The titmouse is one of the most useful birds, because it is able to eat harmful insects in a volume equal to itself in just a day. These little birds prefer not to travel to warm places for the winter. How to help them survive the frost by making a titmouse with their own hands, the dimensions of which will be comfortable for them, is described in this article.
Why do we need a titmouse?
Tits are faithful to their nesting place and do not leave it with the onset of cold weather. However, not all birds can withstand and survive severe frosts. They are especially tight when sticky snow or an unpleasant drizzle falls. Birds have nowhere to shelter from the weather, getting food is becoming increasingly difficult. Because they feed only on small insects, in the winter it becomes extremely difficult for them to feed. Therefore, it is important to help them and make a titmouse with their own hands. Dimensions, drawings can be found in available sources or, if desired, made independently.
Experts estimate that by the arrival of spring, only a third of the total number of birds remains. They can increase their survival, and, consequently, their birth rate with the help of food houses made by kind people. A smart titmouse, having once tasted a delicious treat, will fly to the trough constantly. And this, in turn, will save a fragile life and help survive the winter.
Do-it-yourself titmouse: sizes, photo
Making a titmouse with your own hands is quite easy and simple. Usually large tits settle in hollows, so it will be great if the design of the house resembles a natural dwelling. To do this, slightly trimmed trimmings of wood and boards, for example, pine, are suitable. By the way, the titmouse is somewhat different from its fellow birdhouse, both in diameter and in other measures.
It is necessary to prepare all the necessary tools that will be needed to make a homemade titmouse. Dimensions are calculated in advance. You will need the following:
- hacksaw or electric jigsaw ;
- not to do without a hammer;
- drill, it can be manual and electric;
- wood drill;
- pencil, tape measure, carpentry nails;
- brush and paint (odorless).
Do-it-yourself titmouse: sizes
To properly make a home for birds, you must adhere to the following rules:
- The thickness of the boards should not be more than 3 cm.
- For the roof: the visor is made slightly protruding forward over the front wall.
- For small titmouse, the optimal bottom size is 9 x 9 cm.
- The height relative to the bottom of the lid is 24 cm, the diameter of the notch is not more than 2.7 cm, the range from the center of the bottom to the opening of the notch is 16 cm. This diameter is needed so that other small birds - sparrows, gadgets and others - do not settle in the titmouse.
- The dimensions of the house for large tits: the diameter of the notch is 3 cm, the parameters of the bottom of the titmouse is 12 x 12 cm, and the height from the bottom to the lid is 25 cm, the distance from the bottom to the notch is 18 cm.
Build a house for tits
The assembly of all the components of the titmouse is performed in the following sequence:
- Before making a titmouse, the dimensions are verified, all the markings on the boards are performed.
- Saw the details along the outlined contours with a hacksaw, then plan the outer side a little, do not need to touch the inner one.
- The back wall is nailed to the bottom.
- The front wall is screwed to the resulting device.
- The side parts of the birdhouse are nailed.
- The roof is put on, and the finished product is painted with a brush, after which it is allowed to dry.
So that in the future it was possible to remove the roof of the titmouse and clean it of dust and pollution, it is necessary to make it removable. The technology is simple: a small piece of a board corresponding to the rectangle formed by four walls arranged vertically is nailed to the inside of the roof.
Because in the unpainted house the tits almost do not settle, it is necessary to paint it. Best in the color of young greenery. If desired, the titmouse is treated with protective impregnation before painting.
How to position correctly
On the trees or special poles craftsmen have made do-it-yourself titmouse. The dimensions for this can be observed as follows:
- distance to the ground - at least 4 meters;
- if it is planned to build several tine hens, then they are installed against each other, the optimal distance is 20 or 22 meters.
Do not forget about the direction of the taphole relative to all four cardinal points. A large tit chooses the nesting, directed by the summer into the west. This is simply explained: the bird flies all day, and at night goes to the nest, focusing on the summer, which is lit from the western side.
Titmouses are best hung in the fall, while choosing a thick crown of branches. Over the long winter, the birds will gradually take a fancy to the new dwelling, get comfortable, and begin to spend nights more often in it. Subsequently, they will definitely stay there. If you hang a titmouse at the end of winter or spring, then it will most likely go to other birds that return from wintering.
How to fix a house
- Do not nail the house with nails to the tree, you just need to attach it with wire, rope or suitable material. The best option is the bar. A half-meter-long timber bar is carefully nailed to the end of the titmouse. She secures the house between the branches. They hang it on a tree with the help of a designed pole with a nail on the end, which is hooked directly to the notch. Do-it-yourself titmouse (dimensions allow) can be quickly removed for transfer to another location.
- The second way to attach the titmouse allows you to fix it on the trunk and branches of the tree through a loop of wire. It is enough to hammer the bracket into each hole on each side, then pass the wire through them - and you can hang the house on a tree. But the ends of the staple should be bent at a right angle. As such staples, a wire with a thickness of 3 mm and a length of 1.5 cm is quite suitable.
- The third way is a pole. A simple stick is nailed to the back of the house. It is advisable to cover it with tin so that cats cannot get into a bird’s nest, and the chicks remain unharmed. If there is no tin at hand, then barbed wire or similar material is taken.
Home improvement
After hanging inside the titmouse, dried wood dust is poured with a 1 cm layer along the bottom. Peat elements are also used for this purpose.
Bird houses must be periodically looked after. In the fall and winter, the barn stands are cleaned of accumulated debris, because it is a collection of lice and ticks.
To design the feeders, tetrapacks and any plastic bottles are used. They add oats, nuts, berries. Grains of wheat, bread crumbs and tit millet do not favor - they are tasteless and not too nutritious for them. A favorite treat for bluebirds is sunflower and hemp seeds. A great joy for the little defenders of the garden will be a piece of fat, but not salty, which is hung on a rope. Titmouse fly up and peck it, hanging its paws on a thread.