation trusts nest box survey: Nest Survey Results

I have a bird box (being investigated by Blue tits) and two homes for bumblebees, when my daffs have finished flowering I'm going to use the broken pot they're in as a toad home. I also helped the local school make bat boxes, which are now up in trees in the village.

Btw bat boxes can take years before they are used regularly, however you can check them in the autumn to see if there are any droppings if you're curious. A single bat may visit it for just one night in the year. If a bat has used it though, it then becomes protected (as it's a bat roost site) and legally only a licensed bat worker can check it.

[Headfry]

Jenegade, thanks for the bat info.....very good points, crumbs! I knew bats were protected as are their roosts, but some how never thought of the bat box as being a protected site once they have been used! The manufacturers should clearly state this on their bat boxes- it is a quite responsibility to place one of these on your land and should you move the new owners should be made aware, they could break the law if they were to remove one. I have two boxes, we have bats that fly round the garden, I just hope they like our boxes. I shall be very mindful that if I were to paint the shed I must not touch the box! mind you, I would, regardless of law, take great care not to disturb my lovely bats! - I am quite batty - always have been always will be
Thanks again Jenegade!

[Jenegade]

Don't worry toomuch about moving the bat box, it's only if you intentionally or recklessly disturb bats that it is against the law. You can check the boxes as much as you want until you find a bat in it! I wouldn't worry too much!

If your area has lots of houses with slates, gaps around the barge boards etc. the bats may already have plenty of places to live and it will take a while for them to find and use the bat box.

If you're really batty you might consider getting a bat detector to listen to the bats in your garden, such as this one Alana Ecology Magenta Bat4 Bat Detector . They're great fun to listen to! If you want more information about bats you can visit the bat conservation trust website and find out about local bat groups!

I sound like a bat sales person don't I, sorry, a lot of my work is bat surveys and I love the wee things!!

[lynda66]

this year i have frogspawn and am working on making a wildlife area on some wasteland at the bottom of the garden, i have wild grasses and flower seeds to plant , the wildlife pond will be going in shortly, and i have plans to make bee houses and frog houses and put up some nesting boxes, there is lots of rotting wood under the trees, and has never had any pesticides on it, so hopefully it will work well, theres a huge area, so hopefully over the next few years i can spread the seeds and it will turn into a mini nature reserve

[Jenegade]

Ooooh, that sounds great Lynda! I bet you'll get loads of wildlife!

[SueA]

I've had a ladybird house for a few years but never seen any ladybirds actually in/on it & a bee house which only seems to have been inhabited by spiders & a few snails & a mason bee home which just seems to have a selection of cobwebs in it. Never mind, they're always there for them to use if they need them!

[pepper]

I have

Ladybird house - never used
butterfly house - never used
Solar insect theatre - found a few bugs in it
Bumblebee box - used last year for the first time
various bird boxes, the robin one was used last year

[dogsbody]

I have
2 bee nests - both used
1 bumble bee nest - never used
1 butterfly house - never used
1 bat box - don't think so
2 bird boxes - ditto
3 wicker bird nests - ditto
1 hog house - think think it may have been used this year
wildlife pond - PACKED!!!!
frog house - no idea never looked (home made)

Also 1 chicken run (3 inhabitants at present) and 3 cats.........


(Now I fitted a blue tit box at a friend's house and she has had LOADS of interest so far this year)

[Plot17B]

Hi,
x1 pond FULL of frogs and a bored solitary fishy
ladybird house - empty
bumble bee house - new and not used yet
honey bee hives - tens of thousands
x2 bird boxes on house - 2nd year up and there has been "investigations"
Butterfly roost - used
Hedgehog house - new and about to be set up
home made insect homes (drilled tree stumps) - new on lottie, will need a season to see if they work
Compost heap which has had grass snakes -
Piles of wood with mice nesting within -
Wasp nest in porch (which only stung x1 person last year amazingly) (yeah I know that STILL ain't a good thing)

Wish list? cat house; bat boxes on house; more insect homes on allotment; underground bumble bee homes @ house & lottie. All of which I plan to make myself. When I muster 37 hours out of each day of course.
P17B

[Headfry]

X1 pond - lots of frog and spawn
x 1 bumble bee house new last summer - unused
x 1 bird box - 7 yrs - unused
x 2 bat boxes - new last summer - un used
x 2 H.hog houses - old one used first time in about 10 years. new one last summer - unused
X 1 bee hive - used for 3 years
X 1 bee hive - new last year- no swarms so - un used, fingers crossed for this year
Dry stone Walls- came with house- mice and bumble bees nest every year
Stone walls - also came with house - Mason bees
Lawns - came with... - the little bees that burrow- what is their name please?

wish list.....owls! owl boxes on plots???? any one know of any groups that want sites for owl boxes? More newts! get the odd one every now and then.

[phil the shed]

well after lists like those
my blcakbird nest in old green house
with 3 chicks is all i have.
funny too no slugs snails bugs in the green house

[SueA]

I've got unused bird boxes too, they nest in the trees & hedges instead & I've had to rescue a starling who got stuck in the loft after squeezing in under the eaves looking to nest.
I also have roosting pockets & a toad house which I don't think get used & have found bumble bees hibernating in the soil of pot plants in the garden.