How to make a barn owl box from a beehive

If you’re wondering how to make a barn owl box, an empty beehive gives you a useful starting point. The boxes stack together, so you can add depth beneath the entrance, and they’re already designed to sit outdoors.

I used a spare painted hive to make a barn owl nest box for our forest. I’ll show you the main things to consider, including the internal space, entrance height and where to put it. You can watch the build to see how mine came together.

How to make a barn owl box from a beehive

Start with an empty hive and check the space inside. I used a spare painted poly hive, then added another box to give the nest chamber more depth. We cut an entrance, fitted a landing board and put chippings inside.

The removable floor is what makes this design so flexible. You can stack extra supers above it to increase the depth between the bottom of the entrance and the top of the chippings. That gives you room to adjust the design without making a whole new box.

Before you start cutting, compare your hive and your proposed entrance, landing platform and roof with the Barn Owl Trust’s tree-box guidance. It includes plans and the important measurements. Your finished box needs to stay dry, be securely fixed and give you access for cleaning.

Barn owl box dimensions

The depth below the entrance is important because it helps stop young owls getting out before they’re ready. The Barn Owl Trust specifies at least 450 mm from the bottom of the entrance to the nest.

Mine has about 550 mm from the entrance to the chippings. With another super, the beehive design can give around 750 mm. Remember to measure to the top of the chippings, rather than to the bare floor.

The floor area matters too. The Trust gives 0.16 square metres as the absolute minimum, equivalent to a 400 mm by 400 mm square. My poly box is about 380 mm by 380 mm internally, so its floor area is just below that minimum. If you’re choosing a box for your own build, measure the clear internal space and choose one that meets the Trust’s criteria.

The 12-frame Abelo hive gives you a bigger internal space than the poly box I used. If you’re buying a hive for the job, that’s an option to look at. A wooden National box is another possibility, although you need a way to lift the extra weight. Check the actual internal measurements and the rest of the design against the Trust’s guidance before using either.

Where to put a barn owl box

I’d already put one box about 50 metres back into the forest, with trees between its entrance and the grassland. Looking at it afterwards, I wondered whether a barn owl would ever see it. Something may be using it, so I’m leaving it alone rather than disturbing it.

For the new box, I chose a tree at the forest edge, looking out over rough grassland. The Barn Owl Trust’s placement advice suggests a mature tree at the edge of woodland or in open countryside, with an entrance visible to passing owls. It recommends positioning a tree box at least three metres above the ground and avoiding sites close to major unscreened roads.

How to attract a barn owl

A suitable box is a start, but an owl also needs the right habitat around it. Look for a position overlooking open ground, with rough grassland nearby, and keep the entrance visible rather than hidden behind branches and leaves.

A box won’t guarantee that a barn owl moves in. I wanted to get mine up before the next breeding season and give it a chance. I’d love to see a barn owl hunting across the grassland here.

Putting the box up

Plan the lift before you start. I originally intended to winch mine up, but it was too heavy for my winch system and I didn’t feel safe continuing with it. I changed the plan and eventually secured the box to the tree with a ratchet strap.

I’d already hurt my back lifting a heavy wooden owl box on an earlier job, so the weight is something I take seriously. The Barn Owl Trust advises assessing the risks of working at height, not working alone and using appropriate equipment or a safer method. Its tree-box guidance covers installation as well as design.

Once we’d finished, I stepped back and wished I’d chosen a different colour strap. The bright orange looks massively ridiculous against the painted hive, but the box is up and looking out across the grassland.