"Martin" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 14 Jan 2007 21:13:30 -0000, "Liz" wrote:
"sally H" wrote in message
news:u8ydnRd2R8cR1zTYnZ2dnUVZ8sCvnZ2d@brightview. com...
"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...
"sally H" wrote in message
...
I have just bought vaious bird boxes and should like to put them up around
the garden.
The question is - how do you secure them to the tree trunks because I
thought that banging a nail into the tree will kill or hurt it.
You could use a plastic tie.
Alan
Thanks. I'll try tying where I can but otherwise I'll use nails. Are there
any nails in particular you would recommend?
I've put up hundreds (well, nearly), of bird boxes as part of my work and if I
have
to use a nail, then I use aluminium ones. This is the safest option in case the
tree
is ever attacked by a chainsaw. They are a bit expensive, but better that than a
chainsaw operator minus some bodily parts.
Ah good, forget about nails. What's the best place to position a bird box?
Put them facing east or north-east - even to south east if it has shade. Put boxes
where they are going to be sheltered from the sun, wind, and rain. If the box faces
west or south the young may get "cooked" on a hot, sunny day.
Don't put them too high - a common mistake as you have to be able to reach them
safely in the late winter/early spring to clean them out to prevent parasite
build-up. However, put them high enough to keep them safe from cats.
Don't put them near bird feeders.
Don't put them where there is a lot of human disturbance.
If wooden, don't treat them with nasty wood preservatives.
Try to have a slight forward tilt on them so the wind/rain doesn't go straight in the
hole.
Put the box on a tree which has a nearby branch/twigs for the newly fledged young to
hop on to.
If you have problens with tree rats (Grey Squirrels) and/or Great Spotted Woodpeckers
which will break into bird boxes then go for "woodcrete" type boxes such as Schwegler
boxes.
.......I could go on :-)
HTH
Liz
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