A few simple tips on how to properly hang a birdhouse
Everyone knows the phrase that you need to take care of our younger brothers. And in support of this topic now and will be told about how to properly hang a birdhouse.
A bit of history
People did not always build dwellings for birds. So, the birdhouses on the expanses of our country appeared only 300 years ago, in the 17th century. The idea of their creation was imported from Europe. However, there these houses were built no longer for birds, but for the citizens themselves, who liked to eat meat of these birds. Therefore, every cook wanted to have always a couple of such feathered ones and their eggs at the side for quick receipt and cooking of meat. On our lands, birdhouses were brought during the reign of Peter I, who was very fond of all kinds of new and interesting things. With his light hand, the tradition of making houses for birds has survived to this day.
About the benefits of birds
Every living creature on the planet has somethinguseful. The same applies to the starlings. Interesting for many will find information that only one brood of starlings in only 5 days can eat a thousand of May beetles (including their larvae) and other pests. So these houses are well established in summer cottages to preserve their crops with the help of these noble birds.
Material for the house
Before you start to understand how to correctlyhang a birdhouse, it is necessary to say a few words about the ideal house for these birds. So, it is good to take a birch for making a birdhouse, but you can have other boards, even not necessarily new ones. It is important to say that it is strictly forbidden to make birdhouses from the boards of coniferous trees, because they can have tar, which is very harmful to birds. It is also better not to take any processed pressed wood, because the glue can be toxic for the birds, harmful. If outside the birdhouse is most likely to be sanded (for beauty), then inside it must remain with the original irregularities, so it will be much more comfortable for birds to dwell there.
Height
Finally we got to the main question: how correctly to hang a birdhouse. So, it is necessary to correctly determine the height. If the house for birds is far from human eyes - in deaf parks or enclosed gardens, it can be brought to a height of approximately 3-4 meters. And at what height do you need to hang a birdhouse in residential areas? In this case, houses for birds are usually suspended at a height of 4-5 meters. This is also important in order to not crawl to them cats, which at any time are ready to eat meat of this bird. To protect the houses of birds from cats, they can be hung on a wire so that the houses swing slightly. So the animal will not risk climbing for prey. Another option: in the base of the birdhouse you can attach a plywood circle (or sheet material), which for all its agility, this animal is unlikely to overcome. It is also good for bird keeping from cats to hang birdhouses away from thick branches of trees.
How to bind
The next tip is how to hang it correctlybirdhouse: use soft wire for this. It can be aluminum or annealed steel. If there are none, a simple synthetic rope or cord (it is important that they be of sufficient thickness) can be used. However, it must be remembered that it is strictly forbidden to nail the birdhouse with nails to the tree, especially in the spring when the juice moves along the trunk. This not only traumatizes the plant, but it will also hamper the free removal of the house if it needs to be cleaned or weighed to another, more suitable place. Another nuance is how to properly hang a birdhouse: it should be placed slightly forward (you do not need to do this if the house is made a little uneven, narrower from the bottom and slightly enlarged upwards). If, however, the house for birds is placed somewhat with a slope backwards, birds will never settle into it, and it will simply be empty all the time.
Accommodation
The following advice, how to hang a birdhouse, or rather,in which direction should the duplex be directed. Thus, the south-east direction is preferred, rather than the north-western direction. And all because in this case slanting rain will not be able to fill the house, spoiling the dwelling for the birds. Also, it is better not to direct the leaves to the side of streets, paths along which people can walk, birds will feel more comfortable. If there are already birdhouses nearby, the next one should be located no closer than 20 meters from it. For birds this will be enough. Nearby, it is not recommended to hang several nesting grounds, because these birds are territorial and do not like close neighbors.
Painting
It should also be said that it is very importantthe original painting of the birdhouse. So, it is necessary to do this, in order to protect the boards from faster wear. However, the color for the bird house must be soft and calm. It is better to choose natural shades. Green and brown colors that are very familiar to birds are suitable.
Checking
Having figured out where to put a birdhouse and howit is also necessary to be able to monitor the dwelling of these birds. In the autumn it is important to check whether the bird family lived there. If not, and this happened once - it does not matter, but if the starlings did not settle in the house for two years in a row - it needs to be weighed, most likely, it's just an unsuccessful place for nesting. From time to time, better in winter, small houses for starlings need to be cleaned, because birds can fill them up to the tap in just a couple of years. You just need to get rid of all the accumulated there. After all, birds often do not settle in old houses, because nesting parasites can live there (they are planted in blades of grass and twigs, which birds cause during their stay). In empty houses in the spring the birds will fly again with pleasure. If there are certain cracks or holes in the birdhouse, it is not necessary to seal them up, the birds will do it much faster and better.
