Babs Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 I'm a big fan of nature's potters. I have collected a number of swallows nests, after babies have flown and I've scraped their droppings from my verandah. I'd like to try firing these nests, electric kiln. Would I have to place them in a saggar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 I have mud dabbers who build anywhere. They will build inside my kilns if I leave the peep plugs out. TThe also like building inside the holes of my kiln posts. I have to check every time I load. If not, their structures melt at bisque texture.Can't say what the swallows nests will do. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrgpots Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 could you dip the nest in cone 6 slip and fire it like you would lace? What a cool idea. Jed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted January 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 could you dip the nest in cone 6 slip and fire it like you would lace? What a cool idea. Jed Thanks Jed I'll try that with one. Do you know if I'd have to use a sagger because of the electric kiln or is that just for effects and nothing to do wit damage to the elements. I have mud dabbers who build anywhere. They will build inside my kilns if I leave the peep plugs out. TThe also like building inside the holes of my kiln posts. I have to check every time I load. If not, their structures melt at bisque texture.Can't say what the swallows nests will do. Marcia Wow must be small birds, I have pardelotes nest in clay bottles I have lying on their sides, these little birds fly in at topspeed, don't know how they put the brakes on to prevent splatting themselves on the base of the bottle! They also dig burrow nests in plant pots, I was blaming my poor puppy for the dirt all over the verandah till I saw the bird fly out..was scared to water the plant till the babies flew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheeler Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 Mud daubers are a type of wasp that build multi-tubed mud nests, and they'll build them just about anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantay Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 I have mud dabbers who build anywhere. I am from Texas, let me translate. A mud dabber, aka mud dobber, is a wasp that builds it nest from mud. Ususally suspended under, or on sides of objects such as house eves, car side mirrors, mail boxes, exterior door knobs, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo_heff Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 I'm a big fan of nature's potters. P1000281.jpg I have collected a number of swallows nests, after babies have flown and I've scraped their droppings from my verandah. I'd like to try firing these nests, electric kiln. Would I have to place them in a saggar? Funny ! I had the same idea: I have a small bin with a bunch of nests I have been colloecting. I was going to dip them in slip made from my throwing slop. Not sure about electric firing: I was going to put them in a cooler spot in a wood kiln where the twig burnout smoke won't mater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrgpots Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 Since most of the material is organic (twigs,string,etc.) It should smoke a lot but not damage anything. However, the saggar is a great idea. Add some miracle grow and shavings of brass and copper in the bottom of the saggar for color. Jed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted January 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 I'm thinking that the slip would shrink, crack and drop off as the nests are dry. Mud doppers insects that clay would be so thin, like paper. Maybe that would be thin enough to dip into slip and get the slip to stick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 I will caution anyone, when collecting bird nests, for whatever reason. Wear gloves when initially handling them, and do not bring them inside. Many nests are infested with bird mites. These little parasitic critters, are tiny, breed fast, and are hard to kill. We had a nest in one of our architectural beams on the outside of the house. I didn't give it much thought until my wife woke up with bites, as well as seeing some tiny things crawling on her phone near the bed. They came through the walls, into our bedroom. After some research, we figured out what they were. I got rid of the nest, which had a couple dead birds in it, which is why the mites started looking elsewhere. We then "nuked" the house with cleaners and insecticides. We washed everything; walls, floors, bedding, etc. Luckily we found them early, and took extreme measures to deal with them. A year after that, we had another nest, on another part of the house. I got rid of it, and looked at my gloves. Sure enough, more mites crawling on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 I have mud dabbers who build anywhere. I am from Texas, let me translate. A mud dabber, aka mud dobber, is a wasp that builds it nest from mud. Ususally suspended under, or on sides of objects such as house eves, car side mirrors, mail boxes, exterior door knobs, etc. I am is deepest South Texas (Brownsville) They build everywhere: in buckets, on walls, inside kilns, inside posts, on paper, on tin cans, etc. I have a huge lump on a heat deflector above a kiln.And the nests melt at bisque temperature , at least for these wasps. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biglou13 Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 When I visited Edgar minerals. The source of Edgar plastic kaolin aka epk the warehouse was full of mud daubers. But these are not just any mud daubers these are high class mud daubers they live and breed in porcelain (epk) houses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted January 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Looks like faulty insulation! Yes Benzine, starlings are the birds to look out for if they nest in roof spaces etc. I thought the mites were species specific and would not survive after a few bites of humans, don't know. Not going to try. No, I have kept these nests well away from the indoors. I'll fire one up next bisque and let you know how it survives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted February 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Fired a nest some time ago and here is the result. Bisque to C06 Little potters! Didn't score and slip well enough! Just mixed it with spit, must have been reading about all you pot lickers! May try spraying the remaining unfired nests with clay slip , any suggestions? Nice clay though from our sheep dam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrgpots Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 I'd spray it also. I am intrigued that you are using a truely zooanotic approach.....sheep dam clay on mud dobbers' nest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted February 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 I'd spray it also. I am intrigued that you are using a truely zooanotic approach.....sheep dam clay on mud dobbers' nest. Too long in the bush!! In me blood mate! This dam as it dries to a cracking puddle, end of summer has a clay which stays in suspension till the very end, it ends up shiny for about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep then normal clay. I have made terra sig from this, and have just used it to brush on pots without sedimentation , it gives a bright orange, beautiful on terra cotta pots. I'll try to find one and post it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMB Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 When I visited Edgar minerals. The source of Edgar plastic kaolin aka epk the warehouse was full of mud daubers. But these are not just any mud daubers these are high class mud daubers they live and breed in porcelain (epk) houses. Hey I think they're good to have around. Most daubers prefer to eat orb weaving spiders. Was a little freaked out one day when I saw about 12 nickle sized spiders on the ground that seemed to act like they were drugged. I then saw a mud dauber nest had broken above a door where I was. They catch the spider, plaster a larvae to it, then encase it in a mud tomb while still alive and waiting to be eaten...pretty rough. I usually catch a face full of web if Im not in my studio for a day, so if these guys want to nest and rid me of one pest in exchange for another then so be it! Now if only I could find a better way to keep the field mice away without using moth balls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Coyle Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 I think I would stick with the orb weaver. Before I had an enclosed studio the swallows would come in and build mud nest everywhere on the rafters. They were really sloppy builders and I would have mud and poop droppings all over everything. Got to the point I would break up there nests as soon as they started building. It took them a while to realize they were not wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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