{"id":775,"date":"2012-03-21T20:29:08","date_gmt":"2012-03-22T01:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.you-can-fix-it.com\/fix\/?p=775"},"modified":"2012-04-11T19:43:07","modified_gmt":"2012-04-12T00:43:07","slug":"birds-in-backyard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.you-can-fix-it.com\/fix\/lawn-garden\/birds-in-backyard\/","title":{"rendered":"Birds in Backyard"},"content":{"rendered":"

Early spring is the perfect time to install a bird house<\/a>\"\" in your back yard.\u00a0\u00a0 Following a few simple steps will have you bird watching in no time.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\"\"<\/p>\n

Step 1:\u00a0 Decide what type of birds you want to attract.\u00a0 \u00a0Blue birds, wrens, chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, swallows and flycatchers will all nest in houses. Blue birds prefer open spaces, while the rest prefer wooded lots.<\/p>\n

Step 2:\u00a0 Put no more than one house per tree, unless the tree is very large or the houses<\/a>\"\" are for different types of birds.<\/p>\n

Step 3:\u00a0 Put no more than one blue bird house per acre and keep the blue bird house at least 25 feet from other houses.\u00a0 Mounting a blue bird house on a post with a squirrel baffle, to protect it from predators, is by far a better choice than nailing it to a tree.<\/p>\n

Step 4:\u00a0 Keep bird houses<\/a>\"\" away from the bird feeders.<\/p>\n

Step 5:\u00a0 Face the opening of the bird house to the north or the east to avoid overheating.<\/p>\n

Step 6:\u00a0 Make sure the opening size of each bird house is not too large or too small for the type of bird you are trying to attract. Blue bird holes should be one and one half inches in diameter.\u00a0 Chickadees, nut hatches and titmice holes should be one and one eighth inches in diameter.\u00a0 Wrens prefer a vertical slot one and one half by two and one half inches.<\/p>\n

Step 7:\u00a0 Mount the house at the appropriate height for the type of bird you are trying to attract. \u00a0\u00a0Blue birds, chickadees, nut hatches and titmice houses should be mounted five to six feet off the ground.\u00a0 Fly catcher boxes should be ten feet up in a tree and wren houses can go pretty much anywhere.<\/p>\n

Step 8:\u00a0 Mount your bird house on a pole, screw it to a wooden post or hang it from a tree limb with chain, rope or fishing line.\u00a0 Houses mounted on metal poles are less vulnerable to predators.<\/p>\n

Step 9:\u00a0 Planting fruit trees and installing a water feature is a natural way to attract avian tenants.\u00a0 Otherwise, consider installing a bird feeder and a bird bath to accommodate the needs of your potential new neighbors.<\/p>\n

Giving a little thought to the type of bird house you place in the yard will increase the chances of attracting birds to your neighborhood.<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/OBJECT>