Search Results for: dealing with predators

  • All About Birdhouses

    How to Make a Safe, Successful Home for our Feathered Friends For many species of birds, there is a shortage of great places to nest. There may be birds that would love to call your habitat home, but they have…

  • a snake curled up on a mossy nest inside a nest box
    Dealing with Predators

    What to do about Predators Although nest boxes provide nesting opportunities for many native birds, they also can make easy targets for predators. Common predators of nests in nest boxes include raccoons, cats, snakes, and squirrels. Here are some tips…

  • Four images, clockwise from upper left: A Red-eyed Vireo feeding its nest of young amount bright green leaves, with the text 'the hidden world of nests and eggs' overlaid on top of the image; a eurasian bittern chick sitting on the ground between two large white eggs in the reeds of a marshy area; an american kestrel perched at the entrance of a wooden nest box; four white eggs sitting in a grassy nest that's lined with several downy feathers.
    eNews March 2026

    – The Hidden World of Nests and Eggs
    – Join Us for Nest Trivia
    – New NestWatch Chapter
    – Data Win

  • Featured Articles

    A list of featured articles and posts.

  • How can I discourage predators from accessing my nest boxes?

    The best way to guard against predators is to mount the box on a smooth, slippery pole and to install a predator guard or baffle on that pole. Galvanized pipe or PVC pipe are both slippery, smooth surfaces that most…

  • nest box on a tree with the guard installed, and a snake nearby; illustrated
    How to Protect Tree-Mounted Nest Boxes from Snakes

    Most predator guards that prevent climbing predators are built for nest boxes that are mounted on poles. New research supports the effectiveness of a simple DIY predator guard meant to deter snakes from tree-mounted boxes.

  • Insects are in my box! What should I do?

    In most cases, nothing. Ants are commonly found in nest boxes, but if you specifically have fire ants (most common in the southern US) then we have tips to discourage them on our Dealing with Predators page. Mites can also…

  • Learn

    Explore our resources on participating in NestWatch, identifying nests and eggs, understanding the nesting cycle, and installing and managing nest boxes. The Hidden World of Nests and Eggs Discover more details about nesting biology and behavior all around the world…

  • a flying squirrel perched at the entrance hole of a nest box
    Managing Nest Box Competitors

    Introduction Sometimes nest boxes are used by species for which they were not intended. Wasps, mice, squirrels, and other wildlife can compete with native cavity-nesting birds for nest sites. Here are some tips for discouraging nest box usurpers. House Wrens…