Effective design of entrance hole diameter and height from ground level of nest boxes for attraction of Eurasian Tree Sparrows as pest controllers in golf courses

Abstract

Pesticides are commonly used on golf courses for pest control. However, biological control using Eurasian Tree Sparrows Passer montanus is a more environmentally friendly substitute than using chemicals. For this purpose, it is necessary to specify the design of nest boxes that this species prefer. We examined the following two questions using data from Minegishi (2011). (1) What size of hole diameter and what ground height of nest boxes do this species selected, and (2) Whether the hole diameter and the ground height of the nest boxes selected by this species were the same as those suitable for their reproduction? The results showed that the Eurasian Tree Sparrow preferred nest boxes with a hole diameter of 30.82 mm, which was almost the same as that resulted in high reproductive success. The ground height of the nest box affected neither the percentage of nest box use nor the reproductive success of this species. Based on these findings, we concluded that the ground height of nest boxes should be anywhere between 140 and 370 cm and that the optimal hole diameter was 30-31 mm.