Best Predator Guard for Bluebird Houses and Nest Boxes

Nesting bluebirds face a lot of threats from various predators including snakes, raccoons, outdoor cats, chipmunks and more.

The best predator guard for a bluebird house or nest box that is commercially available is a stovepipe baffle at least 8 by 24 inches. However, making your own, taller baffle will offer your bluebirds substantially more protection.

Stovepipe baffles are one of the best ways to protect nesting bluebirds from predators because they have almost a universal functionality, protecting bluebirds from several types of predators, including smaller snakes, raccoons, squirrels, cats and other predators.

Learn about 8 different bluebird predators and ways to protect your bluebirds from each of them.

Animals an 8×24 inch stovepipe baffle may not protect against are bears, larger snakes and birds of prey. They also would not stop invasions from competing birds including house wrens, house sparrows and starlings.

Table 1. Predators that an 8×24 inch stovepipe baffle will protect against

Getting the best out of your baffle – Optimization

For your stovepipe baffle to work effectively, you need to make sure your nest box is properly mounted and that your baffle is also properly mounted. Let’s look at each point in a little more detail.

Improperly mounted nest boxes and bluebird houses can become easy lunch boxes for predators. And cavity nesting birds like bluebirds are particularly susceptible to predatory threats because they become trapped in the nest box when a predator comes around.

Nest boxes and birdhouses mounted to wooden posts, fences and trees are a danger to cavity nesting birds. If you’re hosting bluebirds, we encourage you to host responsibly by properly mounting, monitoring and protecting these birds.

To properly mount a bluebird house, place it on a large metal pole. The bluebird nest box should be at least 5 feet up, though a little higher is better.

We recommend the Universal Mounting Pole Kit, which can be found on Amazon* because it comes with a mounting flange, a built-in auger, and a twist bar to help drive it into the ground.

The next part about getting the best out of your predator guard is to optimize how your baffle is mounted to the pole. You’ll want your stovepipe baffle to be about 8″-12″ below the bottom of your nest box.

Next, one of the most important qualities about ensuring your baffle works effectively is that it will wobble on the pole. If that doesn’t make sense, the idea is that if you have it mounted right, when the wind blows, it would act almost as a bell, moving back and forth.

Wobbling creates a balance problem for any predators attempting to climb to the nest box, which is why this characteristic is so important.

Finally, if you are concerned about birds of prey or corvids like blue jays and crows, you may want to pair up your predator guards by installing a Noel guard.

A Noel guard is a mesh metal predator guard that surrounds the entry hole, making it hard for certain predators to access the nest box. There are some drawbacks and things to consider if a Noel guard is something you are thinking about. Therefore, we recommend you taking a look at our Noel guard guide. We also have a video version of the article.

Baffles can sometimes slide down the pole a little bit

If you buy a stovepipe baffle, it will come with a mounting bracket. During very high winds or heavy storms where the baffle may swing more than usual, it can also cause that mounting bracket to slide down the pole a little bit. And in turn, that causes the baffle to slide down the pole a little bit.

This is not common, but it can happen. Fortunately, it is very easy to fix. Just raise the baffle up to where the mounting bracket is accessible, then raise the bracket and tighten the screws. You may have to take the nest box down briefly in order to do this. And that is OK to do as long as the nest is not active (an active nest is a nest with eggs or nestlings).

The one time this can be a challenge is when this happens while the nest is active.

Usually, if the baffle slips, it will only be just a little bit. So if the nest is active, check the baffle to make sure it’s still fairly secure on the pole. And if so, don’t worry about it until the nestlings fledge.

If the baffle has slipped all the way down the pole, raise it as high as you can without moving the nest box. You may be able to lift it high enough to expose the mounting bracket in order to raise it and secure it tighter to the pole. You may not be able to raise it quite as high as it originally was, but it should at least be off the ground and now able to wobble. Once the nestlings fledge, you can adjust the baffle back to the proper height.

You can minimize the risk of slippage by adding a long strip of duct tape under the mounting bracket (go around the pole at least 3 times). Should the bracket start to slip, the friction from the duct tape paired with the adhesive can help stop it from slipping more.

Will wobbling baffles disturb my bluebirds?

When your baffle wobbles, it will knock against the pole and make a little noise. However, in our experience and in the experience of several bluebird monitors, bluebirds do not find this terribly concerning and will not abandon the nest.

Bee/Wasp concerns

While uncommon, some bluebird nest monitors have reported beehives, wasp nests, yellow jacket and other stinging insects making a nest inside the stovepipe baffle.

This should not dissuade you from using a stovepipe baffle as a bluebird predator guard, but it does mean there are some cautions to always keep in mind.

First, always approach your nest box with caution when monitoring it. Keep your eyes and ears on alert, and look out for any insects that could be a concern.

Second, you can apply scent-free soap to the inside of your baffle. This will make it very difficult for stinging insects to attach their nest. However, it can lead to the baffle sliding down the pole more. So don’t over soap. Instead, just focus on the top inside and a few inches down the sides.

Where to find stovepipe baffle predator guards

The largest commercially available stovepipe baffle are 8×24″. And this size will offer overall decent protection.

You can order it direct from our site. It ships from Missouri via UPS.

Amazon* also has them available.

Making a stovepipe baffle

If you’re a handy person and are interested in the added protection of a taller stovepipe baffle, you’ll have to make them.

You can easily make and 8″x60″ stovepipe baffle using duct pipe. There is a great YouTube tutorial that shows how to make one.

Another approach is to use a bollard cover. Available bollard covers on Amazon* are 7 x 52 inches, and they can be a little easier to work with if drill into it.

For both methods, a pipe or conduit hanger can work as a mounting bracket.

The advantages of making a baffle out of a bollard cover instead of duct pipe is that it can be easier to work with, and there is no seam.

Duct pipe have a side seam where each end connects, and the downside with a seam is that it can make it a little easier for snakes.

The advantage of making a baffle out of duct pipe rather than a bollard cover is that you’ll get a larger baffle out of the process.

Other important nest box guards

• Wren guards are an essential when managing bluebirds, chickadees and other cavity nesting birds. Wren guards hide the entry hole and minimize the risk of house wren invasion and invasion from other birds. You can learn more about wren guards here.
• Hole reducers are small round discs that fit around the entry hole. These are important when you have a smaller, native cavity bird like a chickadee nesting in your nest box.
• Noel guards are mesh metal guards that fit around the entry hole. They can ensure added protection when paired with a stovepipe baffle, broadening protection. But there are some drawbacks to using Noel guards.
• Sparrow spookers are a rack with streamers that sit on the roof of a nest box. They are installed after the first egg is laid and are meant to discourage house sparrows.

Key Takeaways

• Protecting your nesting bluebirds from predators is very important because of how vulnerable they are to entrapment in the nest box by predators.
• Tall stovepipe baffles at least 8 inches in diameter are the best predator guard to choose for bluebirds because it protects nesting bluebirds from a wide range of predators.
• To ensure your predator guard is effective, you need to properly mount your bluebird nest box to a metal pole and ensure your baffle wobbles.
• Be very aware of your surroundings because other organisms like bees, wasps and hornets may make a home out of your baffle.
• 8×24 inch baffles offer very reasonable predator protection and are commercially available.
• Taller baffles (8×60) offer the greatest protection, but you have to make them.

Resources

* This article contains affiliate links. While there are affiliate links on this site, our primary goal is bird conservation. We do not recommend products for a quick buck. We recommend products that have been tested and meet our incredibly high standards for bird protection and conservation. But as an Amazon Associate Nest Hollow earns from qualifying purchases.