How to hang a birdhouse from a tree limb
As a convenient tree limb a little way up the trunk can serve as a great place to hang a birdhouse, in the end a hanging birdhouse will become more attached to the trunk.
How to hang a birdhouse from a tree limb would first require you to attach a hoop with wire or rope to hang the birdhouse in a way you know how. You'd hoop the birdhouse over a short or long limb by sliding it up against the trunk. Now the birdhouse can be attached to the tree trunk with a back up point.
As people go through the bother of finding a way to safely hang a birdhouse off a tree branch, it could be the tree limb or what is a stump that is needed.
Trees are often littered in crevices or branch collars you can hang birdhouses off, but there's nothing better than a tree limb that is short or long, thick or thin - but is strong enough to withstand the weight of a heavy birdhouse.
What you must do then is find a way to turn a birdhouse commonly made to be mounted to a post or wall, which must be converted into a birdhouse made to be hung.
When in fact we aren't going to hang the birdhouse as such, but rather we are going to attach the birdhouse to the tree trunk as a safety net.
Not on purpose mind you because when we attach the birdhouse to the tree trunk in conjunction with it hung off a limb - it must be done in order to prevent the birdhouse relying on a single hoop to hang.
Priority is on the birdhouse occupants safety thus if one tie point fails there's always a backup to fall on.
Bonus of attaching the birdhouse to the trunk as well as it being made to hang off a limb, is that birds are unlikely to nest in an unstable birdhouse - so there's no better reason not to hang it on a limb plus mount the birdhouse on the trunk to stabilize.
Always position the birdhouse all the way up against the trunk - because to hang it further out - we won't be able to secure the birdhouse on the tree trunk at all.
Where you place your birdhouse within the tree must still be up to 8 feet high minimum, all while it must be facing north, north/east... in order to avoid prevailing winds.
Hang on limb, strap on trunk
To be sure we are on the same page in regard to what a limb is on a tree, I would describe it as a stump for once where a tree branch grow which has recently or long been cut away after necessary tree pruning work.
Limbs can be an inch or more wide yet can be up to a feet long if your lucky.
Regardless, it isn't that hard to hang a birdhouse from a tree limb providing you find a way to be sure there's no possible chance of a collapse.
As I advocate for any birdhouse to never freely hang off a stump or short limb, believe it or not this is going to benefit you while still utilizing the tree limb of sorts.
What you will first need to do is secure on, or use what could be an already available wire for hanging - by simply taking this wire/rope to then see if it fits over the limb.
Likely scenario though is the birdhouse won't come with a wire or any kind of line to hang so you'd need to tie the ends of the wire to both sides of the birdhouse yourself - secured on a top rear position on the left and right side.
Push the birdhouse all away down the limb if necessary to lean it against the tree.
Only then can the birdhouse be secured once again as you strap the birdhouse to the trunk in addition to it being hung. Let me just say not many birds like Bluebirds will nest in a birdhouse that hangs, thus to stabilize the box on the tree trunk is more practical.
Capitalize on leaning position
Be it a one inch or one foot long tree limb, either way you have to find a way to prioritize a leaning birdhouse position over what would be an unstable hanging only birdhouse.
Heck, I'll just come out and say it, most common backyard birdhouse birds are unlikely to nest in a birdhouse that is hung.
Birds are mostly going to take to what is a secured birdhouse that is mounted to a post, pole, wall or fence - over a birdhouse hanging uncontrollably off a tree stump or limb.
Trade off is possible because how you hang a birdhouse from a tree limb can be turned into a kind of mounted birdhouse on a tree trunk. You'd first hang it off a limb then the birdhouse body will be strapped on to the trunk with rope, a clothesline or steel wire.
Personally, I'd opt for the clothesline as the durable plastic coated wire can't harm you or indeed damage the tree trunk like wire would as it digs in.
With the wire or rope hanging over the limb to create a hanging effect only, the box will use a secondary rope or wire to wrap around the birdhouse and tree trunk.
Capitalize on this leaning position made available to you because a hanging birdhouse isn't going to see much success in the time you are attracting birds to use it.
Drill in 3 screws on limb
I would absolutely never advocate drilling holes into a new or old but still strong tree, but you can get away with it if drilling into a tree limb.
But let me just say to hang the birdhouse first, then secure it with an additional length of rope or wire to strap it on the trunk to secure would be all that's needed - with absolutely no additional rope or hardware needed to keep it in place.
Its therefore possible to hang a birdhouse on a tree without nails or screws if you carefully position the box on a long limb with an upright angle.
On the downside, a too short limb or a stump that is pointing at a downward angle may need use of nails or screws; to prevent the wire or rope hoop from sliding down the limb, which would cause the birdhouse to drop off the end to the ground.
It would be OK to use nails on a limb then if the limb is pointing down at an angle as to be sure the rope or wire used to hang is on the opposite side of the nails or screws, with no chance the wire/rope slipping over.
But for me I'd never use nails or screws on a tree as I'll be concentrating my efforts in attaching a birdhouse to a tree trunk only with a length of clothesline or wire; over what could lead to damaging the tree when hanging the birdhouse plus mounting on a limb .
Up to three screws or nails would be needed to drill or hammer into the limb to create a stop, with its only purpose to prevent the wire or rope from slipping off.
Hoop over limb at rear point
How you'd get birds to use your birdhouse in a tree will depend entirely on a stabilized box, in which birds must feel comfortable enough with to nest in.
If the birdhouse is seen to move in its hanging off a limb position, I can assure you there's no possible way birds will occupy the box for the coming nesting season.
Where your place the birdhouse on a tree limb must always be positioned all the way down to the limb's strongest point - which is the thickest part of any limb that connects to the tree trunk.
Slot on the wire or rope you've attached to the birdhouse to then hang off the tree limb, but remember your only going for the illusion of a hanging birdhouse.
Its imperative you hang the birdhouse up against the tree trunk even if it forces the box into a slight but awkward angle.
With the rear of the birdhouse pressed up against the tree trunk only then can you attach the birdhouse with our secondary strap-on option.
Attaching the secondary wire or rope strap is what would turn a hanging birdhouse into a mounted birdhouse in a tree.
Never hang a birdhouse on a low down tree limb you have your eye on, as you prioritize hanging your birdhouse up to minimum of 8 feet off the ground to keep off predators.
Summary
It may seem like an unorthodox place to hang a birdhouse but I can assure its a good idea of yours to hang a birdhouse on an easy to access tree limb.
But let me suggest you don't rely simply on a hanging birdhouse placement, because no bird is likely to nest in an unstable birdhouse that is hanging.
To hang a birdhouse on a short or long tree limb can provide you the opportunity to not only hang the birdhouse, but to securely strap it to the tree trunk.
You'd first need to secure a length of rope or wire to both sides of the birdhouse to create a hoop. Length of wire or rope will depend on how thick or thin the limb is as to be sure the hoop can go around it.
You must push the birdhouse all the way down the tree limb so the box is literally leaning on the tree trunk.
Now that the birdhouse is hung off the limb whilst up against the trunk, you can now use a secondary length of rope or wire to strap the birdhouse to the tree trunk. Attach the box in a way that doesn't obstruct access to the birdhouse openings.
Optional but I don't recommend is using several nails to hammer in to the limb to prevent the birdhouse hanging hoop sliding off what would be a short limb.
Whereas an upright pointing limb will keep the birdhouse safe or if the limb is pointing at an downward angle - there's certainly a chance the heavy birdhouse can slide off in due course.
How to hang a birdhouse from a tree must be turned into an attached birdhouse using a secondary scrap by tying the birdhouse to the tree trunk.
Share this article:
