Plumbing a Bluebird Nest Box Pole of 1/2-Inch Conduit Over Rebar With a Magnetic Post Level: 2 Feet of Rebar Showing, a 5-Foot Pole, and the Box Floor at 5 Feet
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. A bluebird box on a leaning pole sits at a tilt, makes predator guards hang crooked, and works looser every windy day. The fix is cheap: a 4-foot length of 1/2-inch rebar driven plumb, a 5-foot piece of 1/2-inch EMT conduit slipped over it, and a magnetic post level riding the steel the whole way down. How do you keep a bluebird box pole straight and stable? Drive a 4-foot length of 1/2-inch rebar until about 2 feet remains above ground, checking plumb on two sides as it goes. Slide a 5-foot conduit pole with an EMT coupler over it, tighten the set screws at ground level, then strap the box on top. Cornell Lab of Ornithology's NestWatch Nest Box Installation Guide uses exactly that kit. It calls for a 4-foot section of 1/2-inch rebar with about 2 feet left above ground, a 5-foot section of 1/2-inch conduit, and a 1/2-inch EMT ...