ANIMAL Attraction

Want to lure beneficial critters to your property? Build them a lair that they can call home

how you can help

Bluebird Boxes

* Don't use pressure-treated wood because it may be toxic.

* Wood should be rough enough to give chicks a toehold for climbing up to exit. Make 1 1/2 -inch-round entry holes. The size prevents other birds, such as starlings, which break chicks' beaks, from getting in.

* The box should be watertight, but you should drill drainage holes in the bottom to allow any moisture to drain.

* A 5-inch roof overhang helps prevent rain and snow from entering the box and also helps deter access by raccoons and cats.

* Drill vent holes near the top, beneath the overhanging roof. Never include a perch which predators could use to reach the birds.

* Mount the box on a predator-resistant pole, a heavily greased pipe or a waxed metal electrical conduit. Wood, ungreased pipes and PVC offer easy predator access.

* The North American Bluebird Society has downloadable plans. Go to nabluebirdsociety.org.

Bat Houses

* Bat houses should be 15 to 18 feet off the ground and have lots of sun exposure.

* Secure the house to a pole or the side of a building. Be careful not to position it over a porch, dining area or other seating area because the bats will drop guano.

* Clean the houses once a year after the bats have migrated.

* Keep pet vaccinations up to date, and teach children and other family members never to handle wild bats.

* Bats, which operate on echolocation (a kind of radar), really want to avoid touching anything but their cozy roosts and insects. If, however, they get into your house, stay calm, close them into a room and open a window. They will soon find their way out. Or wait until they alight, cover them with a sieve, slide a cookie sheet gently beneath them and release them outside.

* For more information, visit the Organization for Bat Conservation's Web site at batconservation.org.

Worm Bins

* Mail-order worms arrive as cocoons and hatch in about two weeks. They become sexually mature at about six weeks and begin to reproduce. Their rate of reproduction depends in part on how much food they have.

* The sign of a healthy worm bin is that it's full of castings and new worms.

* Place the bin in a shady or dim place where it won't freeze or overheat - a kitchen corner, garage, basement or laundry room.

* For more information, visit the Vermiculture Northwest's Web site at vermiculturenorthwest.com. Other good resources include wormswoman.com and the book Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Applehoff.