The Greg Judy tree swallow bird house explained and built step by step!

One Tree swallow bird pair eats 8000 blood sucking flies per day off your livestock herd. Building and placing tree swallow houses across your pastures gives you natural fly eating predators.

[@mikehoward2128]

Look at all those cedar boards...i bet that garage smells awesome!

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

The smell is wonderful. Nothing better than fresh cut or drilled cedar!

[@gardenman3032]

You made a great video Greg. Thank you both for taking the time to do this. Have a great day.

[@mezenman]

My son and I were going to batch out a few of these this weekend. Glad you posted this video.

[@brandonkrause6401]

Best video yet boss. You never disappoint us!

[@swvafarmer]

2 months ago (start of spring) we already had flies everywhere here in Virginia, since the beginning of April we have installed 29 birdhouses and from what I can tell all of them except for maybe 5 have had tree swallows move in and the flies are perishing. I hope this continues 🤞. I love watching these birds above the cattle and all around working together. Thanks for this video!

[@rebeccajosteelman563]

Love how you teach.

[@Ukepa]

I learn more from each of your videos than from any other channel... it's concentrated knowledge!!! Thanks a lot!

[@kirenireves]

This would be a great side business for a farm kid. Build the houses, sell them to local ranchers, but then also sell the poles, and also sell the service to mount them in the pastures, and THEN sell the maintenance contract to clean and disinfect them every spring. This is a great business that a precocious 10-12 year old farm girl or boy could do easily. I'm looking at YOU Jonah from Justin Rhodes farm!!!

[@johnniecarter318]

I had been wondering about those swallows. Thank you Sir!! Thank you Mrs. Judy for great filming and keeping Mr. Judy prompt with the things we needed to know 🤣🤣. My mama loves Blue Birds I’m gonna build her some boxes with y’all’s specs so I know they will use them. She’s in a neighborhood. Thank y’all so much!!!!

[@dustinsmith1076]

Thanks for this video, our family was actually planning to build some this weekend!! Perfect timing! Would love to see your sawmill setup...

[@seacoast4950]

Thank you for your information and common sense!!!!

[@chelemichele1524]

Both fact on getting rid of flys by bringing in birds👍👍 Have a great evening ⛄⛄⛄

[@cory1641]

Thank you for posting this. I'm looking to add these to my homestead on a budget.

[@barbkovell7644]

This video is really informartive. Thank you.

[@131dyana]

Love the bird house Thank you.

[@rockinghorselivestock2491]

Thank you Greg. Very helpful.

[@ronaldmcgill5124]

Greg going to make a bunch of these thanks for your detailed information on this wish I see this video before I seen you I would have gotten some lumber .

[@mylord9340]

Wow. That's a lot of bird houses. Awesome.

[@ericvault]

Putting up bird houses is a nice way to sweeten a lease deal. Thank you for this! -Eric Brock

[@stephenbinion6348]

As a landowner this is an excellent point.

[@Bamaman14k]

That is got to be one of my favorite KZbin videos. I really do love your cattle and sheep videos, but I do birdhouses also. Great design, great implementation, and great instruction. Thank you for sharing, Jimmy

[@foxvincenzo5027]

Sorry to be so off topic but does any of you know a trick to log back into an instagram account?? I somehow forgot the password. I love any tips you can offer me.

[@kyngadrian4692]

@Fox Vincenzo instablaster ;)

[@foxvincenzo5027]

@Kyng Adrian I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im waiting for the hacking stuff now. I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@foxvincenzo5027]

@Kyng Adrian it worked and I finally got access to my account again. Im so happy:D Thank you so much you saved my account :D

[@kyngadrian4692]

@Fox Vincenzo glad I could help xD

[@BacktotheBasics101]

Awesome, turning bad flies into precious fertilizer if one swallow eats half as many flies as you said it does how many times it poops and spreads high dollar fertilizer along that pasture just adds to the green grass of next year. Great idea. Thank you

[@kc-rb3xp]

love the nail as a latch!

[@foxsouth]

I don't live on a farm...but this bird house is amazing! a tree swallow flew by the other day to check out one of my bird houses and gosh! look at how many bird houses he's got! he could get a fortune out of that many, 350??? wow!

[@wildedibles819]

Really nice birdhouse

[@4philipp]

Excellent winter project.

[@TheEbc123]

Great video thank you

[@brandonkrause6401]

Bluebird like thos houses as well? I love bluebirds!!

[@drewhillfarms]

Hi Greg. I’ve put up tree swallow/blue bird houses all over the property and they worked fine for years. Then I started rotating cattle from farm to farm and turning the electric fences off on the places that had no cattle (rotating fence chargers). The bears started coming into the pastures and ripping the tops off the bird houses and eating the birds at night when the electric fence was off (spring/summer). I had to put electricity on all the fences all the time to protect the birds.

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Bears!! Wow that is some serious carnivore you have there.

[@michiganhay7844]

I’ve got one farm that’s an abandoned gravel pit with thousands of banks swallow nest and there’s definitely far less insect load at that farm

[@yoopermann7942]

thank you for the tips

[@Dan-qp1el]

Great video. I've been scrounging around for scrap wood........

[@boywonder8241]

Thanks so much. I’m on it!

[@perigrine]

Thanks Greg for the tutorial. I would love to see these boxes in action this spring when you take us out and about.

[@kirenireves]

Yes! Show them in action

[@jonbreckenridge7613]

Thank you Greg

[@narellewilliams1400]

Nice to see a longer a video, can Judy use the Cedar chips in the wardrobe to stop the moths? Dog kennel great idea!

[@BonnieBlue2A]

Narelle Williams You don’t want to use cedar for bedding with hunting dogs though because the longer term exposure to cedar it will decrease the dog’s scenting ability.

[@GlockFireFarm]

Are you folks salling the Cedar Boards yet. I am having trouble finding any 6" wide and my daughter is wanting to build some so bad. Thanks Greg

[@tclhoneyabby]

love this video. Do you do any apartment bird houses for swallows? I'm trying to get them here but our holes might be too small.

[@rutherfordclan5693]

Man that's a great idea if you have live stock fly problems....I should propose this idea to the farms In my town.... we have alot of them

[@ureasmith3049]

Wow! 800 on your property. Impressive.

[@HuntsT]

Awesome video Greg. Thank you. My only question was similar to another one I saw but how far apart do you normally install them?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

100 feet

[@shawnh8754]

@@gregjudyregenerativerancher Just a clarification on this distance because I thought you said something like 20-30 feet in one of your vids. Can you confirm you mean 100 feet? Thanks. Built my first one this weekend. Have lumber for a few more, will get them done and up in time for this season.

[@vsandmnv]

I know in Kentucky we had a group who would use the same style boxes for both swallows and the eastern Blue birds. They would use some fishing line out front because the sparrows didn’t like the line up front.

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Wow thanks for sharing this tip! I gotta try this.

[@jordantrottier3882]

Robinson screws are the best for flush applications. That's what boat makers use. The screws will stay on the bit without you having to hold them.

[@davidhickenbottom6574]

Thank you so much I'm going to build a bunch. PS. I have a drill press lol.

[@jerryburwick3433]

Sure do like your videos Mr. Judy

[@WillieB06]

Great video Greg, thank you for posting it. Can you use pressure treated wood, or is it dangerous for the birds?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Do not use treated wood

[@sethl3702]

For the front door you could also use one you already drilled as a template.

[@jameskniskern2261]

I put 9 of these together yesterday. I measured the first hole on the first one. Then used it as my template for all the other holes. Worked like a charm. :)

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Seth your reading my mind. I woke up last night and had this same thought!!!! Thanks for sharing.

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

@@jameskniskern2261 great idea James, I'm going to use your idea. I have a lot of holes left to drill!

[@jameskniskern2261]

Quick question on wood dimension size: Are they true measurements or are your 1x6 and 1x4 acutally 3/4 x 5 1/2 and 3/4 x 3 1/2? Sometimes commercial milled cedar is smaller than home milled lumber.

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

I saw my own boards, they are the full size, not commercial board size. Saw out one bird house with your boards and adjust as needed to make them fit.

[@prayerangel1]

Was wondering....why not allow space for a vent on the side without the swing hinge also to allow for more ventilation and also have your bottoms come out even with one another? GREAT tutorial, Mr. Judy, and as always, I love your content!

[@jameskniskern2261]

It would make the top a bit more of a trick to attach. Yes the screws would hold it together, but it gets a bit challenging having both sides offset.

[@richardlee8919]

The Gap actually allows you away open the box

[@mgreene939]

Can you make a short video on attaching the houses to steel posts?

[@kirenireves]

Yes! Please show the next steps

[@ProtectSwallows]

thats really easy , attach the box to a 2x2 then hose clamp the 2x2 to the steel post , thats the best, to mount on a steel post as rats and squirrels cannot get at box .

[@derekthompson5731]

@@ProtectSwallows Do you have dimensions on the "steel post"? And where to get them? I'm assuming it'd have to be a smooth, round, large-enough-diameter steel post in order to inhibit squirrels from climbing... e.g. you're not referring to a steel T-post

[@michaellewis3078]

Hello Greg, I will be re locating all my boxes to the center of my fields, my fence rows have trees. How do you protect your poles/boxes from cattle rubbing up? I was thinking dummy electrical wire? I mig so they will only be around each box for a day.

[@tallcedars2310]

Nests need to be 8-12 feet off the ground, this stops any rubbing problems.

[@geojetson9533]

Isn’t that hole too big which lets those ratty sparrows in? They kill the swallow babies

[@switchback8021]

Will barn swallows live in these types of houses? Our farm is in the migratory area for tree swallows (SE North Carolina), but we should have barn swallows for our areas.

[@karnellhillscan2834]

Nice bird houses I think think your drill has a bearing that is done. Or it’s a hammer drill!

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

It is a hammer drill

[@Jesus-is-His-name]

Thanks so much Greg this is amazing advice. Can we just fasten them to existing trees if they are a single tree out in pasture?

[@4philipp]

My understanding is they birds prefer them free standing, in the field. A tree also keeps growing so the 6-8 foot range will be surpassed in a few years

[@brianmurray667]

@@4philippthe birdhouse attached to a tree does not move up as it grows. What does happen, if tight against the bark, is that the tree will attempt to grow around the house. Trees grow in diameter and height from the top and not from the bottom.

[@wilmarhurlebaus3836]

Would like to see what you think are the best place to mount these as in height and location. Which direction to face the house? Spacing between houses?

[@tallcedars2310]

SWallow nests should be 8-12 feet off the ground.

[@crossgrainwoodproductsltd9230]

I agree to use cedar, but there are alternatives that are not expensive. Nice looking

[@underthetrees4780]

I've done a lot with pallet wood, just make sure it's heat treated. You can find decent pine and sometimes even cedar pallets.

[@catchheronthefly4532]

Well, every video you put out, you’re teaching us something. I bet a garden sprayer would work good for cleaning them out. I guess you don’t rinse them after the bleach mixture is sprayed? Happy little sparrows at Green Pasture Farms. You should write a children’s book.

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Garden sprayer will work, a bit bulky to pack around. An empty Windex spray bottle works awesome. I like happy little tree swallows, not sparrows !!

[@catchheronthefly4532]

Greg Judy Regenerative Rancher i meant swallow, but typed sparrow. Thanks for replying!

[@rockinghorselivestock2491]

Bleach evaporates very quickly.

[@kenweiler2918]

I am wondering also how far apart do you put them in the pastures ? Or just say how many per acre?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

100 feet apart

[@triciahill216]

If I asked a local lumber mill to cut us some cedar, would we want to ask for 5/4 X 4” (and 5/4 X 6”) boards and plane it ourselves to 1” lumber or should we ask for 4/4, or 1”, boards and put them together as rough sawn lumber? Thank you.

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Yes them as rough sawn, don’t plane them

[@brettpayton6286]

Greg when you go to hang these do you just hang them as is, or do you seal the outside with something?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

We just hang them

[@Digger927]

I used to dust my purple martin houses with sulfer in a sock to kill mites, would that work, it was cheap and easy...and dry. Thoughts?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Brent it might work, bleach spray is fast and easy. It gets every tight corner in the birdhouse.

[@jerryburwick3433]

I like the cedar bird house

[@jerryfuqua3781]

Is the top flat or are the sides angled ?

[@dustinsmith1076]

Do you ever have any issues with cattle rubbing up against the poles of the houses?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Our mob occasionally runs on a post, but they are moved every 12 hours to the next paddock.

[@Metrzan]

Eastern red cedar is used to make cedar shavings which is bad to use as bedding for birds due to it causing respiratory infections. Wonder how bad it is to use to make bird house with.

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Our 1000's of tree swallows don't seem to be bothered with them over the last 17 years.

[@triciahill216]

Greg, Not sure how you’d do the equation to compare tree shallow to chicken litter, but the tree shallows’ litter is probably a good source of free manure. So, this would be an extra benefit to eating flies.

[@underthetrees4780]

I wonder if it's more like bat guano, more similar diet.

[@ureasmith3049]

Tree swallows have been nesting in my Peterson birdhouse. I peeked inside they seem too crowded.

[@deboarhmatney4742]

On the birdhouse could you use a screen instead of wood

[@kelseyroy1268]

Is there any problem with mounting the bird houses to trees? I'm guessing there's probably a particular reason they are on a special pole?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

The swallows like open areas away from trees.

[@robertoayala9203]

How close together can you put these up? I’m in west Texas.

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

100 feet apart

[@herbivore2732]

Hows the mill going?

[@shawndugay4089]

My neighbor gave me 1000 lf of PVC 1X6 trim boards. Is there a problem for the birds if I were to use this instead of wood?

[@trish9289]

FWIW I've been using 4" and 6" PVC pipe for birdhouses for years with successful fledging of bluebirds, chickadees, and titmice. I just made sure to make groves or scratches in the PVC under the hole on the inside so they can exit easily.

[@Harvesttimebluegrassgospel]

Might be a dumb question but I'll ask anyways. Any reason to not water seal the birdhouse?

[@karinlindquist2192]

If it rains, and the rain is coming in from the south or southwest where the hole is facing, there's no way the water can drain out if there's water sealant and air holes that Greg demonstrated. Water doesn't have a place to go; it'll soak up in the nest which isn't good for the baby birds. No such thing as a dumb question!

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Air flow is critical to reduce heat. Face the boxes southeast.

[@richardlee8919]

I think you're thinking about adding a water sealant to protect the wood it doesn't need it it's Cedar

[@Harvesttimebluegrassgospel]

Rich Ard Lee I know cedar doesn’t need it. If I was to seal it it would be for looks only. When I asked the question I was wondering if by sealing it would it hurt it in any way like the smell for example keep the birds from using it. I have made a few and not going to seal them.

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

@@Harvesttimebluegrassgospel I'm not sure, you could try sealing them, if the smell is not to bad your probably all right.

[@wildedibles819]

I think other birds will use it and eat flies in different parts of the country... Different size holes = different birds

[@lindadennis2312]

The hole needs to be an oval 3/4" high. Under 2" wide for swallows.

[@tannenbaum3444]

Let us know if and when you'll have Cedar for sale.

[@ElRanchoyyoTagDominguez]

Iam new for here ...

[@zoda4]

How much would you charge for one of your cider birdhouses?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

We sell them at our spring grazing school for $15.

[@johncourtneidge]

Lovely! Two requests: please show how you set up the poles so the dattle don't tip them over. Secondly, please do some log milling vids. I love Jo Sal Jo Won' youtube Woodmizer LT15 milling, drying etc videos. Again thanks to Jan and to you!

[@jacquepeach3112]

I need to build these houses because the tree swallow take over the blue bird houses. The swallows throw out the eggs or the baby blue birds. So the swallows are getting other houses.

[@williamkirkpatrick1099]

HOW HIGH SHOULD THE BE BOXES FROM THE GROUND THANKS ALSO WHAT PRICES DO YOU HAVE ON A YEARLING BULL

[@swvafarmer]

6-8 ft

[@jerryburwick3433]

What price do you sell them for?

[@calebtharp154]

Do you sell these on your website?

[@a206h]

Shop class with Mr Judy (homeschool idea)

[@user-ow2bx5eg2t]

What makes this direct than a Bluebird house?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Both species can use the same bird house.

[@markhowes126]

How about mounting on trees?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

The tree swallow website actually recommends not putting them close to trees. The swallows like open field areas, predators are easier to detect

[@lindadennis2312]

That hole allows sparrows to ruin it for Swallows. Needs to be smaller. The hole needs to be an oval 3/4" high. Under 2" wide.

[@ProtectSwallows]

a 7/8 oval is ideal for Violet Green swallows and keeps out all House sparrows . Tree swallows will not fit into a 7/8 oval but will fit into a 15/16 oval , but the 15/16 will not keep all house sparrows out but does keep most out , needs to be a tight fit 15/16 made with a forstner drill bit .

[@pedro97w]

I make my floor vents by trimming the corners off the floor piece

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

That is a great idea!!!

[@pedro97w]

@@gregjudyregenerativerancher Love your site, great American inspiration

[@mikemartin7511]

Greg, How can I buy 6 cedar swallow houses from you?? Mike Martin, Reno, NV

[@markwilkins9944]

I have problems with red wasps building nests in my bluebird boxes, the bluebirds wont build a nest if the wasp is in there, the wasp nests range in the size from a dime on up, most are small. I get about 50% bird nesting because of this. Will the bleach help with this or should I use an insecticide?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

We don't have issues with wasps. Swallows may eat them!

[@markwilkins9944]

@@gregjudyregenerativerancher I build my boxes very similar to yours, I think the wasp enter the vent gap much like honey bees do on a hive box, I'm gonna put some screen door cloth over the gap like flap to discourage entry

[@Chel093086]

Question: on the treeswallowprojects.com/buildbox.html they say the bottom needs to be 5x5 at the smallest. it look like 4x4 can work but more babies won't make it. Have you notice when you clean the nest any dead birds? Not to say that yours don't work i just don't want to build some then find not it too small. It probably doesn't matter if your's are doing so well.

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

I've never found dead baby birds. I read the same blog that recommended 5×5. It may work fine.

[@jackdupp2047]

1. Base is too small for tree swallows. 23 sq in. is too small. Minimum is 25, best is 30. 2. No cross ventilation. You need slots on both sides. Those two holes on the side are of no benefit. The holes in the bottom are not for bird excrement. It is for rain to drip out. 3. Two holes on front are far better because nestlings hog the hole depriving other nestlings of food. 4. No ladder to help them get out. Dangerous. Tree swallows have wide wings. They need that ladder or may well get stuck and die. 5. No discussion of predator guard which should be a 5 foot cylinder, not two feet. Snakes get by 2 feet. 6. Treeswallowprojects.com is the authority on proper tree swallow houses. And, I highly recommend my Miller guard, a 5 foot duct pipe from Lowes or Home Depot. Stay away from commonly recommended 2 foot duct. Does not stop rat snakes.

[@Vunderbread]

I think I'll be using this design to add some swallows here. Mosquitoes here are relentless, and I've read that swallows are one of the best birds for eating them. I can handle most insects, but mosquitoes... they don't do anything but cause suffering and disease to other animals. I can only imagine how much lower the insect populations were back before we ruined the birds' natural habitats. It's not too late to reverse that trend.

[@davemi00]

The SHOW i’ve been Waiting for.. If ya hit oil …ya drilled too deep.

[@bigwhane8603]

17:07 wind and rain

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

That's one of many minerals that has fly egg killer mixed in the mineral. Thanks for that!

[@bigwhane8603]

Greg Judy Regenerative Rancher we were told that if we use it for 2-3 years then we will see a decrease in flys and idk if we have but do you suggest that we still use it and buy it or what? Is it really killing the soil?

[@TS-vr9of]

@@bigwhane8603 it not so much killing the soil as it's stunting soil life. You will never have a vigorous worm or dung beetle population until you switch from "preventative" pour ons to spot treating.

[@swamp-yankee]

@@bigwhane8603 Besides the effects on soil life premixes are mostly salt, and it's an expensive way to buy salt. You could probably save some money mixing your own or switching to free choice minerals.

[@russelmathews8787]

I've been having issues with English sparrows taking them over.

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

We have some of those to, I yank out the sparrow nest when I see them.

[@lindadennis2312]

The hole needs to be an oval 3/4" high. Under 2" wide.

[@ProtectSwallows]

until some one comes up with the ideal hole size for Tree Swallows that will protect them from house sparrows , you could trap or shot them .