Was that in tubes with trees that had not reached the top of the tube? I assume once the tree gets large enough to fill a certain percentage of the tube birds are not an issue?I've used tubes for better than 20 years, more often than not, without bird netting. I'd never had a problem, so I quit using it. That is until this past year. I found 6 bluebirds dead in my tubes this past season! I'm going back to putting netting on any tube that's out in a field.
Good to knowSmall trees that were not out of the top. I haven't seen a bird once the trees are nicely branched out.
Its crossed my mind to put a piece of window screen over the top until the tree reaches it to minimize wasps.One thing I have been wondering about the bird netting is whether or not it helps keep wasps out of the tubes. I know it won't keep them out entirely, but it seems like ever since I started using the netting, I have been getting fewer nests and by extension, fewer racoon mangled tubes. Anyone else experience this?
obsceneHere is an update on the Bottomland Bur Oak. It Is by far the best one I have growing. Planted in May 2020 as a 20-30" seedling it is now 10ish feet tall with a spreading habit. In 2021 it doubled in size. I didn't get any pics in 2022, but I did in 2023. Should I do any pruning on this or just let it go? I'm not worried about making a marketable log, just acorns. That is a 5' tube for reference.
May 2021
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July 2021
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September 2021
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May 2023
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May 2023
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September 2023
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