I think i fit in the naturalist outdoorsman category. Thanks,lots of great information and positivity in this video. Im going to site a box for little owls in my wood,no better way to find out if they are in the area,or not. Thanks for all the useful tips. Best wishes from Devon.
I have a box that was built from a template from Cornell that we put at the end of last spring. I wish I had seen your video before, because our design doesn’t have the easy pull-out floor for box cleaning. My box is not stained or sealed. It is mounted roughly 12’ in an oak tree. We had a visitor for maybe a week then, but he didn’t stay long. We just last week checked the box to replace the bedding, but it looks completely fresh still. But, there are fire ants. So far we have left it as is, and actually had an owl visit, but seems it has moved on. Should I try to address the ants at all? I’ve read they can kill a hatchling, which I’m guessing would make the box unappealing to an owl looking for a new home. I am planning to start calling again soon.
You will need a new box. Once the ants are there the owls will not come back. I believe they can sense or smell the formic acid--speculation--at any rate I have never seen a box used after ants. If you have a nesting pair and ants overtake the box, they will kill the owlets as well as the female who will not leave 1
Can I use dried Live Oak leaves for bedding instead of pine shavings? I've got an excess of leaves! And if I CAN use them, (which seems like it should be ok) should I mulch them into tiny pieces? Or Medium pieces? Or Leave them whole? As long as I'm doing this, I may as well do it right!
You can do it--some people do--with that said, leaves degrade quicker than shavings and can damage the box. Also you may introduce unwanted insects to the box
I'm in East Texas area and mainly get Barred owls hopefully maybe Horned owls . How high would you suggest I hang them ? Yes I am planning on building my own . TIA
I’ve seen some people suggest using peppermint or tea tree oil (sprayed on or around the box) as a way to deter squirrels without discouraging the owls. Do you have any experience with that?
No these are for screech owls. The bard owl boxes are larger. they are similar to my barn owl boxes.without the exercise platform and artificial branching system added. . They are $135.00. the screech owl boxes are $65.00
