[steveo]

Im planning on building some bluebird houses the hole size im going with is 1 3/8 wide by 2 1/4 tall is that right? Im also planning on serving live mealworms to the bluebirds hopefully it works to have the mealworm plate near the nestbox. Basically any info you all have is helpfull about nest box size hole size food and attracting the little buggers in the first place. Im also planning on erecting a pole in my yard with a flagpole like system where i can have a 6 foot piece of wood with many different feeds food on it . The point is to have it up high to attract more birds good idea bad idea i dont know but im hoping it attracts the local pileateds. Any thoughts on this would help .

[streatham]

Hi Steve,

How often do you see Bluebirds in your area at the moment - this should be something of a guide to whether they are likely to cme nest in the yard? I hope you have a fairly open yard and are somewhere a little way out of any town centre or you will probably find that your box is much more likely to attract other species: House Wren, European House Sparrow or European Starling. I love House Wrens but I guess for some people it just has to be Bluebirds in their boxes. Here is the most comprehensive site on the topic: http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/facts.htm

[Curtis Croulet]

I'd be happy with House Wrens. We sometimes get Western Bluebirds in our yard in autumn, but not, alas, during nesting season.

[steveo]

Streathham I do live outside of town center and i live near large corn fields, soccer fields, polo fields a river and a hill and prarie style old farm fields and a forest with lots of sugar maples and white birches and pines and a few crab apples. Should I plant more fruit trees, berries cherries ect...? But alas I have never seen a Eastern Bluebird in my life but I did have a Male Indigo bunting in my crab apple tree this past summer. What a cool picture that would bee a bluebird and a Indigo bunting in the same shot . But really should I plant more fruit trees for birds? I attached a pic of the bunting it would have been an amazing pic but whatever.

[KCFoggin]

You don't want to keep the mealworms too close to the nest box as the mealworms will invite other birds as well and the bluebirds will not like that very much

Keep the mealworms a good 12- 15' away from the nestbox. That's about the distance from my feeders and from one of the boxes that is used by both the chickadees and the bluebirds. Usually chicadees nest first and then the bluebirds come in and build their nest on top of the one the chicadees built.

[streatham]

Hi Steve,

I'm not the expert on Bluebird housings but i'm sure plenty of other poeple on here are and will help. However planting more plants that benefit and attract wildlife is never a bad thing. KC seems to have a bit of experience with these things - I'd take her advice.

Luke