Evening star., 1948-01-17
This and That
Bu Charles E. Tr1ceUel
"IVANHOE STREET S.W.

Dear Sir.
II have very happily noted the return OF the
wrens each spring to my two warehouses;. AS
live alone, these little friends really converse
with me.
"When they warble their one sentence talk
back to them. Then again they sing me the
same measure, which is the only one they know
"As long as will converse with them DO
they carry on their musical response.
"And as spring days draw near l look 1or-
ward to the happy song which rouses me from
lazy morning nap.
'I wish to ask your advice.
Shall clear out their old nests before they
arrive? Or do they prefer doing their own
spring housecleantng? y
"T enjoy your column very much.
X
This is a question that seems to puzzle many
persons.
The best advice is to clean out all birdhouses
and boxes for them.
Songbirds do not relish the task evidently
They will do 1t, if they have to. but somehow
do not seem to want to do the cleaning for
themselves.
The wrens do 1t a bit more willingly than
But even Jenny and her mate prefer to find
their house all neatly cleaned, papered and
painted, as 1t were.
Who can blame them?
Birdhouses should be cleaned at this time,
so that the human smell may blow on by the
time the earliest arrivals show up
Humans may not realize it, but their smell Is
very strong at least to the wild creatures. It
Is not perspiration odor at all, but simply that
of the whole human being. There can be little
question that this varies. from race to race;
the japanese are said to find the smell OF meat
eating foreigners very offensive to them. In
one of the great works OF Japanese literature,
one of the heroes is distinguished by giving on
a violet odor, not as the result of perfume OF
anv sort but simply normal part of him.
Birds may find the human smell as strong
as skunk is to us. At any rate, 1t is safer to
clean out their houses well In advance, since
1t takes only few minutes.
This will insure that any insect eggs will not
hatch. 1t means that the birds will find plenty
OF room for investigation.
This investigationary process Is part OF
nesting and the birds like 1t, but there Is little
doubt that the competition for houses is SO
keen that many birds cannot give the time to
thorough overhaul. They simply try at an
other site.
Most properly made birdhouses and boxes
are so built that the bottom can be removed
easily
No water or other cleansing agent should
be used.
All that is necessary is to take out the sticks
and old grasses and other materials used by
the birds in making the previous nests.
A simple shaking out will do.
Birdhouses are best faced south, so that II
this has not been done in the past it may be
remedied at this time easily enough
If houses. had been painted, and actually
need new coat, it should be done In January
at the latest.
But most painted houses look best without
renewal of the painting. They take on that
weathered look which seems best to the bird
population. One exception may be made. II
the house has been painted red, and especially
If it has had no tenants. as it probably hasn't,
this is good time to paint it some other color.
Best colors for nirdhouses are dark ones,
such as dark green, brown or gray. But un-
painted ones finally weather to a very nice
color" Sometimes an old house may be made
more acceptable to the birds by tacking strips
of bark to it. The bark, Of course, should be
taken only from dead tree,