SCOTT HARRINGTON
LANDSCAPE AND TREE SERVICE, LLC
(608) 354-8228
BLOG
Blog
Bird House Tips
| Posted on January 29, 2014 at 8:29 AM |
 Bird House Tips Black-capped
chickadees, Prothonotary Warbler, House
Wrens, Deer Mice, and Flying Squirrels (entrance hole 1 1/8”)/Eastern BlueBird
(1 ½”) 1)
Position the birdhouse so it’s opening does not face
into direct sunlight or prevailing winds. Full or partial shade will help keep
the house cooler, and a more protected location will be safer. 2)
Clean the birdhouse seasonally or whenever a family
of birds vacates the premises. Remove all nesting debris and rinse the house
with a sanitizing solution of one part bleach and nine parts water. Rinse the
house again with clear water, and allow it to air dry thoroughly before storing
it for the winter or repositioning it for new tenants. 3)
Position the birdhouse far enough away from brush so
predators cannot stage an ambush, but close enough to plants so parent birds
can easily scout the area. Five to eight feet of distance is sufficient for
most birdhouses. Similarly, keep birdhouses away from popular feeding areas to
prevent territorial conflicts between feeding birds and nesting parents. 4)
Whichever method you choose to erect your boxes, be
sure your box is secure enough to withstand high winds and severe weather. The
best way to erect small nest boxes is on freestanding metal poles or PVC pipes.
These pipes or poles offer several advantages: Nest boxes can be mounted higher
than when mounted on a fence post. Many predators find poles difficult to
climb. Poles can also be easily equipped with predator guards. 5)
For mounting on Trees you can use a bungee cord or aluminum nails
to secure it. 6)
Spacing between boxes as follows: (Chickadees=1 box/10 acres,
House Wrens=1 box/50 feet, and Prothonotary Warblers/BlueBirds=1 box/300 feet) Black-capped Chickadee forests,
woodlots, and yards with mature hardwood trees, forest edges, meadows, area
should receive 40-60% sunlight, spaced one box per 10 acres, hole should face
away from prevailing wind; 1" shaving can be placed in box height: 5-15
feet House Wren variety of
habitats, farmland, openings, open forests, forest edges, shrub lands, suburban
gardens, parks, backyards; near trees or tall shrubsbox height: 5-10 feet Prothonotary Warbler lowland
hardwood forests subject to flooding, stagnant water, swamps, ponds, marshes,
streams, flooded river valleys, wet bottomlands; box should be over or near
water box height: 2-12 feet Eastern
Blue Bird: open
field or lawn; orchards; open, rural country with scattered trees and low or
sparse ground cover; Mountain and Western bluebirds will also use deciduous and
coniferous forest edges; entrance hole should face open field, preferring east,
north, south, and then west facing directions If you are interested I design, build and sell birdhouses and bathhouses You can contact me at 413-348-4505 or email at [email protected]  #berkshirebirdhouses #birdhouses |
Categories: Misc.
