GLAS: Bird, bat and bee boxes
The deadline for erecting bird, bat and bee boxes is 31 July 2016 for some farmers participating in tranche two of GLAS. Some participating farmers will build their own bird boxes while others will buy them.
To buy the boxes farmers can either order them from the Birdwatch Ireland website or from private manufacturers featured on classified websites.
A brief glance online shows that some private manufactures are charging €240 to €330 including VAT for 15 bat boxes, 15 bird boxes and five bee boxes. Some have free nationwide delivery, while others have free delivery for certain regions.
If buying a box from a private manufacturer, try to make sure good-quality materials were used to ensure longevity. For farmers making their own boxes, here are some points to note:
The wood should not be treated or painted, with the emphasis on a naturally durable wood, such as Douglas fir or preferably larch. The quickest method to make all the parts is to mark the dimensions out on one individual board. The dimensions can be found for bird and bat boxes on the Irish Farmers Journal website by searching for ‘bird and bat boxes suitable for GLAS’.Pre-drilling the board before cutting up the parts into separate pieces is best, as it is quicker to clamp down one long board as opposed to many small parts. The boxes should be screwed or nailed together as opposed to glued.For bird boxes, the hole sizes can vary from approximately 25mm to 32mm to accommodate different breeds of birds. According to BirdWatch Ireland, the most suitable target species would be the house sparrow, which has a close association with farming, and uses the simple, standard, hole-fronted nesting box with a large 32mm hole.The main considerations for a bat box are the entrance and the inner walls of the box. The bats enter from the bottom. The floor of the box should be cut short by 20mm to 25mm to allow the bats to climb into the box. The back plate and the inside of the front of the bat box should be grooved to allow the bats to climb inside the box.
GLAS: Bird, bat and bee boxes
The deadline for erecting bird, bat and bee boxes is 31 July 2016 for some farmers participating in tranche two of GLAS. Some participating farmers will build their own bird boxes while others will buy them.
To buy the boxes farmers can either order them from the Birdwatch Ireland website or from private manufacturers featured on classified websites.
A brief glance online shows that some private manufactures are charging €240 to €330 including VAT for 15 bat boxes, 15 bird boxes and five bee boxes. Some have free nationwide delivery, while others have free delivery for certain regions.
If buying a box from a private manufacturer, try to make sure good-quality materials were used to ensure longevity. For farmers making their own boxes, here are some points to note:
The wood should not be treated or painted, with the emphasis on a naturally durable wood, such as Douglas fir or preferably larch. The quickest method to make all the parts is to mark the dimensions out on one individual board. The dimensions can be found for bird and bat boxes on the Irish Farmers Journal website by searching for ‘bird and bat boxes suitable for GLAS’.Pre-drilling the board before cutting up the parts into separate pieces is best, as it is quicker to clamp down one long board as opposed to many small parts. The boxes should be screwed or nailed together as opposed to glued.For bird boxes, the hole sizes can vary from approximately 25mm to 32mm to accommodate different breeds of birds. According to BirdWatch Ireland, the most suitable target species would be the house sparrow, which has a close association with farming, and uses the simple, standard, hole-fronted nesting box with a large 32mm hole.The main considerations for a bat box are the entrance and the inner walls of the box. The bats enter from the bottom. The floor of the box should be cut short by 20mm to 25mm to allow the bats to climb into the box. The back plate and the inside of the front of the bat box should be grooved to allow the bats to climb inside the box. 
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