What to Do About the Persistant Wren

[Ginevra]

This darn bird! There is a house wren whom DH evicted from building a nest in the dryer air vent. It vents at the second floor and requires a ladder to remove the attempted nest. He pulled it down last week, but this darn bird is building a nest in there again. We will definitely have to pull it down again; it is a fire hazard and surely can't be beneficial to the birds, either. But I don't think it's entirely outside the realm of possibility that this bird will be shot by BeeBees if he doesn't quit trying to build a nest there.

 

Is there a real way to get this bird to make a home elsewhere? There are actually other nest locations, so I have no clue why this wren is so determined to make the nest there.

 

Plus, he's loud and obnoxious. But that's mainly my issue. ;)

[Miss Peregrine]

Can you put some kind if mesh over the vent? Wide enough to allow airflow but not enough to allow the bird to slip through?

[Pawz4me]

Bird guard for dryer vent

 

ETA ('cause I hit "post" too soon): You should be able to buy one at just about any hardware store. We had to put them up on all our exterior vents (dryer and bathrooms) at our previous house. The whole neighborhood had a horrible problem with birds trying to build nests in vents.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Pawz4me

[SparklyUnicorn]

Call the police...any sudden movements outta that bird...and well you know the rest.

 

I know, I'm terrible. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

We had the same trouble.  We removed a nest three times in one month.  We rigged up some insert for the vent that so far has kept them out.  We couldn't put a cage on the outside so easily because it's on the third floor.

 

 

[Guest]

Call the police...any sudden movements outta that bird...and well you know the rest.

 

I know, I'm terrible.

They might shoot the cat, too, because he's a shady character.

[Guest]

Bird guard for dryer vent

 

ETA ('cause I hit "post" too soon): You should be able to buy one at just about any hardware store. We had to put them up on all our exterior vents (dryer and bathrooms) at our previous house. The whole neighborhood had a horrible problem with birds trying to build nests in vents.

Yup. Thats what we need!

[SparklyUnicorn]

They might shoot the cat, too, because he's a shady character.

 

Mmm yeah.

 

We balled up some chicken wire and attached it to a PVC pipe and shoved that into the vent hole.  So far so good.  That gives enough space for venting, but leaves little space for nests.  Our birds were these tiny things.  Sparrows I think.

[Katy]

We have one in our wall too.  Not a dryer vent, but I think an old woodpecker hole in the fascia that has been a wren nest for ages. I don't want to just staple wire over it until the birds have flown the coop, but goodness I wish they'd fly the nest already.

[Guest]

I'm watching that little bugger right now. The dryer vent is above the room I'm sitting in and I keep seeing him fly up there with twigs and grasses and then dadh back out...up....back out...

[Katy]

Eeek, if (s)he's building the nest right now, can you block it off with some cardboard and duct tape or something until you get a screen?  It seems important to prevent a fire.

[happi duck]

... But I don't think it's entirely outside the realm of possibility that this bird will be shot by BeeBees if he doesn't quit trying to build a nest there.

 

...

I misread this as "shot by the BeeGees".

 

I was confused longer than I care to admit!

[Guest]

Eeek, if (s)he's building the nest right now, can you block it off with some cardboard and duct tape or something until you get a screen? It seems important to prevent a fire.

My main issue is the height. I would have to go get the extension ladder to even reach it. DH is not home at present and won't be home till late tonight.

 

Not that ladders are impossible, but I'm not real keen to retrieve the big ladder and then use it. That generally falls firmly into the category of Things I Let DH Handle.

[azucena]

I do not have any advice - just wanted to mention this is one of the most poetic thread titles I have ever seen on this board.   :001_smile:

[JustEm]

No need to pull out the ladder if you have a shop vac. You can attach the shop vac to the end of the dryer vent that is inside and seal it up so all the air goes out if you turn on the blow switch. It will blow the nest out of the vent. It is fun to watch. But the first time I did it my dad's face was at the other end of the vent so the nest blew into his face! After the second time we put a cover on the vent

[katilac]

I do not have any advice - just wanted to mention this is one of the most poetic thread titles I have ever seen on this board.   :001_smile:

 

I was going to post the exact same thing, lol. 

 

Today's assignment: Analyze The Persistent Wren. Why might the wren return to the same spot again and again? Are his motives practical or emotional? 

[Guest]

No need to pull out the ladder if you have a shop vac. You can attach the shop vac to the end of the dryer vent that is inside and seal it up so all the air goes out if you turn on the blow switch. It will blow the nest out of the vent. It is fun to watch. But the first time I did it my dad's face was at the other end of the vent so the nest blew into his face! After the second time we put a cover on the vent

Now THAT is a great idea!

[Guest]

I was going to post the exact same thing, lol.

 

Today's assignment: Analyze The Persistent Wren. Why might the wren return to the same spot again and again? Are his motives practical or emotional?

:D thanks for that! It made my day!