Bird nesting boxes, bat boxes and insect houses

[SomeMight]

I have quite a few of the above to put up. Kindly donated by Young Offenders. Does anyone have the knowledge about how best to site them. I know not to put the nesting boxes in direct sunlight or near thick branches, but that is about it!

You can see what we are up to at cawstongreenway.org by hitting the blog tab.

Any advice in general greatly appreciated.

[Dogghound]

What type of bird boxes are they? tit boxes? The entrance needs to be facing away from prevailing wind, rain and strong sunlight, with the box in a sheltered location. Usually north-south east facing is best, unless your in thick woodland in which case you may want to allow more light (warmth) to the box. I always try and position the boxes facing slightly down to help water drain away from the hole and off the box. The box needs to be away from fences or branches which could attract predators, and off the ground (for most species), 1 - 3 meters is best, depending on the situation. Place them away from feeders. Also depending on which species your after you may want to position them in groups or alone.

Bat boxes are pretty much the same, but can be places at around 4 meters high on a sheltered house wall or about 2 meters on the sheltered side of a tree. Density is less important with these.

[counterlady]

Good question and thanks for the response Dogghound that has helped me too