Video Link:

‪‪https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDtwRb2tcbI

Notes:

Testing different configurations of Tan and White Boxes

Results:

The Seaford White Box with White Shields and Extra Venting, Texas Tan Box with 1/2in Vents, Texas White Box with 1/2in Vents, and Texas White Box with 5/8in Vents all performed close to equally in the test.

The Texas White Box with White Shields and 5/8in Vents  was noticeably cooler than the other four.

At 4:00PM the first four boxes averaged 99.92°F while the Texas White Box with White Shields and 5/8in Vents was 97.5°F.

The addition of White Shields to the Texas White Box with 5/8in Vents added up to an extra 2.2°F of cooling over the Texas White Box with 5/8in Vents and no White Shields.

Conclusion:

The difference in cooling between White and Light Tan exterior colors is not significant.

The Texas White Box with White Shields and 5/8in Vents is the coolest nest box configuration tested so far.

The three factors tested in these experiments are Color of Box, Ventilation and Heat Shields. All three are significant but color of box is the most important.

Recommendation:

Use a light colored paint and/or heat shields to protect your nest boxes. Also make sure your boxes have adequate top cross ventilation. The best cooling is obtained using a combination of light color, good ventilation and light colored heat shields.