Blue bird houses

[crooketarrow]

  This has nothing to do with bows. But here's a half dozzen blue bird boxs I built out of PVC pipe. I have to paint them and add a perch yet. Blue birds nest in old hollow fence posts. I just sucure them to fence posts. You have to put them 150 feet apart. Blue bird nesting territorys are use'lly around a 100 feet. I put mine 150 feet apart.

 Make them a longer and put them up 12 to 30 feet in any hard woods and you have fly squirrel dens. 3 To 4 feet.

  I also make squirrel dens useing 8 and 10 inch pipe. But remember any squirrel dens has to have bigger holesalso you have to have a branch inside for them to climb out on.  I add a strip of 1/4" mesh wire couple inchs wide as long as the pipe. Just bolt it to the pipe for them to limb out on.
  Most hard woods can suport a lot more squirrels thans there, there's just not enough den trees. My granddady always put lots of these squirrel dens around our squirrel woods. Put them where you want them so there more huntable. We always had tons of squirrels to kill growing up.
 
  If you make the hole ALOT bigger and put them up higher in the trees. Lots of times owls take them over. Use the 10 ,12 inch pipe for owls not two tall 2 feet. You also have to had the wire for the owls to limb up to the hole so the can get out.
  Put them a good 150 ,200  yards apart so 1 owl down own more than 1 roost.

  I always add a lot of all to the farms I hunt,least and the ones I manage (2 right now)

[TRACY]

Good post CTA! I use cedar, but might just give this a try with my Science Club students at school this spring. We watch them during class throughout the day in a tree by the windows.


Tracy

[Adam]

That's a great idea and looks like a fun project.  Where I live, there aren't many bluebirds, so it's always a treat to see them.

[stickbender]

     Those are cool.  Good idea of keeping multiple squirrel houses in your hunting area.   Neat boxes.
     Here in Montana, the coyotes, have learned to wait around the boxes, when they hear the young birds, and wait for the fletchlings to try to learn to fly. Like a feathered pez dispenser!   Also the bears like to rip the top off, and get the eggs, and young birds inside.  Sort of like a snack bar on the fence line.

                                               Wayne

[lesken2011]

I went to a flea market in Al last year and a guy was making similar bird houses out of bamboo. I got there just as he was leaving and he sold me about a dozen 10' long bamboo poles for $10. 

[crooketarrow]

   STICKBENDED
  I live in farm land we do had black bears up on the mountains a couple miles away. We do get a female with cubs some in the summers but just passing through. Never had bear problems.  I glue on the tops so I'd say if you really surqured them they be a bit hard for them to get off the post.
 
 ADAM
  You might not have many blue birds simplely because there's none or not many hollow fence post or little dead shags in the fence rows for them to nest.
 
  I forgot to add I've made quite a few wood duck boxs like that also(same design).
  Use the bigger pvc pipe 10,12 inch. I use a pvc post with a end cap. And bolt the post to the bottem cap of the nesting box.  No predator I know of can climb the pipe I know of.
  Don't glue on the top end cap ,you'll need to remove it ,clean and replace the nesting materal each spring. I use wood chips.I also add a wire handle to make it easyer to get off. And I'll put a drywall screw or 2 to stop kids and nosey people form looking in. Wood ducks don't leave their nests unless you hole the chicks or repeatly spook her off her nest.
  I know as a kid I kept watch on the boxs on our ponds.
   Here's 8 more I just finished and added perchs. Just dog wood shoots that did'nt make it.

[Pappy]

Very cool idea, Miss Joanie loves blue birds, need to try that,I have been making a few from a hollow Sassafras log I cut a few weeks back. Cut to length ,drill a 1 inch hole and put a top and bottom on it. I was told years ago a blue birds didn't need a perch,not sure if thats true or not. 
   Pappy

[Adam]

crooketarrow - It's funny you mentioned that I might not see bluebirds due to a lack of nesting sites.  I just saw 5 bluebirds in my backyard!  I've lived in this house 3 years and never saw any.  I need to get to work making some houses!