When riveting together, make sure the top hole is still large enough to get your snips or nibbler. Secure the pipe guard to your mounting pole using 3/8" bolts and nuts. If the box is mounted on a large wooden post or utility pole, you can make a version of this guard out of metal air conditioning duct, which comes in flat pieces. (Please specify when ordering).Phoenix Metals was paying attention when the MD Wood Duck Initiative released key Wood Duck and Bluebird Hatchling conservation Best Practices from its research. To prevent small rodents from crawling through, place a crumpled piece of chicken wire between the pole and the guard. Avoiding the seam, make four cuts in an "X" pattern from the hole in the top (center) to make an opening the diameter of the pole you will use for mounting your box. The guard will ship flat, and you use a few screws to give it it's cone shape. A predator guard will help to improve the chance of a successful hatch by preventing predators from entering your nest box DuckHut Predator Guard Our predator guards are made of incredibly strong polyethylene that will take the abuse that any predator can dish out, while withstanding all weather conditions for decades.
I'd like to encourage people to mount their wood duck houses on individual poles with predator guards.
Predator Guards. The Molded Predator Guard ’s one piece molded construction creates a rigid 26” diameter guard requiring no assembly. It comes with instructions and all required screws for assembly and attaching to a treated wood 4 x 4, which it is designed to snugly slide down over.Custom sized predator guards can be made to fit a specified diameter. Place your guard so it surrounds the pole or tree trunk. The maintenance of vegetation around and above the box is an annual part of proper box maintenance.It is best to erect nest boxes in the shallow, permanent water of a marsh or pond having a good mix of open water and emergent plant cover. Remove the nail and drill or cut a hole in the center large enough to get your tin snips or nibbler. This will be your guide for cutting. A check can also be sent to MWDI made out to Phoenix Metals. Production inspections should be made as often as possible during March through June, but at least once in April or May. The One Piece Predator Guard has a 29” diameter making it one of the largest and most rugged predator guards on the market. Unless prior arrangements are made, some minor assembly is required with common tools. Predator guards are essential to maintaining a successful nesting box program. 1) Steel Sheet Sandwich 36” X 49” sheet of 28 gauge steel • Fold the sheet in half along the 49” length, creating a front and a back, each 24” wide Drill a hole in the top and bottom of the pipe and pole about 32" apart. Its success at creating a “safe haven” for nesting birds led to its recommendation by both the Minnesota Waterfowl Association and the Wood Duck Society. This will prevent snakes or raccoons from killing the hen and her chicks. Galvanized sheet metal. Unless prior arrangements are made, some minor assembly is required with common tools. His design has withstood the test of time. This information has been compiled from the nest box guide for waterfowl by Ducks Unlimited and the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada; and a conservator article by Mearl Ronney (Vol. Wood … Suitable for wood duck and bluebird nest protection. Please call to confirm your shipping details.Checks for local pick-up or delivery in Maryland should be sent to the MWDI, include state tax, and be made out to Phoenix Metals.The MWDI will coordinate delivery or pickup arrangements for your predator guards.Payment can be made directly to Phoenix via check or credit card. Keeping the string pulled tight, work your pencil around the sheet metal to draw a visible circle. Predator guards are essential to maintaining a successful nesting box program. Rough sawn, cypress, pine or cedar lumbers are good choices as a nest box building material. If smooth or dressed lumber is used, be sure to tack a piece of mesh screening to the inside under the entrance hole. Bend back the flanges slightly made when cutting and slip over the pole, and use nails or screws to attach the cone to your pole via the flanges. Essential companion to any style nesting box. A box in 4"-8" of water in a forested wetland that can be readily checked and maintained will be much more productive than a box in open water that is never visited.