Bird Houses

• Your birdhouses should be attractive as well as functional. Select a birdhouse that compliments your property and blends in with the color of your buildings and flowers/shrubbery.
   
• Make sure every birdhouse that you buy has a "clean-out". This is usually a small door or sliding panel located on the back of most birdhouses, although some birdhouses have the clean-out on the bottom or top.
  
  A clean-out is a highly recommended so that you can remove old nesting materials from the birdhouse each winter. See Birdhouse Care And Cleaning for more information.
   
• Look for high-quality birdhouses. A well constructed birdhouse will last for several years but a poorly made birdhouse might last for only a season or two.
  
  Wooden birdhouses should be built using cedar, cypress, or oak if you prefer the natural (unpainted) look. But other woods are fine as well as long as you keep the birdhouse painted to protect it from the elements.
   
  Plastic birdhouses make a good alternative to wood. They stand up to the elements well and are lightweight. As with wood, make sure you select a plastic birdhouse that is well constructed using thick, durable materials.
   
• If you plan to purchase an expensive birdhouse, make sure it comes with a money back guarantee so that you can return it if you're unhappy with it. It's quite a letdown when you pay $50 or more for a birdhouse only to find that you don't like it and there is no return option.

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