How to Attach a Birdhouse to a Tree
- 1). Prepare two or three nails for use in attaching the birdhouse by placing a washer over each nail, then slipping a spring over the nail. How many you need depends on the size of the birdhouse.
- 2). Check the birdhouse for usable nail holes. If there aren't any, drill two or three starter holes across the top of the backboard. Make sure not to poke through the roof or it will leak.
- 3). Hammer in one of the prepared nails through a backboard hole in the birdhouse. Hold the birdhouse firmly against the tree at your chosen height as you do so. The washer and the spring will be in front of the board, not between the tree and the birdhouse. Stop hammering when the spring begins to compress just slightly. This will allow the tree to grow and push the birdhouse outward without damaging either the tree or the birdhouse.
- 4). Repeat the above step with all of the nails. It might help to have them angled slightly upward to help keep the birdhouse in place, but if the tension is adequate on the springs it will be solid.
- 5). Attach the squirrel guard to the tree below the birdhouse. Follow the instructions with the guard. Be sure it wraps completely around the trunk. Make sure the guard is wide enough to prevent a squirrel or a cat from getting past it and reaching the birdhouse.
- 6). Cover the squirrel guard with a layer of petroleum jelly and cayenne pepper. This will cause the surface of the guard to be both slippery and unappealing to predators.
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