Wild Habitat

Installation tips

La graine — 2022-07-13T15:15:37Z

Bats

Nesting box locations

Nesting box to be fixed on buildings, trees at the edge of the forest, near a pond, in a clearing or in the garden. [1]

Be well exposed to light (Exposure between west, south and south-east)

Install the nesting box at the end of winter. Bats can be accommodated in this transitional place when they come out of hibernation.

Nesting box height

Place the nesting box at least 3 m high, protected from predators.

Tree Protection

If attached to a tree...
When the iron wire (or a sheathed electric wire) is placed around the tree to fix the nest box, a foam (or a “sausage” of old textile) is placed between the tree and the iron wire, at the opposite of the nesting box so as not to damage the tree.

Birds

Birdhouse locations

The birdhouse is neither in the shade nor in full sun. An East / South-East orientation is generally recommended.
We will also avoid prevailing winds.

Nest box height

In alphabetical order of species.

Recommended height
Species	Height	Source
White wagtail	1,5 to 2 m	Ornithomedia
Tawny owl	1,5 to 2 m	LPO Drôme Ardèche
Common kestrel	8 to 12 m	Ornithomedia
Short-toed treecreeper	1,5 to 5 m	Ornithomedia
Song thrush	at 6 m, if possible on a tree with ivy	LPO Drôme Ardèche
Eurasian hoopoe	1 m to 1,20 m	LPO Drôme Ardèche
Common blackbird	1,5 to 6 m	Ornithomedia
Coal tit	2 to 4 m	LPO
Eurasian blue tit	2 to 5 m	LPO
Great tit, Eurasian tree sparrow	2 to 6 m	LPO
House sparrow	3 to 8 m	LPO
European green woodpecker	2 to 6 m	Ornithomedia
Great spotted woodpecker	3 to 5 m	Ornithomedia
Common redstart	1,5 to 4 m	LPO
Black redstart	2 to 6 m	Ornithomedia
European robin	1,5 to 5 m	Ornithomedia
Eurasian nuthatch, Common starling	minimum 4 m, optimum 8 to 12 m	LPO

Tree Protection

When the iron wire (or a sheathed electric wire) is placed around the tree to fix the nest box, a foam (or a “sausage” of old textile) is placed between the tree and the iron wire, at the opposite of the nesting box so as not to damage the tree.

Leaning birdhouse

A piece of cleat or wood is attached to the top of the back of the nest box, so that it is slightly tilted.

[1] Inspired by the 10 rules of the nest box installer: https://web.archive.org/web/20210127102956/https://www.dsne.org/2006/04/12/les-10-regles-du-poseur-de-nichoir/

Feeding tips

La graine — 2022-07-13T14:39:33Z

Summary

Should wildlife be fed?
Hedgehogs
Birds
The presence of an animal

Should wildlife be fed?

Feeding wildlife can be done with the noblest intentions. However, this is done sparingly.

If we generate a dependency with the human being, several scenarios are possible:

the animal will no longer be able to feed itself in the wild and will be in great danger;
the animal reproduces in higher numbers than it should and creates an imbalance in the ecosystem.

Hedgehogs

Avoid feeding the hedgehogs, but position a “natural” food source close to them, such as a compost heap, which is full of insects.

Hedgehogs, however, need a lot of energy to hibernate. Thus, in autumn, we can put on their way mealworms, earthworms or dried insects. They appreciate what is rich in protein and fat.

At the end of hibernation, for 1 or 2 months, hungry and weakened hedgehogs also need to recover their strength. [1]

Hedgehogs can be opportunistic, although primarily insectivorous. They can feed on many things (kibbles for animals, fruits, for example). However, if they are fed too often, they become dependent on humans and no longer know how to manage their diet on their own. This is why a nearby food source or insects on their paths (in reasonable quantities and only before and after hibernation) is ideal, if necessary (if they are weakened, hungry...).

For water, a rather flat container (so as not to drown) with water at room temperature will do the trick at the end of hibernation, for 1 or 2 months. Change the water and clean the container every 2/3 days.

Birds

The LPO [2] recommends feeding birds only in winter and especially during periods of prolonged cold, [3] particularly when snow and frost limit access to food .

Waterer

Birds also need water, which should be changed regularly (especially for flat containers where the water will freeze).

Birds also like water to clean themselves. A shallow birdbath will also be appreciated.

Secure the place

Feeder and waterer will be placed away from predators. There are several models, suspended or not.

Diseases

If there are a lot of birds, having several places can reduce excessive concentrations that can help the circulation of disease.

Regular cleaning of the feeder and watere also helps prevent the spread of disease.

Feed

For food, give unprocessed foods (no salt, no sugar, no grilled...) such as:

seed mixtures,
natural peanuts, walnuts,
withered fruits,
vegetable fat (but without palm oil).

A mixture of 1/2 of vegetable fat and 1/2 a seed will be appreciated. After melting the vegetable fat, we mix the seeds. Place them in a container and wait for it to cool before installing it. Among other things, we can place this in a half coconut shell, which can be suspended.

At the end of winter, reduce the quantities, so that the birds supplement by going themselves what they need.

The presence of an animal

If an animal is around, there's a reason.

A Propitious Place

Animals have natural needs (food, habitat, reproduction, etc.)
If an animal is present around, it means that the place may be conducive to its development.
Inquire with an animal protection association or by your own means, allows you to know your way of life and therefore the needs of a animal.

Thus, we can avoid cutting grass in places, leaving rotten fruits on the ground, leaving a few berries on a shrub, planting plants appreciated by insects, placing the habitat close to a source of food... So many possibilities depending on the species.

Environmental pressure

The presence of an animal may be due to environmental pressure, its natural habitat having been destroyed, degraded... In this case, several things are possible:

restorative management by studying the surrounding ecosystem and animal needs;
conservation by protecting threatened areas;
free evolution consists in leaving a space to nature and letting it do its thing...

Here is a video on the subject of conservation / restorative management.

In the case of environmental pressure, contact an animal protection association to find out how to react.

[1] Source: https://www.jardipartage.fr/herisson-nourriture/

[2] Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux), a french organization about wildlife

[3] from November to the end of March in mainland France, Switzerland or Belgium.

Maintenance tips

La graine — 2022-07-13T14:23:12Z

Summary

When to do the maintenance?
> Bat nest box
> Hedgehog shelter
> Birdhouse

When to do the maintenance?

Maintenance depends on the type of habitat.

Bat nesting box

Nesting boxes for bats do not require any maintenance, and disturbing them during the day can be very harmful. [1]

Hedgehog shelter

The inside of the shelter can be cleaned at the end of the breeding season (early or mid-autumn). (Watch out for hot autumns!). [2]

Birdhouse

Maintenance Period

Maintenance is done when the nest box is unoccupied.

At the end of winter, the birds begin to look for a habitat.
At the end of the spring to the beginning of autumn, it is possible to have a second brood.

At the end of winter, when the nest is empty, we can then clean the birdhouse.

Maintenance of a birdhouse

Ensure that the birdhouse is unoccupied and if this is the case:

put on gloves (for protection, hygiene and to minimize your smell);
lower the birdhouse to be comfortably installed (in case of bad surprise, insects, spider, snake... It is better to be on the ground).
empty the birdhouse (whether it is in good condition, with a non-viable egg or insects, we empty in its cases);
Open the birdhouse and dismantle it if necessary:
- Clean it with boiling water by scrubbing with a brush.
- You can also use household vinegar.
- You can soak for a few minutes in bleach, diluted to 5 or 10% if occupied by rodents. In this case, rinse thoroughly with boiling water, rubbing with a brush.
Repair if useful:
- Unclog the liquid evacuation holes.
- We check the tightness. If cracks allow water to enter inside, fill in with solvent-free wood putty, or change the damaged part.
- We check the bindings.
Let the birdhouse dry before replacing it empty in its original location.

[1] Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20221009075914/https://enm.lillemetropole.fr/actualites/octobre-novembre-cest-le-moment-ideal-pour-nettoyer-les-nichoirs

[2] Source : https://protectiondesoiseaux.be/2021/01/01/abri-pour-herisson/

DIY tips

La graine — 2022-07-13T14:05:41Z

Sommaire

Tools
Wood
Paints and wood protection
Screw
> Screw type and length
> Driving recess
> Do not split the wood
> Screw flush
Wood recovery
Tips
> Join two pieces with no space between
> Saw hole

Tools

For cuts, you can use:

a wood saw or
a circular saw or
a jigsaw

For assemblies, you can use:

a screwdriver or
a drill / screwdriver (preferably)

For large diameter holes:

a wood hole saw (element adaptable to a drill / screwdriver)

Wood

Preferably use fir or poplar. You can also use larch, red cedar or black locust. Avoid chipboard or plywood. [1]

Paints and wood protection

Paints

Avoid using paints, because of the potential toxicity. Even natural products are not always healthy and were not designed to be near living beings->https://compost.graineahumus.org/Life-in-the-compost].

All things are poison, and nothing is without poison, the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison. (Paracel)

Wood protection

If you want to protect the wood (which is not necessarily useful), avoid saturators and stains. As for commercial oils for wood, they are often not natural.

A classic oil protection is linseed oil / turpentine. Here are the recommended dosages:

first layer: 50% linseed oil and 50% turpentine
second coat: 70% linseed oil and 30% turpentine
third and last layer: 100% linseed oil

One liter of mixture can treat an area of approximately 10 m².

Screw

Screw type and length

Use wood screws. This is usually indicated on the boxes (Often they are golden or silver, the black ones are for drywalls).

Caption: 1-Screw head | 2-Thread | 3-Point

For the length, we use screws of approximately 2 times the thickness that we drill.

Sectional view of the junction of two boards

Driving recess

The driving recess of the screw is the shape on the screw head : flat, cruciform, torx (starred)...

There are several types for each shape. For example, cruciform is not enough. We will look among the different cruciform mouthpieces that we have, which fits perfectly into the driving recess. The risk, otherwise, is to damage the tip and the driving recess, which makes it complicated to remove afterwards.

Do not split the wood

The wood has a tendency to split when the holes are close to the edge. Here are the classic tips to avoid this.

Drilling

You can drill with a drill fitted with a wood drill bit that is slightly smaller than the screw at its thread part.

Drill bit and equivalent screw thread

Wood drill bits have a small point at the end.

Screwdriver bit Tip

Anti-split screw

To avoid drilling, it is possible to use anti-split screws, recognizable by the notch at their points.

Anti-split screw

Screw flush

To screw flush with the wood, there are several possibilities.

1-Sometimes pushing at the end of screwing is enough for softer wood. Unscrewing and screwing again at the end can also help if you are almost there.

2-If this is not the case, you can use a countersink, which drills a shape in which the screw head will fit. The countersink is placed at the end of a drill / screwdriver.

Countersink

3-Another way, without a countersink, is to make a pre-hole a little smaller than the head of the screw, a few millimeters deep.

At the bottom, a hole with the countersink (cleaner result), at the top with a bit the size of the screw head.

Wood recovery

Construction / renovation timber

It is possible to recover wood. This must be at least class 3 (made for outdoors), but not chemically treated.

Untreated wood offcuts from environmentally friendly construction/renovation companies are perfect for this, but often the offcuts are small.

Pallet wood

If we recover wood from pallets, we will look for the HT logo on it (wood heated to eliminate pathogens, the only non-polluting phytosanitary treatment authorized in Europe).

Pallets without indication or with another indication are therefore avoided.

Removing the slats from the pallets can be a bit long and requires equipment (crowbar, grinder with disc for the metal of the screws, etc.)

Example of HT pallet

Oaktree b

Tips

Join two pieces with no space between

When joining two pieces of wood, there may be a gap between the two of them.

Space between two screwed boards

Several ways to solve this.

1-You can partially unscrew the screw to separate the two pieces. Then we screw again by pressing well when the screw begins to pierce the second piece.

2-You can use a clamp before screwing.

Clamp joining two boards

Hole with a hole saw

Before drilling with the hole saw, you can drill 3 or 4 holes on the wood with a drill bit, following the perimeter of the future hole of the hole saw.
Thus, the wood chips are evacuated more easily when drilling with a hole saw.

[1] Source : https://nichoirs.net/page2.html