Every fall, for the last several years, some of my hunting buddies and I have helped Jerry perform the annual wood duck house maintenance. With approximately 100 wood duck houses it takes a few hours to completely check every house.
We typically work in pairs with each pair using a UTV to move quickly from house to house. We drive up to a house and do a quick inspection. Was the house used? Does it need repairs? Has it reached end of life?
With two teams of guys we can usually get through all the houses in an afternoon. This year we had so many repairs and removals that we ran out of time. Jerry finished most of the houses around the farm buildings and I went out to help with the houses that were up high.
Preparation
As usual, Jerry had both UTVs outfitted with supplies, tools and spare parts. Each UTV has a garbage can full of wood shavings, gravel, aluminum flashing, various nails and screws, spare covers, spare roofs, tools and a ladder.
For a more complete list of what we take, see the Chapter 8 in the “Build a Better Wood Duck House” book. It has a complete list of supplies, tools, etc.
Inspection and Cleaning
When we drive up to a wood duck house the first step is to do a quick inspection. If the house is in good shape, we check if it was used.
If it was then we clean out the shavings, any unhatched eggs, eggs shells and feathers. We put in new shavings and close the cover.
If it wasn’t used then we make sure that the shavings in the house are clean and not compacted. When in doubt, we clean out the old shavings and add new.
In some cases, birds and/or mice have moved in. In that case we clean everything out and replace the shavings. We also remove any hornet nests that may be in the house.
Once the door is closed then we also take a look at the area around the house. If there are any small trees or brush close to the house we cut them off. Then off to the next house.
Repairs
Often times when we pull up to a house it is obvious that some repairs are needed. It be something as simple as the roof has come off or the house is loose on the post. Other times the house is falling apart.
Depending on what is required we will make quick repairs then do the annual maintenance. In this case, we replaced the roof.
Replace or Removal
Some of Jerry’s Wood Duck Houses may be up to 50 years old and have been repaired multiple times. At some point, repair is no longer an option and it is best to remove the house. We typically just take a hammer and knock the house off the post. The remains are collected and disposed of properly. If we have a spare house then we install it.
Video
The video has clips and voice overs of the various scenarios such as inspect and clean, inspect, repair and clean or inspect and replace/remove.
This is version 2 of the video. It fixes some rendering errors in the original and it zooms in during the “mouse eviction” clip.
Lessons Learned
- Wear gloves when reaching into a house. It is pretty common to have mice living in them. Last year we found a possum in one house and an owl in another.
- Unhatched eggs are truly rotten eggs. They will explode if not handled with care. If they do break, the smell is awful.
Summary
Every fall we perform the Wood Duck House Maintenance. It is a good excuse to be outside and do something that benefits the environment.
For information about how to build, mount or maintain wood duck houses see my book called “Build a Better Wood Duck House” available on Amazon. There is also a companion web page that has a lot of information.
Check out these blog posts related to Wood Duck Houses:
Enjoyed your little primer on wood duck houses annual maintenance and repair.