Monday, August 24, 2009

GONE AT LAST


Finally I found someone to climb on my roof to help ease my mind about the bird mites that I wrote about here. I have had no more bites since the chigger attack but the idea of those bird mites was still giving me the willies and causing phantom skin crawling every time I thought of them. The mind is such a powerful thing. The nests had to go.


This fellow had done this type of job before so he knew what he was getting into. Some had actually refused the job. I could not blame them, even in this economy. He came out Friday with an army of two warriors to tackle the job. I wanted the nests cleaned out and the access points blocked off. The Bird Nest Inn was closing.


I asked if they would mind being photographed and their pictures put on the Internet. Two said fine but one fellow really objected, giving me a kind of scary look. I suspect he might be wanted several states so I promised to only photograph his behind. That settled, they went to work.




Besides the Starlings nesting in my soffits, I had house finches that had nested in each corner under the porch. The boss worked on blocking those corners with 2x6 boards and he sent his two helpers to the roof to clean out the gable soffits. I am usually someone who watches to be sure things are done to my liking but also to be helpful if I can. However, the workers were in two different places and I was following the out bursts of "Aw crap" as fast as I could. They men really were good with their language.

I was also busy running for garbage bag, broom, wasp spray, antihistamines ( a wasp got one of them) and water, so not all jobs were properly supervised or photographed. Also, I was inhibited by the camera shy fellow. Maybe he was just really shy about having his picture taken but he threw me some really dark looks when I tried to take a picture of just the nest material. I really can take a hint.

I missed the "big one" darn it. They had pulled one nest out of my eves that was 4 feet long. By the time I got around that side of the house, it was all ready bagged up. I didn't have the heart to ask for a reenactment.









This is the contractor bag containing the 4 nests. I am guessing it weighs around 30 pounds. All that crap was part of my house. Eewww.





All the access points were plugged, not beautifully but functionally. The sad thing is that they found eggs in two of the nests. Thank goodness it wasn't baby birds for I am not sure how I would have handled that. The Starlings returned that day but when they couldn't get under the soffits they finally left. Thank goodness for you know me and my overdeveloped guilt feelings.

As I was typing this, there was a commotion outside the window. It was 5 of my fledged house finches or maybe house sparrows(they were always to quick to identify) that have been using the old nest area under the porch as an evening roost for the past couple of weeks. They just discovered the new barricade.


There was lots of chatter as they could not believe the door was closed. I only got this picture of two of them on the roof of the guest house as the other 3 took to the trees when I came out. They were not amused and were quite vocal about their displeasure.



Nothing has really changed but my state of mind. The mites were never in my house except for that one hitchhiker. The crawly feelings are gone and I am sure the birds will adjust. Life is good again.


Hope I haven't given anyone the crawlies.

23 comments :

  1. The only bug bites I got on vacation were No See'Ums. I have them in my yard. About the only difference between them and chiggers, at least to me, is the No See 'ums don't leave a bump --just itch like heck, mostly in same places as chiggers.

    Shelly said on his guide trip they saw two bald eagles. The nest in this area over winter, but some stay year round, yet I have never seen one.

    No itchy crawlies for me, glad you got rid of them, especially if they should have been vectors of disease.

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  2. I don't mean to giggle but the picture in my mind of these guys crawling around yelling, "Oh Crap!" is really kind of funny.
    Glad it's all fixed.
    Sunny :)

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  3. Nitwit,
    We used to also call them Sand Fleas in Florida. So sorry you have them.
    Glad I didn't give you the crawlies.

    Sunny,
    Oh good, giggles is what I was going for. It was hard not to laugh when it was happening.

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  4. I never heard of so many nest at one place! Glad you are nest and mite free! :)

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  5. I thought it was funny that it took 3 men to do this job...We had Carolina Wrens building nests in an area under our second floor deck, which were comparable in length...excessively busy little birds I thought.

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  6. Wow, those were some busy birds. I bet the camera shy guy was just paranoid. Probably thought you were going to use the pictures as evidence in a law suit if they did any damage!

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  7. I am glad you got it taken care of, Patti, but I feel sorry for the birds, who are obviously dismayed at losing their homes. Maybe it will teach them to build in areas where they are more welcome.

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  8. Woo hoo! See ya later bird mites! Glad you got rid of them!

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  9. Hi Patti, Glad you have rid yourself of those FEARS now ---and any possible mites. You really did have several nests, didn't you???? Mercy me!!!!

    Oh --I remember those sand fleas. One year when we were in North Carolina, the sand fleas were so bad --we had to pack up and leave the beach. Those darn things HURT.

    This year, we have gnats all over the place. They buzz around my eyes and ears and drive me crazy. At least they don't STING though...

    Have a peaceful, bird mite-less day.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  10. It's a good thing you got it done. A shame about the nest and eggs, but sometimes birds build their nests where they shouldn't. Now, you can rest easy and stop getting that feeling of the creepy crawlies.

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  11. Carol,
    My place was obviously considered a grand place to nest in the avian community. Hopefully they will find somewhere else to raise little ones. Now I better understand the saying "Not in my back yard."

    Wanda,
    Well they did have to take apart and rebuild the soffits. I was just glad it is over, I'd have paid for 10 men to get it done. I guess the birds keep building on the old nest which is how they get so big.I'm impressed with your wrens as they are so small.

    oklhdan,
    Pretty sure he was just camera shy. Some people really don't like their picture taken. And, yes, those birds were WAY too busy.

    kenju
    Yes, I do feel badly about so rudely kicking the poor birds out. I am a lover and watcher of birds but I do draw a line with living with them and their hitchhikers. Fortunately there are a lot of structures around me they can use instead, barns and a shed.

    Cheffie Mom,
    Thanks so much for the Woo Hoo. Pretty much exactly what I said.

    Betsy,
    Now my psychosis can be put to rest. Ahhh.
    What is more annoying than gnats? Not much. Like you said, they don't bite but they can really make the outside a bad place to be. Hope you get a break soon.

    robin,
    I would have built them a house if they would have let me alone but they obviously had been coming here a long time from the size of the nests. Hope they find a good substitute for the now closed, Bird Nest Inn.

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  12. You told them.....get out and stay out hehehe. I bet they were so surprised to get home and their door was barricaded shut...poor little buggers. Am sure they will go find somewhere else to nest.

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  13. Your post are a true delight. I have yet to read one that has not given me a chuckle or six.
    I hope you didn't let those eggs go to waste they might have made a great breakfast:))

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  14. Amanda,
    I am sure all that chatter was filled with bird profanity when they discovered what I had done. Good thing I don't speak bird.

    Grey,
    Thank you so much, I try for chuckles but often lay eggs my self.
    Hum, wonder if they were etible, I hadn't thought about breakfast. :)

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  15. I feel sorry for the creatures but for your health sake, I have to relent. We have plenty of birds in our area, luckily I live below so I don't know what it's like being an upper resident.

    I find this one amusing. Men's language? Oh there's plenty awful lot here down under too! All nationalities know the art of expressing them.

    Amusing except the birds. They will ultimately find another place to roost in the night.

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  16. WEll....Good for you, though I must admit it did give me a bit of the crawlies...lol....Lots of little flying and crawling things are all around these days with oyr Humid Heat Here...OY! So glad you were able to get it ALL taken care of, my dear.

    To answer your question about those "characters"...they do get money for allowing people to have their picture taken...I don't think it is much---a dollor here and there or maybe a few---depending on the people. They say it's for "The Children's Fund" or something like that....No one has a License or anything--Well, that is, that I know of...lol!

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  17. Hi Patti,
    The roof is the most important in a house. If it it damased, all can bee.
    Everybody dosen't like to bee phographed...heheheh
    The birds seems to be very confortable..

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  18. Bonnie,
    Yeah, those mites can possibly carry disease besides making me mental.
    That would have been the third nesting for those Starlings so I am sure they are off somewhere else now.

    OOLOH
    Maybe it is for "their" childrens fund. :) Regardless, they should get something for all the work they go through to get all dressed up. They sure make a corner interesting.

    Mia,
    Work is all done now and the birds can no longer build nests under the eves. I am sleeping much better, thank you.

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  19. Carol
    Welcome to TNS. So glad you stopped by. Sorry about the itching, I have just recently quit the phantom itch myself. I will pop over to vist you now.

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  20. I thought it was really interesting.
    Very lucky. Now you just can watch.

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  21. Patti-

    Late getting into this as usual.

    Good job! We both know how bad house sparrows are. I don't mind house finches though. Can't say we have any of them nesting in the house, but I suspect the occasional bat.

    Thanks for the laugh!

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  22. Femin Susan,
    Yes, now I can watch in comfort. I will provide water and food, just not housing.

    Barry,
    We agree on the house sparrows for the harm they do to the song birds.
    Bats, you say. I put out a bat house but so far it is vacant. Still hopeing.

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