Common questions, real answers.

Constructed from outdoor-grade PETG, a recyclable thermoplastic commonly utilized in medical, laboratory, and food-safe applications where material stability and low VOC emissions are critical. PETG offers exceptional weather resistance, dimensional stability, and moisture tolerance while avoiding the harvesting of cedar, pine, and redwood forests birds naturally depend on.

Yes, and more so than most paint-treated wooden boxes. PETG is the same material used for medical implants and food packaging because it's chemically inert and doesn't off-gas at typical outdoor temperatures. It contains no BPA, no phthalates, and no toxic preservatives. By contrast, many wooden birdhouses are treated with stains, sealants, or pressure-treatment chemicals that are harmful to nestlings.

Thermal regulation is a core part of the design. Each Fledgemade house incorporates protected upper-wall ventilation, passive airflow channels, and extended roof overhangs to reduce direct solar loading and improve heat dissipation inside the cavity. PETG also avoids many of the moisture-retention and degradation issues associated with untreated wood, helping maintain structural consistency through changing outdoor conditions.

Engineered for longevity outdoors. PETG's resistance to moisture, rot, and environmental degradation allows each house to remain in service far longer than many wooden alternatives, reducing replacement frequency and long-term material waste over time.

Yes, that's the core of the system. Each cavity kit has four parts: body, front plate, species-specific insert, and roof. You can swap panels to change which species the house is sized for. Same body, new bird. Each drop includes new panels designed around seasonal birds, visual themes, or specific conservation causes.

Depends entirely on the species. We list a recommended height range on every species page in our Birdhouse Guide. As a fast cheat-sheet: bluebirds 5–6 ft, chickadees 6–15 ft, screech owls 10–20 ft, robins (open shelf) 6–15 ft.

Facing east or south is best in most of North America. Birds get morning warmth without afternoon sun-baking, and the entrance points away from prevailing weather. If your yard has strong wind from one direction, point it perpendicular or away from that.

Pole mount, almost always. Trees give predators (raccoons, cats, snakes) easy climbing access to the box. A free-standing 1″ metal pole with a predator baffle (a smooth metal cone or stovepipe baffle) blocks 95 % of climbing predators. We sell predator baffles separately and recommend them with every cavity kit.

Each complete Fledgemade birdhouse ships with a full set of stainless-steel screws for assembly. Four M3 × 10 mm self-tapping screws secure the roof to the body, with all required hardware included in every complete build. For wall mounting, use one #10 exterior wood screw or 1/4″ lag bolt with a washer through the rear mounting tab.

Browse the Birdhouse Guide by country to find the species in your area, then match each species to its kit on the Shop page. Every species page lists the exact body size and entrance hole size that fits.

Most boxes get prospected within the first nesting season; some get used in the first month. If your box sits empty after one full year, it's almost always a placement issue (too low, too exposed, too close to feeders, wrong direction, no nearby cover). Check your species' page for placement guidance and try a new spot.

That's why our entrance hole sizing matters. The Small body's 1⅛″ panel physically excludes House Sparrows and European Starlings while still letting wrens, chickadees, and small bluebirds through. For larger species like Eastern Bluebirds (1½″), monitor the box weekly during nesting season.

Yes. Domestic cats kill an estimated 2.4 billion birds per year in the US alone. They're the single largest human-caused source of bird mortality. If you have outdoor cats, please consider keeping them indoors or use a Catio. At minimum, mount nest boxes on free-standing poles with predator baffles and 6+ ft from any climbable structure.

Wasps love un-occupied cavities. Two preventatives that work: rub a thin layer of bar soap on the inside of the roof underside (wasps won't build on it), or check the box every 2 weeks during nesting season and remove any starter wasp nests before they're established. Don't use sprays. They're toxic to the birds.

Once between broods (mid-summer for species that raise multiple broods), and once again in late fall after all nesting activity is done. Remove the panel, brush out old nesting material, rinse with mild soapy water, dry thoroughly. Don't use bleach during the active season, residue can harm chicks.

No, leave it up. Many species (chickadees, nuthatches, screech owls) use nest boxes as winter roost cavities to survive cold nights. A clean dry box on the wall in January can mean the difference between life and death for a 0.4-oz bird in -10°F weather.

Reach out via contact with a photo and we'll send a replacement part. Modular replacement is the whole point. You don't need a new house if a panel cracks. We're also working on a take-back program where damaged parts are ground and re-extruded into new kits. More on that soon.

Kits are available now and sold exclusively at fledgemade.com. We may consider partnerships with sustainable retailers down the road, but for now every kit ships directly from us.

Domestic US shipping via USPS or UPS Ground. International shipping is on the roadmap but not at launch. We want to get the US logistics dialed first. International birders, drop us a line and we'll update you when we open up.

If a kit arrives damaged or defective, we replace it free, no questions. For other returns within 30 days, we'll refund or exchange, though we'd rather you tell us what didn't work so we can improve the design. Drop your kit back in the same box and ship it back. All you'll need to cover is the return shipping fee.

A standard 2% of revenue from every kit goes to conservation efforts supporting native cavity-nesting and ledge-nesting birds.