What is a Predator Guard on a birdhouse
To know what a predator guard is, its anything that is affixed around a birdhouse entry hole which would be flush against it or up to one inch thick.
What is a predator guard on a birdhouse is a block of wood up to 1 inch thick to keep predators like snakes, squirrels or predatory birds out of reach of the occupants. What is similar to a guard is steel plate acting as a guard, yet can be useful for preventing the occupants making the entry hole wider.
Highly practical predator guard is something you'll need when the time comes, otherwise most of us who don't experience backyard predators are safe to go without.
What makes a good bird house is one that is mounted with a predator guard. It may not be needed, although a predator guard can be affixed to a birdhouse without being an annoyance to you or the birds, so its a bonus if the times comes its needed.
What you can buy is a predator proof bird house that would come with a predator guard affixed to the entrance hole already - in which I recommend you do to save you the trouble of buying your own predator guard to fix it on with screws or glue later.
To mount your own wooden predator block then it may be ideal to match a cedar block to your own birdhouse.
Whereas an often made in stainless steel metal plate can be mounted to any wooden birdhouse, providing it can be screwed on without overhanging on the sides.
Birdhouses can be bad to use if you are not responsible enough to protect the occupants if they must, thus a predator guard can be used just to be sure.
While I wouldn't call a predator guard a requirement, is sure can save you a lot of time and fuss later to use one if predators turn up to cause issues around your birdhouse.
Made in wood block with hole
What would be a made in wood predator guard on a birdhouse is one that is made with a simple block of wood.
It would be approximately 4 by 4 inches, at about 1-inch thick; it can depend on the design or size of the birdhouse although you can guarantee it will always be square in shape... because who has time to shape a block of cedar.
Wooden predator guards are never temporary or detachable, or at least its not suppose to, as they are often glued on.
It can be screwed on to the face of the birdhouse yet it can be removed if it must, as its not glued on.
A wooden predator guard bought online or in-store is almost always going to be glued, in which the wooden predator guard will become a permanent feature.
How a wooden predator guard is applied to a birdhouse front, is its glued or screwed on first - while only then can the bird house hole size be screwed through - to guarantee a perfect alignment between entry hole and hole in the wooden predator guard.
To go far a wooden predator guard it can be made with the birdhouse, or if not there's an opportunity to quickly make one in the workshop.
Can be metal plate
Metal birdhouse entrance hole predator guards function the same way as a block of wood, only a made in steel guard is unbreakable.
Predators belonging to squirrels or larger predatory birds are unlikely to peck or chip away at a block of wood, thus a steel plate will be left untouched.
What is great about a metal plate acting as a predator guard is it doubles up as an birdhouse entry hole occupant deterrent. What that refers to is birds who make themselves at home in the birdhouse will often alter the hole to their own liking.
With a steel plate surrounding this area where they would normally chip away, will keep the birdhouse in prime condition, with no unsightly eye-saw messing up the birdhouse.
Of course no perch on a birdhouse would be present, nor should a perch be on a bird house anyway - and certainly when a steel or wooden predator guard is mounted on.
Made in steel options are rust proof but may need rust removing a few years from now.
When a predator guard mounted to a birdhouse is made in steel it can be bought as is or you can buy a selection of different size metal plates, in hope of one hole size fitting your birdhouse entry hole requirement.
Reach of predators is harder
What a predator guard on a birdhouse will do, whether its made in metal or wood, is to keep the occupants, including the parents, eggs or fledgling out of reach of predators.
Squirrels can reach in through the hole of a larger size entrance hole in which they will likely steel the eggs, whereas larger birds can poke their heads in - with a bigger hole size that is - to break open the eggs to eat or kill the young.
Now imagine what would apply to a thick block of wood only doubling up on the entry hole to make the space between the internal box and the exterior up to one inch thicker.
As you can imagine now the predators have further to reach inside the birdhouse, thus the occupants remain safe for now.
To keep predators of birdhouse birds out of reach it can only be a made in wood predator guard.
With that in mind there's an option to make your own or buy what is a cage-like predator guard [as pictured in featured image above] that allows birds to land on the inner cage to enter the hole - while predatory birds, squirrels or snakes can't reach the underside, due to sharp spikes sticking outwards.
Birdhouse with or without options
As it happens you may be in a situation where the thought of protecting birdhouse birds from predators is a none issue, which is great as you can focus on keeping nuisance birds away from the entry hole instead.
With that you'd still need to remain cautious as its possible predators may investigate when not witnessed by you.
Its therefore a matter of should you go with or without this predator guard in a style that you like, yet remains practical for your birdhouse needs.
Well, let me tell you to apply a wooden block or metal plate to a birdhouse can do no harm at all - its presence on a birdhouse can neither deter or attract birds to a bird house, thus I recommend you go for it.
There is no harm in screwing on a steel plate or making it permanent with a wooden block of wood, that also happens to be doubling up as a birdhouse predator guard.
Why not consider at least applying a metal plate that matches the entry hole size on your birdhouse, to at least be sure no predators can chip away at the front.
You can then be sure to preserve your birdhouse aesthetics by making sure even the occupant don't feel the need to make the birdhouse entrance hole wider.
Affix by gluing or use screws
If going down the route of avoiding the use of a predator guard because you feel you don't need one, then that is absolutely fine as you may be right.
To then be extra cautious by attaching a predator guard to your store-bought or homemade bird house yourself - then don't waste any time as you'd need to do so before any occupants move in come spring.
Similarly, you'd need to avoid messing with the birdhouse if there's any occupants roosting in colder months.
To affix a wooden block of wood as a predator guard you would of done so while being sure the block fits nicely on the front with no overlapping; the entry hole size it cut and ready to go - and the screw holes are pre-drilled.
All done to prevent damaging the birdhouse as any additional cutting or screwing is avoided - to protect the birdhouse from cracking or splintering.
I recommend to only use up to four screws up to half an inch away from each corner, while screwing on by hand to avoid cracking wood.
If you decide to mount a steel plate on as a predator guard then better still, as its quicker with less fuss.
Summing up
What is a predator guard on a birdhouse is a simple device that prevents natural predators of birdhouse birds who wish to do harm to the occupants.
It doesn't apply to everyone as its only people who are unfortunate to deal with backyard predators such as snakes, squirrels or predatory birds in their area.
With that there's no harm done if a wooden predator guard block or steel plate is affixed to your birdhouse already - as it can be their for decoration only and nothing else - with birds having no issue with it at all.
In using a wooden block with a hole that matches your entry hole, the extra thickness is there to keep predators out of reach, as they must now reach further.
Now a steel plate acting as a predator guard isn't quite as effective as a cheap wooden block, but is does serve another purpose.
Not only can predators spend time making the entry hole bigger to enter, the occupants sometimes like to alter the entry hole to make it their own - in which a steel plate will stop any of them chipping away around the entrance hole exterior.
Go without a birdhouse predator guard if your occupants always remain safe in your area, whereas there's no harm by affixing a predator guard to be safe.
Predator guards can be mounted using up to four screws in a wooden or steel guard, or why not make the wooden predator guard permanent by gluing it on in place.
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