Helpful Tips

• Place nest cones in trees in the fall so they can be located by owls by the following January.
• Place the nest in a live hardwood tree that is at least 12 inches in diameter.
• Placing nest cones in orchards or on farm woodlots can help control rodent populations.
• Construction tips: Use a plant stand with a 12 inch opening to hold the cone during construction. Build a raft-like base at the bottom of the nest cone and secure the base to the sides of the cone with landscaping wire. Create vertical stick spokes (visualize a bike wheel) to use for attaching horizontal sticks. Work your way from the bottom to the top, securing sticks in 6 inch segments with landscaping wire. Add loops to the outside of the cone to aid in installation. Have an arborist install the cone! When Great Horned Owls select a tree as their nest site, they prefer to nest at a height of 15-45 feet; in hardwood trees with at least a 12 inch diameter.