Nestbox pests:
Indian myna - the problem
Indian myna - prevention
Indian myna - control
Feral bees - the problem
Feral bees - control
Ants
Pest Management Kit
| Ants in nestboxes |
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| While it may seem
improbable, ants can be a serious pest in nestboxes. However, ants are a natural
component of every tree's ecosystem and many species will utilise a hollow as protection for their
eggs, particularly from rain. We must assume that most of these can coexist with
other hollow-users without conflict. |
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| The ants that do
create conflict are Polyrachis sp, and these can monopolise hollows to the
detriment of other users. These are the ants that weave nests in the leaves of trees using chewed
vegetation. They are aggressive, give
a nasty bite (although not quickly) and emit an offensive odour when disturbed. |
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| They will also attempt to seal
the entrance to a nestbox using the same material. The photo adjacent shows the
remnants of one such attempt. They seem to be most of a problem on broad-leafed trees, or in trees with flaky bark such as hoop pine. The best solution is to relocate the box to another tree. We know of no other long-term solution. |
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