Evening star., 1948-12-17
This and That
By Charles z. TrdceUeH
GtrpAv~1Ra ~Arxp

Dear Sir:
Il would like to know how to build house
for bluebird.
Can these birds be coaxed to my yard
with food and to q box?
"A neighbor says I can't coax them. I
would like to fool her.
Yours respectfully, M. A. NJ"
e
Well ma'am, we think it can be DONE
good house for buebird is built accord
ing to the following measurement:
Floor, by inches.
Depth, 8 inches.
Diameter Of entrance, ~ inches.
Hole above floor, inches.
Height OF house above ground, to 10 feet
Those are the standard measurements for
house designed to coax bluebirds.
It will be realized that here is Q neat affair,
with the entrance high up, 50 that there win
be plenty Of room for the nest and the babies
and the parent birds leaning down from above.
Some builders like to put in perch, others
insist that 1t be left off,
The latter say that common sparrows will
stand on the perch and peck down at the
baby bluebirds.
This, however, is not the best solution of such
problem. Perhaps the best way to handle
the sparrows is to place the box low, not more
than feet high.
sparrows do not like to nest so low. They
caves
house, or occasionally in a tree.
**
Food is another matter.
There are few foods that will lure blue
birds. They want natural foods and prefer
to find them for themselves.
Sometimes they will take little beef suet
which may be put in q mesh bag or old soap
dish, affixed to tree trunk. Sometimes they
will take raisins.
The best placement of the bluebird house is
about feet from the ground, either on . stout
post solidly nailed on, or In q shrub.
If put on q post. 1t should face south, II
possible, but 1t Is not essential
Facing southeast Is considered good.
Those with some experience say that the
fence post is better than q tree trunk.
Christmas Is a good time to build and put
bluebrd boxes.
The bluebird Is gentle creature, rather on
the tinid side. 1t must find house well
weathered, by the time it arrives in March.
If the construction is too new, too smelling
Of human hands, the birds are not so likely
to stay.
If the house is built in the winter. however.
and Immediately painted and put up, 1t will
have all the human odor washed of by
cold air, winds, rain and SHOWS.
Experts say 1t is simple to make bluebird
house. Six cuts make a box, they declare.
Pine, cypress, fir or some other soft wood
Is best.
An inch thick, or less is best. The back
board should be about Is inches long, to give
plenty Of mailing space.
bluebird house may be painted any color
except red
White is standard, and perhaps the best.
The inside should not be painted. II the
top or bottom can be hinged, and securely
fastened especially the bottom), 50 much the
better, since this makes cleaning out In the
fall easier.
sAll bird houses should be cleaned out in the
fall. This removes the possibility Of future
infection. Birds, as q rule do not like to
clean out bird houses. They simply fly on to
some place else. If this chore is done for
them, they are much more likely to take over
a box. No human who ever had the mess of
cleaning up dirty house can blame them.
Ventilation holes should be placed near the
top Of the box, on the sides. These need not
be very large not more than . quarter Of an
inch in diameter
couple of similar holes should be placed
In the bottom, near the edge, to take care OF
any rain that might happen 70 sst IA.