Any water source will do a lake creek pond stream or water hole.
Barred owl nest box location.
Place 3 4 of wood chips in bottom of box.
Make sure the owl house is not close enough for owl droppings to fall into and contaminate the water source or for small owlets to fall into the water source and drown.
In november the bees are hibernating and barred owls will have 3 months to find the house.
If you have some over eager tree surgeon mount the box 40 up in a tree you won t be able to get up to it to evict squirrels.
Mount so that no branches or leaves obscure the entrance hole.
Squirrels may fill the box up with sticks and leaves making it impossible for owls to use it.
Otherwise you will have problems later.
The best place to locate a nest box is where barred owls are already present usually in wet woods with large trees especially hemlock trees which the owls like for roosting.
The best time to hang a barred owl house is november.
Although the bird is mostly active at night it will also call and even hunt in the daytime.
Nesting platforms can also be placed in barns steeples or silos if the owls will be able to access them easily.
You should take care to hang the nest box within 300 feet of a water source pond stream lake or river.
The further you place the box from human activity the better your chances of having an owl use it it should be no closer than 150 feet.
The hardwoods have fewer branches and are easier to access with a ladder or climbing steps such as archers use.
If you have a conifer tree nearby this will help attract them to using the owl house.
Place a barn owl nest box at least 15 20 feet high but be sure the opening is shaded from the sun and wind.
Barred owls prefer to nest in lowland mature forest areas.
The rich baritone hooting of the barred owl is a characteristic sound in southern swamps where members of a pair often will call back and forth to each other.
Squirrels nest in the fall when barred owls are not paying much attention to their nest cavities.
Barred owls like to nest near water.
If the box is mounted on a pole use a baffle to prevent cats raccoons and other predators from reaching it.
If it is not right pull the sides apart and redo the step.
Males like to roost in a nearby tree.
Only a little smaller than the great horned owl the barred owl is markedly less aggressive and competition with its tough cousin may keep the.
Male barred owls are the ones who pick the nesting location.
Locate box within 200 of water if possible.
I always place the box in a hardwood tree near some hemlocks.
