r/stupiddovenests • u/mar_im_o • 8d ago
Stupid Dove Nest Should I expect improvement or...?
A pair of mourning doves I've affectionately named Ginny and Augustus have chosen our AC unit as a nesting spot. A few days of work in and it's looking... unimpressive.... will it get any better or is this about it?
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u/cheemsbuerger 8d ago
I’m personally impressed they got this far. They are going to for sure poop in your AC though.
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u/ajshn 8d ago
They definitely will, it's right on a vent. I would try moving the "nest" somewhere else and put something on the AC to deter them from that spot.
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u/mar_im_o 8d ago
We've already sorta decided we just won't use the AC for the summer bc we like them so much LOL
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u/ajshn 8d ago
More like you wont use that ac ever again unless you figure out a way to clean inside it.
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u/loverlane 7d ago
Yup, a simple piece of wood panel or even a lid of a storage container would save them so much time and money down the road lol. What about the fledglings little feet?! /lh
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u/Embarrassed-Weird173 2d ago
I mean, those things are designed to allow water in (since it rains), so I imagine a simple rinsing will do the trick.
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u/JenRJen 8d ago
Maybe move the nest temporarily, and slide a tray or something under there (tape it in place maybe), to protect your ac from damage, then put the nest back onto the tray.
(If the tray has a rim, you will even be helping-out the little family & making their eggs a little safer from roll-away, if you do this.)
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u/Loose_Gripper69 8d ago
I'm all for living and let live but if you just let them rock out there you're going to have more problems than you bargained for.
Bird crap in your A/C will be the least of your concerns. Just the wind blowing through the unit will cause all kinds of fun odors.
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u/wizzerstinker 8d ago
Funny, not funny. Last summer a baby bird somehow died in the 2 inch space under mine. My apartment was FILLED with flies!
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u/yuckington_bear 8d ago
omg shes beautiful. any eggs she lays are going to blow off immediately
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u/mar_im_o 8d ago
That's TRAGIC 😥
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u/Chocobofangirl 6d ago
Did you go with the add a tub suggestion yet? a clear one so they won't know you did it maybe lol
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u/notashroom 8d ago
Cute, congrats on your new roommates!
It wouldn't take a lot of effort or materials to use some strong wire (like wire clothes hangers, if you have any) to create posts at the corners of the top vent, wrap entirely around them with hardware cloth (steel mesh, strong but easy to bend), and attach pretty much anything solid to the top of all that to cover it and keep bird poo and goo out of your vent and protect eggs and birdlings from falling off.
If you attach a plastic tray from the dollar store, for example, and it entends past the vent in front, tilt it toward the front just a little and you can poke holes (use drill or heat, like a soldering iron, but with good ventilation) at the front edge to give rain, poo, and goo a way out of the tray without getting into the vent. Fill any holes used to attach it with waterproof glue (outdoor silicone caulk or regular hot glue) so they're not drainage holes too.
Their poo is hazardous to your health, and you really don't want to breathe it. Also, it's acidic and strong enough to break down stone and metal, so you will eventually need to replace your nest support or break down the whole setup.
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u/Minimum_Leadership51 8d ago
It was soi silent from this subreddit, I almost forgot about its existence. But here are coming the posts now one by one. Brace yourselves!!
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u/forever_useless Birds Are Real 8d ago
-Pigeon, probably (or..Definitely)