Bluebird Houses

[Sully2]

This is the one I have been using for years. The bluebirds around me seem to love them. This one has more pitch to the roof.

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geuqyfB...umentViewer.aspx?repository=bp&elementid=4457

Thats the same design I use. I use plain old pine...but give the "roof" 2 coats ( on the outside and edges) of beige Latex house paint to help with rain soaking. Ive got some out here at the edge of the woods / yard that have been up 12 years now.

 

[cmhyland]

I built 8 new Bluebird houses today...

Cold and windy here so it was a good inside task...

Built from Cedar... cost $138.00 in materials to build 8... They do last a long time. I'm replacing ones that are well over 10 years old.


Regards,
Chris

 

[cmhyland]

I finished up my bluebird house project...

Here are some pics... I'll wait till march to put them up.

Regards,
Chris

 

[coopers]

Chris, very nice houses! Did you make sure that you can open up a part of the box to clean out the nests at the end of the year? It's important to do that only because they build up over a few seasons and they don't like to use them afterwords, not to mention the amount of crap (literally) that builds up from the youngsters before they leave the nest. It also helps to have access to the nest in case a sparrow slips in and you don't catch it until the nest is built, that way you can take their nest out and let the BB's try again.

Again, very nice houses though, they look great!

 

[cmhyland]

Coopers,
The fronts are doors that will open for cleanout and nest checks.

Regards,
Chris

 

[coopers]

cool!

 

[Fishguy]

I've found that a slot entrance helps with the sparrow problem around my place, and have replaced all my old round-hole entrance boxes with slot-boxes.

DANDR

What are you using for the demensions for the slot itself? I see 1 1/4", is that from the top of the face or the hight of the slot?

Steve

 

[Glenn9643]

What are you using for the demensions for the slot itself? I see 1 1/4", is that from the top of the face or the hight of the slot?

Steve

I don't really think that I used these particular plans when I built mine, but I made my slot 1-1/8" high and that is what is recommended by NABS for a "slot" box.

 

[cmhyland]

I'm going to do a small batch of these slot boxes to test and see if the sparrows really don't like them....


Has any done any large nesting boxes? Like for Owls, or Pileated Woodpeckers?

I did a big one for Squirrels and they used it...

I had one 4 holer filled with flying squirrels.

Regards,
Chris

 

[jimmy1]

Chris, Where did you find plans for the squirrel houses?

I built a couple of northern flicker boxes this winter, they are made from 2x6's. Thats the largest I have done.

Jim

 

[cmhyland]

Jim,
The Squirrel house I built was made from 1x12 rough sawn pine.

It was 24 inches tall and had if I remember right a 2 inch or maybe 2 1/2 inch hole.

It looked like the bluebird houses in shape without the block around the hole. Also no Copper on the roof .

I put it about 20 or so feet up in the tree. There have been lots of babies born in there... Sometimes you see three or four little heads sticking out and watching the world go by....

Regards,
Chris

 

[jimmy1]

Thanks Chris, I am going to try a couple and see if I can attact a family from the nearby woods to my yard.

Jim

 

[thcri]

Chris,

I have never seen any boxes with the metal roofs before. I know you said there is wood underneath but I would still be somewhat afraid of heat warming that box up too much, maybe not. But the thing that my blue's love to do is sit on top of the box. They do this for most of the day. With the metal I don't think they would be able to do that. Is this your first of boxes or have you used that style before? If you used this before did you have success.


murph

 

[cmhyland]

Murph,
I have used this style of box for 15 years... I have not used them with the copper on the roof...
That copper will be brown then green within a year. I actually copied some boxes from Feathered Friend.

As for perching on the top... The top of the backboard is raw wood...

Regards,
Chris

 

[thcri]

Chris,

If you can remember next summer let me know how they are working. If they work great I will be asking for you plan again and making a bunch just like yours for myself.

Good Luck

murph

 

[thcri]

The old forum had a place you could subscribe to a thread. Where is that in this new forum??? Does anyone know here??

murph