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 LITTLE
ROCK - One of several wildlife success stories in Arkansas is the
comeback of the wood duck.
The colorful waterfowl are found in all 75 Arkansas counties, and man
has been instrumental in the recovery from extremely low numbers a few
decades ago. Most anyone can build a wood duck nesting box, and it can
be a rewarding parent-child venture. Plans are available from Arkansas
Game and Fish Commission offices across the state.
Here are the basics:
To start, you need a 1 by 12 board 10 feet long. Cypress or cedars are
the preferred materials; they are naturally weather resistant. Redwood
works well, but may be costly. More easily obtained pine or fir can be
used, but the box will have a much shorter life span after it is put
into use. Rough sawn or unplaned lumber works best, gives a more natural
appearance to the ducks and is a full one inch in thickness. Finished
lumber is 3/4-inch thick.
Cut four pieces 24 inches long. For a sloping instead of flat roof, you
may choose to angle the tops of the two sides a little, making one edge
23 inches instead of 24. Cut a roof 14 inches long. Cut a floor 10
inches long and either cut off the floor's corners or drill a few
quarter-inch drain holes so moisture can escape the box.
The entrance hole in the front should be an oblong 3 inches by 4 inches,
and the hole's top edge should be about 3 inches below the roof. Inside
the front piece and below the entrance hole, tack a strip of hardware
cloth or window screen about 3 inches wide. This will serve as a ladder
for the baby ducks to climb up to the hole.
Assemble the pieces with galvanized nails or wood screws. For ease in
cleaning out the box, you can pivot one side with nails near the top and
rig a fastener near the bottom. Don't paint or stain the box; leave it
natural. If you use pine, fir or spruce, an outside coat of deck-type
water seal will make it last longer, but don't use this material inside
the box.
There are options, of course, and wood ducks aren't all that finicky
about a place to use. The back of the box can be made longer, so there
is room above and below for bolting, screwing or wiring the box to the
pole or tree.
Put several handfuls of wood chips or sawdust in the bottom of the post,
and then erect it on a pole or a tree.
The location the box is a critical factor. First, it must be on or very
close to water. Second, it must be fairly high off the ground, enough so
a ladder is needed. Third, there must be a guard of some kind to prevent
marauding snakes, raccoons and other predators from getting to the eggs,
babies or mother duck. A cone made of sheet metal and fastened on the
pole or tree just below the box works well.
A used aluminum printing plate wrapped around the pole also works, and
so does a coating of grease on several feet of the pole, although the
grease has to be replaced from time to time. Wood ducks aren't
territorial, so more than one box can be erected in an area |
