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Directions for a Wren Birdhouse

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Attracting perky little wrens to your backyard is as simple as providing an inviting environment filled with brush piles, tangles and lots of low branches for cover, protection and a source of tasty bugs. Win their hearts with your homemade fence post wren houses and you'll be rewarded by friendly encounters and cheerful songs resounding throughout the spring and summer. Zipping around, perpetually in motion, these wee brown birds will love their fashionable fence post homes and because of a dwindling number of nesting sites available for cavity-nesting birds, you’ll be aiding their survival.

Step 1

Cut 10-inch lengths of the fence post with a hacksaw or miter saw. Drill 1/2 inch ventilation holes about 1 inch from the top on the front and one of the sides of the fence post. Drill a 1 1/8-inch entrance hole 4 inches from the open bottom of the fence post. Sand all around the edges of all the holes with the sandpaper, inside and out, until they are completely smooth with no sharp edges that could harm the birds.

Step 2

Cut the wood floor bottom for the house. Sand the edges of the wood floor until smooth. Pre-drill one hole on each side of the wood. Set the wood into the open bottom of the fence post until the bottom is flush. Mark a drill point on the fence post on both sides, then drill the holes. Screw the wood floor bottom into place with the two pan head screws, which easily can be removed when you wish to clean the house.

Step 3

Drill a 1/4-inch hole in top of the fence post cap. Thread the nut and washer through the hole, then hold the bottom nut with a needle nose pliers while twisting the eye hook tight on the top. Apply glue around the perimeter of the inside of the cap and around the perimeter of the top of the fence post, then affix the cap onto the fence post. Let dry for 24 hours, or according to the instructions on the glue. Hang the wren houses from tree limbs or porches about 6 to 15 feet high.