Who would have thought pieces from TP holders would look so great on a birdhouse? lol! I love all three of them. Great idea using the picture frame for trim! You see frames so cheap at thrift stores and rummage sales and they are usually missing the glass and backs. This is a great way to repurpose them. TFS your wonderful ideas!

Christie, in the past, I have scrubbed, dried, painted with marine varnish, I have painted with white latex paint....they all last a year or two at best. So this time, I did nothing. I need to do some more research on it. I have so many, it doesn't really matter if they are short lived except for the nuisance of drilling the holes. This one will last better because it is under roof.

did you use duct tape to attach? COOL!!! will add one right now! I'll get the dimensions of where it needs to be.. BIG SIGH! Yes, here is the quote from sialis.. "Try a modified Noel guard: Suggestion from Bernie Daniel: When a Chickadee or bluebird is established (i.e., a nest or eggs) build a "vanity front porch" on the box for them. Cut an old 2 quart milk carton in half. Cut a 1.5' hole in the bottom. Trim back the sides to about 4" in depth (now you have created a 4" bowl with a hole the bottom.) Center the hole in the bottom of the former milk carton over the nestbox hole and tack it onto the door. You can cut the bottom of the "porch" off so it is easier to attach and so that the Chickadee has access to the wooden door -- but keep the sides and top in place. (Basically this is a just a plastic "Noel guard" with no bottom). This creates a vestibule that prevents the wren for seeing the chickadee fly into the hole. Thus, the wren has less interest in what the chickadee is doing. Daniel has never lost a nest to wrens since using this method. " on this page: http://www.sialis.org/wrens.htm about a third of the way down.

Thanks Lisa, that is what I was thinking too but I wanted to make sure. I will just keep the wrens busy pulling sticks. LOL! I was thinking of taking the hole reducer off that box too since I know the chickadees won't be back this year. Maybe then I could put it back up in Fall when nesting is done. There is a male HOSP hanging around lately too but like you said the TRES don't leave their nests unattended so I am hoping they will be ok. We have three boxes with eggs now. The HOSP keeps going into the empty box however seems to not have any female takers as of yet. Of course this is the only box I cannot put a trap inside, found out this year as it is top opening and the sides that come down into the box makes it a bit too narrow for the trap. I keep hoping I can get him at the feeder with the BB gun but so far no go. I may have dh put a house on a movable metal fencepost just to try to get rid of that little bugger. I had one other permanent trap box but a Robin built a nest near it and won't let any bird near that nestbox. Donna