The Peep Show itself is ready for inhabitants from the moment you take it out of the shipping box. While the nesting box itself does not require assembly, it does need to be attached to a pole or wall in a bird-friendly location before it will attraction possible tenants. See NestWatch's article on Nest Box Placement for details. For pole-mounting, you will need to dig a hole, then set a pre-cut pole you purchase from a local hardware store in either concrete or expansion foam. Alternatively, mount your Peep Show to a wall or tree. See our Quick-Start guides for details.

See the Quick-Start guides for details, but here is the gist:

Your Peep Show ships with a pole mounting bracket to make it easy to mount atop a pole. As you can guess from the dimensions of the shipping box, your Peep Show does not include the actual pole. When considering the various possibilities for a pole-mounted solution, I had high standards, wanting something that was durable, all-weather, paintable, available in various lengths and economical.

The perfect solution is found at your local hardware store or big box store (think Lowe’s or Home Depot) and is called EMT or electrical metal tubing. Ask specifically for “EMT thin-wall conduit” which is lighter weight and less costly than heavy duty rigid conduit. My local hardware store cuts the metal tubing to the desired length for free. I use 10-foot lengths for most of my nesting boxes. You will want to ask for “1.25 EMT” (which has an outside diameter of 1.5”), the correct dimension to fit your Peep Show mount. PRO TIP: bring the white aluminum mounting bracket (included in your Peep Show box) with you to the store to validate that the pole will fit correctly. Once home, you can easily paint it with latex house paint or exterior spray paint–or just leave it bare metal as it won’t rust.

The Peep Show does not include the option or hardware for a hanging mount mainly due to the challenges wind introduces. Although some birds don't mind a bit of “swing” in their nests caused by wind, other species will avoid less-stable houses.

I include two mounting options with each Peep Show: for mounting either onto a pole or onto an existing vertical structure, such as a barn wall, tall wood pole, or shed awning. With their home attached to a fixed tree, building, or pole birds will feel secure and comfortable enough to raise their hatchlings. See the Quick-Start guides for details.

I always defer to the amazing research done by Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s NestWatch program. In short, placement will depend on the type of bird you want to attract. For instance, at my dad’s place in Alaska I mounted his Peep Shows on 15-foot poles for Violet Green Swallows. In Seattle, I mount on 10-foot poles for Black Capped Chickadees. For Bluebirds, they seem to prefer 5-foot poles. Here is a helpful guide which breaks down birdhouse placement by species: Nest Box Placement.

Yes. We have tested The Peep Show in Fairbanks, Alaska for the past three winters and even at -40° F, we were able to video some local winter birds inspecting the nest. We still recommend replacing the batteries each spring, before migratory birds arrive.

I’ll be honest. Cleaning out the nesting box each spring was never my favorite task so when I designed The Peep Show, the ability to maintain it conveniently was paramount. To open the nesting box, lift up on the drop pin located on the top of the birdhouse and remove the front panel. No screwdriver or specialized tools are needed. Once the front panel is removed, slide out the elevated nesting bed and dump the old bedding material in the trash (or compost) and wipe the interior with a clean rag to remove any remaining nesting material. To sterilize the nesting box, spray the interior with a weak bleach solution followed by a water rinse and let it air dry in the sun. Bright sun is a fantastic disinfectant. While your Peep Show is drying out, check to ensure the ventilation and drainage holes are not clogged and replace the camera batteries. That's it till next season!

Not yet. The bioplastic shell that holds up so well under normal wear requires environmental conditions found in industrial composting facilities, not in the average consumer’s backyard. We are working on a good solution for recycling faster. Meanwhile, we recognize that the fact that TPS is sourced from reused plastics is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. Like you, we also don’t want to see Peep Shows in landfills, so we’re committed to finding a good path forward.