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The bird houses
There is nothing more beautiful and exciting than seeing birds leaning against and feeding on the food stored in the cottage located for them in the garden of your home. Especially in the middle of winter, when the temperatures are extremely cold and when the cold grips in its grip, the bird house becomes a garden furnishing accessory that is very useful for those poor critters who use it to rest and to refresh themselves otherwise they would die of cold and hunger. The house becomes a very beautiful object aesthetically but at the same time really indispensable if you want to help so many helpless beings. You can choose it the more you like it and the size you want, and the bigger it is, the more there will be the possibility that larger birds will come to rest in the small house. Cassette houses exist on the market that are ideal for sparrows, while other said net houses are suitable for more agile birds such as the great tit and the blue tit. Inside the house, you can put containers with the food that the birds struggle to find in nature because they are covered with snow or too frozen by frost, such as berries, dried fruit or peanuts. When it is really cold and maybe snowing, you can place nutritious food such as pieces of lard or panettone crumbs or even some small croquettes for dogs or cats in the cottage. The birds of the forest will be really grateful to you. ENPA, the national body for the protection of animals, recommends buying small houses made of recycled ecological material to promote the eco-sustainability of the environment.
Where to place the house
There are various bird houses on the market. Naturally they must be well solid because they must not only serve as furnished gardens, balconies or terraces but must have the specific task of being a safe shelter for the birds and withstand any atmospheric temperature. In fact, we have seen that the birds go to the house in the middle of winter when there is a lack of food and when it is too cold. Usually these feeders are located next to a window of the house so that the arrival of the birds can be observed with all comfort. They can also be hung from a branch of a tree that is not too tall where birds can go without fear. The place where they are placed, must necessarily be secure because they could easily slip into the accommodation, other animals that would scare small creatures that take refuge. If we have a garden, it is better to put them in a relatively high place because foxes, hedgehogs or squirrels could get into the cabin of the house attracted by the smell of food. If instead we want to place the house on the balcony of the house, the domestic animals or even small rodents, they would surely go to look around, scaring the little guests. Basically they must not be too high nor too low but at an average height that can give the little animals ease to approach without fear and in complete safety. Birds are not as domesticated as dogs or cats and once they get scared, there is a risk that they will never come back. As for the way in which to attach the structure, although it can be fixed to a tree using some cables, it is preferable to place a piece of plywood between the house and the tree to avoid the rotting of the wood. Do not plant large nails on the bark, because obviously the tree could be affected and suffer from using wires to carry out this operation but only plastic wires. Furthermore, if the house is attached to the tree, it should be positioned slightly inclined to facilitate the release of rainwater.
What kind of model to choose
There are several models of houses on the market. The range is really very wide, starting from the very simple ones that only have the canopy and a manger where to place the food to end up with much more complex models with multiple forms, sometimes even oriental. The latter are extremely ornamental and in addition to serving the specific purpose, furnish the surrounding environment in an excellent manner. Some feeders are devoid of side walls but perhaps they are not very suitable for places where anomalous air currents usually occur because they could tip over and fall ruinously to the ground. Before buying it, think carefully about where you want to place it and think especially about the place where you live and if it is usually very windy, you must buy a bird housing that is not only very solid but also provided with walls that can shelter guests from possible currents of water. anomalous air. If you buy a house of considerable size, think that it is not uncommon for a small family of birds to find accommodation for almost the entire winter season. In fact, many birds, especially if the house is attached to a tree, believe that it is the abandoned nest of a woodpecker. Some birds like to lodge and nest where the nest looks like a niche or a tree hole. Usually the wren and the scops owl are birds that have this habit. You also need to think about the size of the door. This is a very important factor because the door is larger and larger and larger wild birds may approach. Without detracting from the sympathy of the larger birds, one must think that if a bird like the wren or the great tit nests in the house, there is a risk that a large bird will raid eggs or even small inhabitants. The ideal size of the entrance hole is therefore about 3 centimeters considering that the wren and the great tit are very small birds. The garden centers and the specialized animal shops are provided with every type of house. These nice structures even have a small balcony if you buy one of those more elaborate models.
Bird houses: The maintenance of the cottage
At the end of the winter season, when the heat and sunny days peek out, there is no longer any need for the birds to find safe shelter. We can therefore take advantage of the maintenance of the small structure. First of all we must sterilize it properly to eliminate any mites left by the guests. This operation is performed using pyrethrum powder, available in pet stores. A strong jet of water from garden pumps, however, would not be a bad idea, as long as the house is diligently dried in the sun. Finally, make sure to reinforce screws and reinforcements and replace them if necessary. If the cottage does not have one, make holes for rainwater drainage. These holes will be made with the tip of a drill so the birds will have not only a well-ventilated house but also a safe housing that will not flood with rain. When you buy the house, make sure that you can lift the roof so that the maintenance operation is easier and there is greater inspection on your part. Usually these structures, if well constructed, have a hinged roof that allows food debris and egg remains to be easily removed. Furthermore, it can be easily sanitized by pests and mites. If you want the house to be in wood, you can repaint it taking into account, however, that the birds do not like very bright colors so you will have colors of pastel shades for the wood.
