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Q:
I saw a discussion about wood duck boxes previously and wanted to know more info about them. I have about a 2 acre pond that i waterfowl out of on my farm. Its got 2 "coves" if you will and there is some brush cover in one of them. North of the pond is some timber. How successful are these? Where should i put these boxes? Any other tips?
Question by farmboy4240. Uploaded on March 19, 2010
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Answers (8)
I've put wood duck boxes on metal pipes in the water and to trees near the banks of my ponds. If you build it they will come. I'm just starting to build rough cut cedar bat houses to place around the property, easy to build and the added bats they'll bring will cut down on the mosquito and other bug numbers.
Cgull appears to be correct. I personally have never put up boxes but I have seen them all over the country in all kinds of habitat. Lots of them just stuck on a post in or near the water.
I am curious. Has anyone ever heard of other species using the boxes? I know that goldeneys will nest in trees, hollow or not, and sometimes quite a distance from water.
you may have the ideal situation and should have ood luck. the ducks like the vegetation, put the hoses there
ood=good
I believe I started that conversation last time regarding the boxes. I am currently working on a large research project in which we are putting up hundreds of boxes, and have been for several years.
Other species that will use the boxes included buffleheads, hooded mergansers, screech owls, and even kestrels if you set them high enough.
From experience and personally documented nesting success, the best places to put up boxes (although not the easiest) is 1. south facing (for the spring warmth), 2. on a tree large enough to be inspected for a natural hole (they do fly-bys and visually key in on this size of a tree, 3. A bit back from the water, 30ft up to a mile (believe it or not) The edge of the water is a predator "hot zone" 4. high enough to avoid some predators (20ft, up to 60ft) 5. and with predator guard installed (we use aluminum flashing from Home Depot, its brown and can be cut to fit around any size tree.
matouse3 - do the color of the boxes matter? Thinking that dark colors might absorb more heat but wondering if it might be too much.
Yeah i was wondering the same thing. Does color matter? Do i just leave the wood finish? Or paint them some sort of color to attract attention? Thanks for all this info guys, appreciate it!
No color advantage. We tried that out by comparing weathered boxes to new. No real difference.
The ones we hang are light wood colored which may catch their eye, not sure.
Also, keep in mind that if nesting locations are your limiting factor then they will nest in sub-optimal boxes. My advice is to get them out there and see what happens.
Post an Answer
I've put wood duck boxes on metal pipes in the water and to trees near the banks of my ponds. If you build it they will come. I'm just starting to build rough cut cedar bat houses to place around the property, easy to build and the added bats they'll bring will cut down on the mosquito and other bug numbers.
I believe I started that conversation last time regarding the boxes. I am currently working on a large research project in which we are putting up hundreds of boxes, and have been for several years.
Other species that will use the boxes included buffleheads, hooded mergansers, screech owls, and even kestrels if you set them high enough.
From experience and personally documented nesting success, the best places to put up boxes (although not the easiest) is 1. south facing (for the spring warmth), 2. on a tree large enough to be inspected for a natural hole (they do fly-bys and visually key in on this size of a tree, 3. A bit back from the water, 30ft up to a mile (believe it or not) The edge of the water is a predator "hot zone" 4. high enough to avoid some predators (20ft, up to 60ft) 5. and with predator guard installed (we use aluminum flashing from Home Depot, its brown and can be cut to fit around any size tree.
Cgull appears to be correct. I personally have never put up boxes but I have seen them all over the country in all kinds of habitat. Lots of them just stuck on a post in or near the water.
I am curious. Has anyone ever heard of other species using the boxes? I know that goldeneys will nest in trees, hollow or not, and sometimes quite a distance from water.
you may have the ideal situation and should have ood luck. the ducks like the vegetation, put the hoses there
matouse3 - do the color of the boxes matter? Thinking that dark colors might absorb more heat but wondering if it might be too much.
ood=good
Yeah i was wondering the same thing. Does color matter? Do i just leave the wood finish? Or paint them some sort of color to attract attention? Thanks for all this info guys, appreciate it!
No color advantage. We tried that out by comparing weathered boxes to new. No real difference.
The ones we hang are light wood colored which may catch their eye, not sure.
Also, keep in mind that if nesting locations are your limiting factor then they will nest in sub-optimal boxes. My advice is to get them out there and see what happens.
Post an Answer