Woodcrete by Schwegler 32mm nestbox

4.1 out of 5

5

I bought my first schwegler box 15 years ago. I thought it was ugly but decided to put MY wants and needs to one side and consider what was best for the birds. I had read that more young survive in schwegler boxes thqn any other and are very easy to maintain. In reply to the other comment, yes, they are heavy. However, they are a quality product and built to last. My original box is still in great shape and looks to be able to last another 15 years at least. I am 53 and getting arthritis but I can still take my boxes down, clean, etc. they are only heavy in comparison to lightweight wooden boxes. I now have 8 schweglers. I have gone back to the wooden ones on occasion because they look lovely, but they do tend to let in the damp and are expensive to keep replacing and are harder to clean out. Schweglers are very very easy to disassemble, it takes seconds. Compare this to taking down a wooden box, trying to remove the screws, difficult if the wood has swollen. They do not let in the rain. A good wooden box shouldn't either and if it is brand new then I wouldn't be worried. However, by the second or third year, I am loosing confidence. Not so with my schweglers. I feel 100 per cent confident that inside that box is snug and dry. They are used by top professionals as the best box above and beyond any wooden box. The only negative is that they are not as aesthetically pleasing. However, the main desire is as many healthy chicks to survive as possible. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

I have had a Schwegler for some years, similar to this one. It is a beautifully made item and weathers nicely over time. The top-hanger means that in practice you can hang it higher in the tree than you could if you tried to nail or screw it in. In any case I refuse to put nails or screws into my trees. As the previous reviewer said, it is large and very heavy, so you need a stout tree to take it. I tend to be unlucky with nestboxes, few birds taking them up, but the Schwegler has been used by great tits every year. The drop-away front means that cleaning can be done without taking the box down.

Yes, these are heavy, but they are thick, durable and a firm favourite with our local bird population - our tit numbers especially have rocketed with these boxes, but other birds find them equally attractive. Once in place, they can be left for years - some of ours have been up for nearly twenty years and are still going strong.

I have just bought 3 of these boxes.
I have had a woodcrete box for several years and it is my only box that is regularly used by birds. My wooden boxes tend to get damp where as these stay dry and last many years.
I have just cleaned out my woodcrete box after another year's successful nesting and am replacing my wooden boxes with more of these type.
I am very pleased with this product and a few pounds more than a wooden box is to me well worth the money for its durability and effectiveness as a breeding site in my garden.

I bought a Schwegler next box some years ago and was delighted with it, However, they must have changed them since.
The nest box is well made and I'm sure if you have a wall or post to secure it to the birds would love it, but if you are thinking of attaching it to a tree you need to beware.
This next box was not only gigantic, but it weighed a ton.
The nail to fix it to the tree was least 3 inches long.
Sadly I had to return it.