How do I install a nest box on a pole?

Installing a nest box on a pole is one of the best ways to protect your nest, because this set-up most easily allows you to add more effective predator guards. Cone and stovepipe baffles installed on a pole below the nest box can help prevent climbing predators from reaching the box, such as snakes, raccoons, chipmunks, mice, and more.

Please always be sure to check with utility companies before you dig.

To install a nest box on a pole, check out this instructional PDF. The supplies can be purchased for a relatively affordable price at most hardware stores. You can also watch this video that we produced to go along with our curriculum Thinking Outside the (Nest) Box for middle school students, which walks you though the same instructions.

Note that these instructions are best suited for smaller nest boxes. If you are looking to install a larger box on a pole, such as one for owls, then it may be best to contact a professional construction company for help installing a larger diameter pole, which usually needs to be installed several feet into the ground for stability.

If using a pole is not feasible, check out our blog to learn more about a newer predator guard design that has been shown to be effective when installed below tree-mounted boxes.