Gourd Assembly

• 1). Cut a crescent-shaped hole in the bulbous part of the gourd using your razor knife. The crescent should be a half circle with a 1-1/2-inch diameter, positioned with the arc on the upper portion of the gourd and the flat side down toward the bulbous portion of the gourd. This will be the entrance hole.
  
  
• 2). Cut a hole in the opposite side of the gourd using the hole saw. It should be high enough on the gourd to not interfere with the nest. When looking through the hole, you should be looking down at the nest rather than across. Wear the ventilating mask; gourd dust is highly acidic and can harm the respiratory tract.
  
  
• 3). Drill 4 1/4-inch holes in the bottom of the gourd for water drainage. Drill 4 1/4-inch holes in the top for ventilation.
  
  
• 4). Repeat Steps 1 to 3 for the three remaining gourds.
  
  
• 5). Place the copper sulfate into the bucket and fill it with water. Five gallons of the copper-sulfate solution should be sufficient to preserve up to 20 gourds. Stir the liquid and soak each gourd for 20 minutes; this will preserve the gourd. Be careful where you dump the mixture when you're finished; it will kill plants. After soaking, set the gourds out to dry. Don't rinse off the excess copper sulfate.
  
  
• 6). Insert the PVC pipe into the 4-inch hole about 3/4 of an inch deep, and apply the white caulk around the rim, securing the pipe. Wet your finger and run it around the rim to smooth out the caulk. Allow the caulk to dry for 24 hours.
  
  
• 7). Apply a thick coat of white latex primer to the gourd and allow it to dry.
  
  
• 8). Cut a 4-inch-diameter circle out of the empty jug and use duct tape to secure it over the top of the hole. Use several strips to cover most of the lid to prevent light from entering the gourd. (When the birds are done nesting in the gourds, you can remove the tape and plastic lid, and clean the house for use next season.)
  
  

Rack Assembly

• 1). Lay one dowel down and lay the other across it perpendicularly. The center points of the dowels should be touching. Wrap the intersections with duct tape to secure them together.
  
  
• 2). Tie the rope to the intersection point of the dowels.
  
  
• 3). Drill 1/4-inch holes into each end of the two dowels. Thread the fishing line through the holes and tie it off. If you're unfamiliar with fishing-line knots, you can tie a regular knot and wrap the tip in the duct tape. Cut the fishing line to leave about 1 foot hanging from the dowel.
  
  

Setup

• 1). Thread the end of the fishing line through the top of the gourd through the ventilation holes. Tie the end off to secure the gourd to the line. The gourd should only hang a few inches below the end of the dowel. Do this to all four gourds.
  
  
• 2). Coil the rope and toss it over a tree branch about 15 feet in the air. Pull the end of the rope down to hoist the gourd rack. When the gourd rack is at the height you want, tie it off at the base of the tree. Your gourd rack is now complete.
  
  
• 3). Untie the rope, lower the rack, clean out nesting debris and store indoors during the winter to preserve the gourds.