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Talking about bird houses - Arlin Eastman - 12-26-2017
What is the nicest wood that you have used for making one out in the weather.
Me I have almost used pine from the store but have also used red ceder
RE: Talking about bird houses - Cecil - 12-26-2017
(12-26-2017, 03:30 PM)Arlin Eastman Wrote: What is the nicest wood that you have used for making one out in the weather.
Me I have almost used pine from the store but have also used red ceder
Locally we have a sign company that gives away its cutoffs to whomever is willing to haul. Therefore, I use red cedar. Prior this is source, I used scrap pine.
RE: Talking about bird houses - Duane N - 12-26-2017
Cedar is my choice of wood for my bird houses and feeders and have used Pine but pine doesn't hold up to the elements. I got my hands on 2 bundles of Cypress cut-offs for cheap last month and plan on making a few Bluebird boxes and one Screech Owl box out of the bundles.
RE: Talking about bird houses - Gary G™ - 12-26-2017
Whatever you use should be raw unfinished wood.
Check http://www.audubon.org/sites/default/files/documents/nest_box_chart_0.pdf for the proper sizes for various species.
RE: Talking about bird houses - EdL - 12-26-2017
I use cedar also.
They usually get bullet ridden before they rot.
Ed
RE: Talking about bird houses - mr_skittle - 12-27-2017
I've always used cedar with great results. I'm looking at one now that I made close to 8 years ago that is holding up good. Its never spent a day inside since being made.
RE: Talking about bird houses - Foggy - 12-27-2017
I use packing crate lumber, whatever it happens to be. A bird house doesn't need to look pretty, and if it only lasts a half dozen years, that's OK. My only expense is a few nails and some time, of which I have plenty.
RE: Talking about bird houses - KLaz - 12-27-2017
(12-27-2017, 10:59 AM)Foggy Wrote: I use packing crate lumber, whatever it happens to be. A bird house doesn't need to look pretty, and if it only lasts a half dozen years, that's OK. My only expense is a few nails and some time, of which I have plenty.
Composite wood. Last a long, long time....
![[Image: 39304797212_6570c387b7.jpg]](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4634/39304797212_6570c387b7.jpg)
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RE: Talking about bird houses - Cooler - 12-27-2017
Every year our local newspaper prints plans for bat houses. It is a big deal lately as they control the mosquito population. So while you are at it making a bird house, perhaps a bat house or two would make sense too.
https://www.nwf.org/en/Garden-for-Wildlife/Cover/Build-a-Bat-House
http://www.batcon.org/resources/getting-involved/bat-houses
RE: Talking about bird houses - MichaelMouse - 12-27-2017
(12-27-2017, 03:49 PM)Cooler Wrote: Every year our local newspaper prints plans for bat houses. It is a big deal lately as they control the mosquito population. So while you are at it making a bird house, perhaps a bat house or two would make sense too.
https://www.nwf.org/en/Garden-for-Wildlife/Cover/Build-a-Bat-House
http://www.batcon.org/resources/getting-involved/bat-houses
An even bigger deal because of the fungus that's killing the little brown bat. Congregant damp hibernation or overnighting helps spread the infection, so a warm, dry place away from the crowd may save them to make guano out of mosquitoes. https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/