Nestbox Plans Nestbox Features HeatShield Plans Stovepipe Predator Baffle

Eastern Bluebird Nestbox - Recommended Features in Texas pdf   Powerpoint

Texas Blues TB-1 Nestboxes

Download the complete Nestbox Plans (115 Kb) - This is a five-page PDF document with plans to design your nestbox.

The TB-1 series of nestboxes are designed to meet the demands of the Texas environment. The design plans are sized for Eastern Bluebirds and will accommodate other small cavity nesters. The TB-1 nestboxes have a common design concept and vary only slightly based on:

1. desired floor area
2. available construction tools
3. available lumber (all use standard sizes)

White pine and cedar have proven to be the most durable in the hostile Texas environment and easy to work with. But other wood can be used as long as it is NOT chemically treated to repel insects or resist decay. (Wolmanize is the most common of these chemical treatments that should NOT be used.) All of the TB-1 nestboxes can include the insulating 2nd roof, which is shown on the TB-1C plan. This additional roof provides insulation from the severe Texas summer heat and provides additional protection from rain as well.

The following briefly describes each of the TB-1 nestboxes. TB-1: The TB-1 is built from standard 1x12 lumber. The builder must have access to a table saw because the 1x12 must be ripped. TB-1A: The TB-1A is built from standard 1x6, 1x8 and 1x10 lumber. It provides the largest floor area (32 square inches), accommodating species that need a little more space, like Carolina Wrens and Great Crested Flycatchers.
TB-1B: The TB-1B is built from standard 1x6 and 1x10 lumber.
TB-1C: The TB-1C is built from standard 1x6 lumber.

HeatShield Plans. - This is a one-page document with plans for adding a HeatShield to a nestbox.

An easy way to protect you nestbox is to use the Kingston Stovepipe Predator Baffle. It makes difficult for predators (including snakes) to reach the nestbox. Download a plan and build it yourself.