Lakes, ponds, and swamps are the natural locations for wood duck and hooded merganser nest boxes. These ducks nest from April to June. Once the young hatch from their eggs, within a day, they will use their claws to climb to the nest entrance and drop to the water or ground. If they fall to the ground, the mother will guide the ducklings to the nearest water hole. Experts recommend that these boxes be erected 6 to 8 feet over water, using wooden or steel poles with predator-proof metal cones or sleeves. You may also place boxes in a woodland habitat close to water mounted at least 20 feet high. At least three inches of mixed sawdust and wood chips should be put in the bottom of the box. The entrance hole should be facing the water. This nest box also serves the hooded merganser.
Materials
1" × 12" × 12' rough-cut cedar
4" × 16" quarter-inch galvanized hardware cloth or wire mesh
Two hinges with screws Staples
1-5/8" rust-resistant screws
Two 6" pieces of flexible wire
Four medium 1-3/8" screw eyes
Measure and cut pieces from 1" × 12" × 12' cedar as follows (all pieces are the full width of the board):
Back: 32"
2 sides: 24"
Front: 24"
Roof: 16"
Floor: 9-3/4"
Drill four 1/4" drainage holes in the floor. Drill two 1/4" ventilation holes at the top of each side panel.
On the front panel mark a point down 6-1/2" from the top and centered from left to right. Cut out a 3" high by 4" wide entrance hole with the marking at the center of the cut.
On the inside of the front panel, staple wire mesh starting 1/2" below the entrance hole and extending down to the floor.
Drill evenly spaced pilot holes 3/8" from both edges of the back panel starting 5-1/2" from the top edge and stopping 3-1/2" from the bottom. Position one side panel 5" down from the top of the back panel. Attach the side to the back using 1-5/8" screws. Repeat with the other side panel.
Position the floor between the two sides and flush with their bottom edges. Drill pilot holes and attach the floor to the back and sides with screws.
Position the front panel on top of the floor and sides with the wire mesh on the inside. Drill pilot holes and screw the front in place.
Set the roof in place on the box. Mark where the hinge screws pilot holes need to be drilled. Attach the hinges to allow for opening and closing the roof.
Drill pilot holes and insert two screw eyes on the front panel 3" in from the side panels. Line up the other two screw eyes on the underside of the roof as close to the front screw eyes as possible. Drill pilot holes and insert the screw eyes.
Thread wire through each set of eyes and twist tightly to prevent raccoons and other pests from entering the box.
