Monthly Archives: February 2014

Bats, Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Indoor

Our Products

100% NZ made in Creative Woodcraft’s rural workshop…

Many of our products have been developed using the latest thinking from wildlife experts. Creative Woodcraft is continually creating relationships and collaborating extensively with conservation organisations and universities, and fully support many conservation organisations and projects.

Our wildlife products and habitat are designed to provide good homes for their intended occupants and also to look great in any garden. We are proud that, as well as being used by people from all walks of life who care about wildlife, our products are often used by conservation professionals and organisations.

We are based in our own rural workshops where we combine research, a love and interest for nature with creative thinking and craft skills. We only use top quality materials to create products that we expect to have a very long life.

Photo: Toya Heatley www.digitalpix.co.nz
Birds

Choosing a bird nesting box

There are many bird species throughout New Zealand that may use bird houses and nest boxes….  However, knowing which species are most likely to become tenants and what type of nesting box/ bird house to choose can be a challenge…Click on the Bird Images Below and we will recommend the best type of nest box for that bird…

Birds That May Use Nest Boxes

  Thrush

Sparrow  Sparrow

Saddleback  Saddleback

Starling  Starling

Grey Warbler  Grey Warbler

Little owl  Little Owl and Morepork

Stitchbird   Stitchbird

Blackbird  Blackbird

IMG_4932-blog  Waxeye / Silvereye

Tui  Tui

Kaka  Kaka

Rosella  Rosella

 

Nesting Boxes and Bird Houses for Cavity Nesting Birds are available at Creative Woodcaft as part of our Conservation  Range of products. These Nest Boxes have been designed with consideration from many experts with New Zealand Birds in mind.

Our superior range of nesting boxes have many key features built in as standard…..and have a unique system to allow easy installation and access for inspection and cleaning…

Adding bird houses and nesting boxes to your backyard is a great way to attract Cavity Nesting  birds, but not all bird species will choose a bird house or nesting box to raise their families.

 

 

Bats, Bees, Birds, Butterflies

Autumn fast approaching!

With Autumn fast approaching it may be the perfect time to consider replacing or adding a bird nesting box or bird feeder to your back yard. Maybe you would like to add a bat house in an effort to provide suitable nesting habitat for New Zealand’s declining bat population!

Over the next few weeks Creative Woodcraft will be introducing our line of bird and bat houses, helping  raise awareness of the  benefits they can bring to your back yard.  We have an extensive range of handcrafted bird, bee, butterfly, ladybird, lacewing and bat houses. All of our wildlife products have been carefully designed with advice from experts in their field.

 

Bats

BAT ROOSTING BOXES – POLE MOUNTING SYSTEM

BAT ROOSTING BOXES

POLE MOUNTING SYSTEM

by www.creativewoodcraft.co.nz

COMING SOON!

  • Kent Bat Box
  • Micro-bat Roosting Box
  • Pole Mounting System

The pole mounting system available from Creative Woodcraft offers a easy installation for two types of Bat Roosting Boxes… great for research and bat conservation.

Kent Box and Microbat Roost Box Installed using pole mounting bracket

This pole mounting system has been designed to use a standard 60 mm standard Scaffold Tube….

Kent Box and Microbat Roost Box Installed using pole mounting bracket 2

Two types of Bat Roosting Boxes Installed using Creative Woodcraft Pole Mounting System.

Post Mounting Bat Roosting Box System

Post mounting sleeve to be used in conjunction with a 60 mm standard scaffold tube/ post. (Notice the wooden locator pin… this prevents any side to side movement of the roosting box once installed.)

Installing Bat Roosting Box Pole Mounting fixing system

Image 1 (Showing attachment of bat roosting box to poll mounting bracket)

Installing Bat Roosting Box Pole Mounting fixing system 2

Figure 2 Installation complete.

Removal and Inspection Bat Roosting Box 2

Removal of both types of bat roosting boxes can be removed and replaced for inspection as shown in the image above.

Features

  • Bat houses by Creative Woodcraft are hand crafted from locally sourced New Zealand Timbers and constructed one unit at a time. They are not assembly line constructed!…
  • All chamber walls are rough sawn Radiata Pine so the bats can grasp onto a solid surface.
  •  Easy Fix…Our Bat houses are designed with two pre-drilled holes at the top and one at the bottom for flush or projected mounting. The bat house has been designed so they can be used with any of our mounting brackets without any adaptation on your part. Just fix the bracket to the house/ pole/ tree or structure and your bat box will attach easily!
  • All bat houses have a minimum 75 mm landing pad and are designed with recommended depth  roosting chambers for habitat and predator prevention.
  • Our Bat boxes have been designed with safety in mind… easy removal and replacement (from ground level) “No need for climbing ladders!”
  • Constructed to provide good insulation using a minimum of 25 mm thick timber.
  • Exterior – The exterior surface have been finished using three applications of exterior grade non-toxic water based stain.
  •  Our Bat boxes arrive ready to install the day you receive it!

Additional Images of our Bat Boxes

Microbat Box by Creative Woodcraft

Microbat Roosting Box Creative Woodcraft

Microbat Roosting Box Creative Woodcraft 3

Microbat Roosting Box Creative Woodcraft 2

Microbat Roosting Box Creative Woodcraft 1

 

Kent Style Bat Box by Creative Woodcraft

Removal and Inspection Bat Roosting Box 4 Bat Roosting Box Package Roosting Box Easy Fixing Removal and Inspection Bat Roosting Box 1

 

Bees

Installing a Solitary Bee House can do more than just increase pollination!!

It can also encourage other Solitary Bees and Wasps that can be of great benefit to the home gardener…

There are two species of tube-nesting solitary wasps which may also be attracted to your Solitary Bee House. 

They are safe and interesting to observe!

One is the native small mason wasp Pison morosum, which makes cells of mud within which it stores spiders, and the other is the immigrant eumenid wasp Ancistrocerus gazella, this one may bring with it benefits, especially for gardeners! It also makes cells of mud, but which stores leafroller caterpillars.

Mason Bee Wasp 6

Ancistrocerus gazella, using a Solitary Bee House available from creative woodcraft.co.nz

Check out this Video of our Solitary Bee House in Use

An organic alternative to reduce leaf roller, numbers!

 DID YOU KNOW

There are three common pest species of leaf roller in New Zealand. The brown headed leafroller, the light brown apple moth and the greenheaded leaf roller. They are major garden pests.

Leafroller 1

Leaf roller caterpillars roll up leaves and stick them together for shelter, they then feed on the inner surface of the leaves eating through the leaves as they mature.

HOW TO CONTROL LEAF ROLLERS

Consider installing several Solitary Bee Houses  to encourage beneficial insects as a biological control measure for reducing leafroller caterpillars…