The Chalet
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The Chalet is a descendent of the North American
Bluebird Society or NABS nest box. The NABS nest box is the icon for the
nest box movement and may have saved the bluebird from extinction, and,
the first homes built by Real Bird Homes.Com were all styled after it.
To give the nest box broader appeal by capturing more of
the cute factor inherent in bird houses, the flat, shed type roof was
replaced by a pitched roof with gable ends. This modification proved to
not only make it more attractive but to make it a superior nest box as
well.
The two greatest threats to birds nesting in nest boxes
are excessive heat and predation.
Excessive heat builds up inside nest boxes much the same
way as it does inside automobiles parked in the sun on hot summer days.
Temperatures can easily soar above 100 degrees and take the lives of the
chicks or destroy the eggs.
The roof and ventilation system of the Chalet prevents
this over heating and mortality because:
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At 168 square inches, the roof area of the Chalet is
nearly double that of many other nest boxes. And, the roof panels of
the Chalet come down over the sides of the nest box. Therefore, most
of the front and side surfaces of the Chalet are in the shade all
day.
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The chalet has a ventilation slot under the roof on
each side. These slots measure one half inch wide and five and a
half inches long. That is a full five and a half square inches of
ventilation. With other nest box designs, providing even half that
much ventilation increases the risk that rain water will run under
the roof and inside the nest box. There is no risk that rain water
will dampen the nest inside the Chalet.
Birds inside nest boxes mounted on trees, wooden fence
posts or other wooden structures are extremely vulnerable to predation
by fire ants, cats, raccoons, opossums, snakes and other animals.
The Chalet with Quick Mount attaches to the top of a
1" diameter galvanized EMT electrical conduit pole in seconds with
no tools or other hardware.
Applying a thin coat of axle grease to the smooth
galvanized one inch diameter pole when the nest is occupied has shown to
be 100% effective against predation by fire ants.
When the Chalet is mounted 6 feet high on top of a
smooth 1" diameter galvanized pole coated with grease, it is
extremely unlikely that the nest will be raided by cats, raccoons,
snakes and other predators that access the nest by climbing or jumping.
Some birders believe baffle guards are necessary for
increased predator protection. But, we believe a nest box mounted six
feet above the ground on a greased smooth 1" diameter metal pole
offers sufficient protection and that mounting a nest box this way will
out perform a baffle guard system unless the top of the baffle is 6 and
a half feet above the ground. If the top of the baffle is only 5 feet
off the ground, many snakes, cats, and raccoons can reach or jump up to
the top of the baffle without touching the pole, then climb up onto the
nest box or raid the nest while sitting on top of the baffle.
However, the one inch EMT pole is an excellent pole on
which to install a baffle guard if desired.
More detailed information about increasing the effectiveness of a
Chalet by using hole reducers, ventilation blocks, false floors, nest
lowering or roof-overs can be found by visiting our site at www.realbirdhomes.com
or by contacting us.
