Gourd Bird House

Materials Needed: 1 dried gourd, about 10"H x 5" W 6" long twig Dish soap & water Bleach Rubber gloves Dust mask Fine grit sandpaper 3/4" or 1" drill bit 1/4" drill bit Drill Pencil Wire clothes hanger or similiar wire Outdoor varnish Paint brush

Instructions:

1) Clean and scrub gourd with soap and water, with a small amount of bleach added. Allow to dry. Then sand the gourd with a fine sandpaper while wearing a dust mask. Wash and scrub gourd a second time and allow to dry.

2) Now drill either a 3/4" or 1" hole in the gourd body. You can use a hole saw drill for this or a small saw, but don’t try using a knife. Using an appropriate tool, clean out the inside of the gourd and wash and scrub the gourd a third time. Allow gourd to dry.

3) Now drill two 1/4" holes in the bottom of the gourd, allowing for water drainage. Locate a twig about 6" long and drill two holes below and on either side of the main hole (see illustration). Allow twig to soak overnight in water, and insert twig into these two holes, forming a landing perch for the bird. If desired, either paint the gourd or coat it with an outdoor varnish, as both will extend the life of the gourd. Allow varnish to dry.

4) To hang the gourd, you can try using the gourds stem or optionally drill two 1/4" holes in the top of the gourd and suspend it from a tree branch using a piece of wire bent into the shape as shown in the above illustration. If possible, clean the inside of the gourd yearly. We have found that using a large tweezers is the best tool to use. This gives the next bird a ‘clean house’ for her nest.