The One Thing Your Yard Is Missing If You Want To Attract Wrens

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Birds provide a wide range of benefits for gardeners and homeowners from pollination to pest control, and wrens are one type of bird you'll want in your yard. Not only do they grace your yard with their beautiful songs, but they love bugs! Having wrens around means natural pest control for your lawn and garden. The trick is learning how to attract them and keep them coming back year after year. If you've already filled your yard with wrens' favorite food and a fresh, clean supply of water, you may still be missing one essential thing that you need in your yard to keep these birds around: shelter. 

The real secret to attracting wrens to your yard is providing not only food and water, but also the right kind of shelter. Nesting boxes are the perfect sheltered environment for wrens, especially when they are well-placed. Plus, nesting boxes are easy purchase or make if you have a basic knowledge of woodworking.

Wrens prefer to build their nests in shrubs or dense foliage that is close to the ground and hidden from predators. Unlike traditional bird houses, which are commonly placed higher in trees or designed to add style to the landscape along with function, wrens prefer more secluded nesting boxes. You can place them closer to the ground — about 5 to 10 feet — in an area with native plants for a better chance of attracting wrens. 

Placement isn't the only concern, though. Wrens also picky about the style. They are most attracted to open-fronted boxes with a 1 ¼-inch entrance hole. At the end of the day, all it takes is a little research to design and install the perfect nesting boxes to keep wrens coming back to your yard every year. You can usually find pre-made options at in stores or through online retailers like Amazon. Examples include the Nature's Way Cedar Box Wren House and the Gtongoko Hanging Wren Bird Box, but there are plenty of products available to fit just about any style or budget.

Building your own nesting box with scrap wood is easier than you might think. Wrens may be picky about their housing options, but with the right design, construction is a breeze. Cut 6 pieces of wood 5 ½ inches wide. The sides and front — a total of 3 pieces — should be 8 inches long. The front will have a 1 to 1 ¼ -inch hole drilled into it. The roof should be 8 ¼ inches long, and the floor should be 4 inches long. The back is the longest piece at 11 inches with a small hole at the top for a hook or screw to help with mounting. Assemble the pieces to form a box with all sides flush with the bottom and the roof slightly hanging over the entrance. The final result should be water-tight. For easier cleaning, you can add a hinge to one of the sides.

Once the house is complete, regular maintenance is essential if you want your wrens to keep coming back. When you are sure there are wrens nesting in the box, check for leaks and pests on a warm, dry day. If pooling water is a concern in the wet season, consider using a nesting lift, a handy tool that keeps feathered friends coming back to your yard. Wrens will nest when they are laying eggs and raising fledglings. Once the fledglings are grown enough, they leave. You can clean out the nesting box about 2 weeks after the young birds hatch to make sure they have left the nest. Once they're gone, you can throw the old nest away and wait for new arrivals to take up residence.