Pre-nest material

[SYmywa]

Been good amount of discussion on the topic!
PM Hosts want to know, is pine or Cedar bedding or shavings appropriate?
Mr. Perry, what's your thought the subject?

[Perry D. Vogel]

I prefer the red cedar pet bedding, but have also used certified weed-free straw. The ideal material will shed water if it gets wet and it will dry quickly.

[SYmywa]

We have used Cedar shavings on a couple occasions with no noticeable issues. Yet some claim Cedar produces a gas that may Harm young & that Cedar also tends to retain Moisture!?

[Perry D. Vogel]

Cedar shavings are perfect to help repel fleas and other insects.

[SYmywa]

Perry
So do you use Cedar exclusively or along with other nest materials & with no Issues?
Are Cedar shavings & Cedar pet bedding one n the same?

[Perry D. Vogel]

I use what I have on hand for my home site. Right now I am using certified weed-free straw. Yes, Cedar shavings and Cedar pet bedding are the same. The only reason I started to use straw was because the Purple Martins used in during the years that they were building the dike in Grand Forks. It was less expensive then Cedar shavings and I had public sites that required certified weed-free material. Dry corn husk also work for those folks near a farms field. The husks can be collected in the fall after the harvest. My mother had Purple Martins that used dry corn husks from the field across the road. Everyone has on opinion about what is "the best". The Purple Martins used the mulch that I had in my landscape. The pre-nest material gets the Purple Martins started and they finish the nest to their own liking.

[SYmywa]

Yah, guess PM make final decision, been pre-nesting /w wheat straw & offering additional in a basket below Systems, but they usually find their own. Year 2 they were hauling in sticks, looked like Wrens trying to manipulate those past Crescent!

[Dave Duit]

Most use soft white pine needles in Iowa, due to the abundance and it has a great wicking effect from moisture. Once they start adding to their prenest material, dried corn husks are popular with the martins. Not suprising coming from a huge corn state. lol. I have heard that the cedar has does have a natural insect repelling property.

[SYmywa]

Dave
Some use Cedar, I've used it with no obvious side effects, yet many conversations about it end with, it Gases off n it Holds Moisture !?

[AllenH]

My first arrivals were 2 very hungry males and headed straight to platform feeders. I put out several hundred meal worms. Worms cleaned up in no time. Birds have been trickling in ever since. males at least 3 to 1 over females. Have just over 50 birds back now. Have had several dead on ground, starved to death. Have fed over 80,000 meal worms to date. Birds not using feeders probably won't survive till this weekend. One SYM arrived several days ago, driven off right away by 3 ASYM, so no positively ID. Already plagued by local Merlins and Sharpshinns.

I use hand full of Cedar shavings and hand full of Yellow pine needles. Many toss out needles. A few prefer bare wood in houses. Nest building started last week on sunny mornings.

Al