Little Progress

North side, cement plastering's still not completed, 5 more panels to go.



West side.



East side.



Main Wiring, yellow pipes for electricity, grey pipe for speakers and CCTV wiring.



More wiring, a little too much on electricity wiring.



Souvenir from visitor at the roving room floor.



Trace of flood level.



All pictures were taken by my Iphone4, not bad.

Temperature and Humidity Controller

After exploring many options of temperature and humidity controller, I decided to use the local made one for ease of maintenance and spare parts. This controller has an option to add up to 5 sensors. Each sensor can read both temperature and humidity and show the maximum 10 readings (for 5 sensors) on its screen in sequence. I then can put a CCTV camera infront of this screen so that I can read my bh's micro conditions 7/24 from anywhere with my cell phone.

So far I bought a set with only two sensors, each with 30 meter length cord. I will add more if feel needed later. Each sensor line can be extended up to 100 meter, and each can be used to control fan or humidifier independently at the required temperature or humidity settings.

More built-in feature is that it is also a data logger in itself when you plug into a computer. My friend also used this model for more than 5 months now without any problems.


Thanks to picture from my friend's blog. http://www.swiftletsourceofinformation.blogspot.com/

In this picture, it showed 2 readings, temp and humidity from the second sensor shown as r2 on the top left corner. Within seconds, it will change to temp and humidity readings from the first sensor or r1, and then switch back and forth.There are only two sensors for two floors on this one.

Every things are bought and ready to be installed except the construction's still not completed, delayed by the monsoon. :(

Poor Ventilation

If your new bird house is poorly ventilated, the first symptom is the house temperature will be higher than outside.
The easiest way to know that your bird house is poorly ventilated is that your birds will stay and make nest
in the area near entrance hole first.

If you noticed that your birds will stay only in those area, please observe your air circulation and try to
improve your ventilation. So I was told.

Loy Krathong Festival

With rain and flood every where for the past weeks, the ancient Thai knew exactly how to boost up the morale of Thai people.
After the hardships from flooding, we made use of these water by turn it to joy.

We celebrate the water with Loy Krathong festival!

It' help boosting up people mood in a timely way. It also help boosting the economy for people making Krathong for sale, Loy Krathong events are organized and celebrated all over the country. (Sorry, if you are not familiar with Loy Krathong, please search google, thank you)

Me included, cannot continue further construction of my BH, instead of sitting and feeling doom and bore, just went out an enjoy Loy Krathong last night with my hubby at the Peninsula hotel, Bangkok, by the Chao Phaya river.

We were lucky to be seated on the front row, although not in the center. So I took a video for the first time with my Iphone4 bought to me as a gift from my son.

Good food, many Thai traditional dance shows, ram-wong with the dancers and firework on a full moon night.
It cost only 11 bird nests per person, assuming 100 bird nests for Baht 48000, to make you feel like you are in paradise among those beautiful dancers. Come to Bangkok and celebrate with us next year!
Enjoy!

Sixteen year old nest

I found it in my kitchen!

Sixteen years ago, I was coughing badly for months.
One day my mom visited me and saw me coughing.
She asked whether I went to see a doctor.
I said yes, seeing many doctors and for months and still coughing.

At that time, my working place was a construction site full of construction material dust.

My mom went home and on the next days she sent me a box of bird nests, around 20 full nests.
I guess it's a cave bird nest.
She told me to double boiled it with rock sugar and eat daily until recovered.

I followed her instruction strictly.
Around 10 days after, I was totally recovered, not a single cough.
There were still two nests left and I just forgot about it.

Until recently that I was interested about bird house.
I remembered that I had it somewhere in the kitchen and found it in a forgotten drawer.
Both of them are very hard like a rock.
I soaked one in a warm water for three days three nights, still cannot soften it.

Now I have only one left, I think if I keep it further it will become a bird nest fossil!

Love my mom, no one will care about you and your health like your own parent.

Gadget Hunting, Part5

It's now ready to be used.

Plenty of mist.


It will be placed in control room with extended pvc pipe into bird's nesting room.


The 3 inch fan and on the right is water inlet with floating valve inside the tank.

Mold Mold Mold

This year we have heavy rain and flood all over the country.
Most bird house owners like rain because birds like rain, but certainly not this type of rain from depression.

The after math of rain and flood is high humidity in our bh if there is no good bh practice.
In the factory, there is a term called "GMP" or good manufacturing practice.
So in bh, we should also have "GBHP" or good bird house practice.

If the humidity is way too high, then mold will occur on the plank.

As I surfed the internet to understand more about mold so that I can prevent mold and cure it in my bh when it happens. I found that the bh's conditions that we try to maintain are exactly the conditions that mold likes to germinate and grow.

To prevent mold growth, it is recommended that you should not do the followings:
1. Avoid using unpainted wood in the house as it is particularly susceptible to mold, we do.
2. Do not allow the humidity to go higher than 60%RH, we do 80-90%RH.
3. The optimum temperature for mold is 25-30 degree celcius, we are at 28 degree celcius!

So we do everything that is a "don't " in mold prevention.

The graph below showed the humidity ranges that mold(fungi) and other kinds of micro organism like.
For bacteria and virus, they love both high and low humidity ranges. For Fungi, it will grow only at 60%RH upwards.



There are six types of molds, and all of them will grow best at temp 25-30 degree celcius and humidity 75%RH upwards.



Hello there, are there any bh with good micro conditions do not have mold growth?
My guess is none! It either sooner or later only if you have GBHP.

Then what should we do to make it grow slower, what should we do to cure it when it happens!
Should I continue or should I rather keep what I found to myself as most of you do?
I'll decide later.

Please I am still a newbie!

Dear my blog readers,

As you all are aware that I am a newbie. My bird house hasn't been finished yet.
What I write in here is what I learnt from reading, watching and experimenting with my friend in his bird house.
My original plan is to use this blog as my diary.

When you guys asked me questions, I have try answering them to you all with honesty and sincerely.
But when I asked some questions back to you as I still have a lot to learn, some of you just disappeared.

This is very discouraging or shall I say disgusting.
So from now on, please don't ask me any questions unless you are prepared to give back something!

Life is about "give and take".

Flood everywhere!

As you all knew, Thailand had been flooded everywhere from North to down South.
Last few days, a depression hit Southern part and flooded heavily everywhere, my BH included.


Since November 3rd, 2010, we cannot go to my BH by car. Road infront of my BH is under water. The only way to get to the BH is by boat or walk with knee deep water. The picture below was taken from the main road 700 meter from the BH.

A small obstacle from the above to test my strength!