Birdhouse Building

Posted by MariaBBB | Added on : April 23, 2010 3:18pm | Viewed 2802 times | 0 Comments | This article is also in birds and birds

 

A birdhouse can be a great asset to your yard. Birdhouses are easy to build, once your birdhouse is built you just have to settle back and enjoy the bird watching.

 

There are things that should be done before one builds a birdhouse. First you have to decide what type of birds you want to attract to your birdhouse. Certain types of birds like certain types of birdhouses. Make sure the hole is large enough for the bird to fit in the birdhouse. When making the hole it shouldn’t be made larger than the bird because this invites predators like squirrels to invade the birdhouse. Having this happen could end up with the chicks being killed or the predator taking over the birdhouse by themselves. Double check the birdhouse’s plans to make sure the measurements are correct.

 

When building a birdhouse, there are some things to keep in mind. The birdhouse should be made so the birdhouse has drainage slots or holes. This will help prevent the nesting from getting drowned during a storm. There should be slots put near the roof for heat to escape in the summer, to keep the birds cool. Make sure untreated wood is used when making the birdhouse, chemicals can be toxic for birds if they gnaw on it, and fumes can accumulate in the birdhouse during the summer. Make sure wood is fairly thick because wood will act as an insulator to extreme temperatures in the winter and summer. The inside of the birdhouse shouldn’t be painted. If the birdhouse is going to be painted outside, it should be a color used that blends in with the surroundings because using brightly colored paint will attract preditors to the birdhouse. The birdhouse should be the proper size because if the birdhouse is made too large, only large birds will have a place which would then leave the small birds with no place to stay. There shouldn’t be a perch built near the enterance of the birdhouse, a perch only encourages predators to harass and possibly harm the nesting parents. Build the birdhouse so it’s easily assessable to clean. Choose a birdhouse plan that has a roof extending out over the entrance hole, this will help during rainstorms. Place the birdhouse in a location where the birds will be safe. Place the birdhouse where your family is able to observe the birds; don’t put the birdhouse near a dog house or where children play because this may keep the birds away.

 

There are various materials to make a birdhouse out of; some of the different ways you can build a birdhouse are with wood, a milk carton and out of twigs.

 

A milk carton birdhouse is a great birdhouse for children to make. The steps to make a milk carton birdhouse are to first get an empty paper half gallon milk carton. The top of the milk carton needs to be open and washed thoroughly. Reclose the milk carton and staple it shut. Tear off one to two inches of masking tape to cover the milk carton, overlap the pieces so none of the carton shows. Rub over the tape with brown shoe polish. Let it dry. Decide what bird you want to live in the birdhouse. Once you decide on the birdhouse, use a pencil and make several holes on the bottom of the milk carton for the rain to drain out. Place a hole through the top of the birdhouse near the staples. Put a short piece of wire through the hole to make a loop.

 

A twig birdhouse is an easy birdhouse that costs under five dollars to make. There are steps to take when making a twig birdhouse. The supplies needed are twigs from the yard, a hot glue gun and a cardboard tube. Pick up two foot long lengths of cardboard construction tube that is six inches in diameter. Collect branches of all lengths; collect fallen branches and not branches still attached to the tree. With a quarter inch drill, make twelve holes about six inches from the bottom of the cardboard tube. Take five to six short straight pieces of twig no longer than seven inches to fit into the drilled holes, this will make the base of the birdhouse. Glue all of the twigs pieces in place, in the holes using hot glue. After the glue dries cut the excess off the twigs. Make a woven bed from twigs to lay in the bottom of the birdhouse, doing this builds a base so the bird can build a nest. Cut a forty-five degree angle out of the side of the cardboard, this will be the top of the birdhouse. Cut a small hole about two inches in diameter about halfway up the tube, this is where the birds will go in and out of the birdhouse. Find some bark from a fallen log to be the roof of the birdhouse. Glue the bark all around the tube using a hot glue gun. Glue the sticks to the cardboard so that no cardboard is showing. Trim the top of the branches off so that they are flush. Glue one last piece of bark over the two side pieces of the bark; this will act as a natural barrier to rain. When the glue has dried, drill a hole on either side of the birdhouse, about four inches down from the top. Bend an old coat hanger and push the two ends through the holes just drilled.

 

There are various ways to make cheap birdhouses. Saucers from old clay pots can be filled with water or birdseed. Mesh bags can be filled with peanuts that are in the shell. Fill an old garden glove, boot or sneaker with branches so birds have a place to perch. Attach an old garden hat to the side of a feeder, put inside the hat a bouquet of sunflowers or coneflowers. Put peanut butter on a cone, roll it around in birdseed and hang one on a branch for a treat for the birds to eat.

 

Building a birdhouse is a great project to do. In the end the birds and you get to enjoy the birdhouse.

 

 

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