Any luck with plastic bluebird houses?

[Chris]

Anyone ever have any luck using the birdhouses made of recycled plastic?

I liked the color of this one from Kettle Moraine, but no takers yet.

Chris

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Chris, this looks nice, but the blue birds will not like the color – they prefer a natural wood color, like tan (if you had to paint one). Don’t believe the plastic is good neither, although I don’t know where you live. Sorry, but that is my opinion – others will probably chime in.

P.S. There may be some other bird that would like that pretty blue – never hurts to try.

[Chris]

This is what they are nesting in now, as rustic as it gets. I’m hoping the busy street traffic keeps the raccoons away til they fledge.

Chris
Ohio

• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by Chris.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Looks like this might work better, Chris. Good luck with the street traffic.

[phillyblues]

Hate to tell you Chris but if that box isn’t put on a pole soon predators will climb right in.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Agree about the wooden pole (tree) – anything that climbs can run right up and get into the box. However, since there are eggs in it, right? , this might be a little tricky. Try to get your boxes mounted in the future on a slick pole which helps with predators climbing it. Sometimes these things which are not good can work, but if we invite birds into our yard it is our responsibility to try to keep them safe we believe. We are trying to give you good advise for the future – good luck.

P.S. Sorry, Chris, just read your other thread about this box which explains a lot of questions we had.

[David in Stafford,VA]

I have never been a fan of the recycled material nestbox. They just do not blend in with the “woodsy” outdoor surroundings. While they may be easier to clean than the wooden structures, I think that they just do not look natural. The people at the Wild Birds Unlimited store where I shop has only the painted plastic houses – some in earth tones, but a majority in colorful shades that are just ugly in my opinion. most of them had house-like front appearances with slightly curved roofs and no predator guards. They do not even have them as an option.

Looking at your baffle on the nestbox at the top of the page, I would suggest putting a smaller size hardware cloth on top and underneath the what appears to be 1/2 inch hardware cloth to strengthen your snake guard. Young black snakes, garter snakes and the green tree snake will easily slip through that screen if they get up that high. Just a suggestion. I use 1/4″ hardware cloth for the basic circle. Then I use around 10 – 12 smaller pieces(not round) with the edges cut so I can bend the edge wires down through the 1/4″ holes to stab a predator trying to climb through. I also have a bundle of chicken wire that I have crumpled around the pole inside the baffle. Took a green snake out last year that died and dried there. Theoretically if the pole is greased they should not be able to get a grip but heat and weather, dust, and trapped insects can give some traction to an intruder.

David
Stafford, VA

[Chris]

Thanks, i’ll try modifying some of the baffles.

I have had other houses with just pvc pipe around the post, i havent had predators on those. They generally have chickadees and house wrens, which apparently predators find distasteful.

Ive had one plastic bluebird house for years, only sparrows seem to try it out. Basically serves as another location for a nestbox trap.

Chris

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Chris, LOVE the idea of using those plastic houses for HOSP trapping – I’m a firm believer in having extra boxes just for that reason. My blues which are due to fledge today have had peace because of the extra box where I have HOSP working hard to build nests and further. Of course, I will then set my VanErt trap at the appropriate time to then get him or the female.

[Author]

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