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I have some nest boxes that our young activity group has painted with poster paints (the paint is safe for children and animals) some fantastic designs with lots of colours.
I have been experiementing on a piece of spare wood with some paint and varninshes. I selected a water based, animal friendly varnish but when applied it makes the paint wet again and all the colours run together.
Does anyone know of anything that won't harm birds, will seal the nestboxes but at the same time preserve the designs painted on?
The only products that we recommend for protecting nesting boxes are water based wood preservatives. Anything else could pose a risk to the nesting birds due to leaching of chemicals through the wood. However, poster paints are not designed for outdoor use and we can't think of anything that could be applied over the paint without it running. Bit of a problem if the nesting boxes are intended for outdoor use!
However, may I suggest that you leave the boxes untreated and find sheltered locations for them. Many birds are more than happy to take up residence in close proximity to humans in porches, car ports or under overhanging eaves. These sort of locations are often protected from rain and will offer birds a viable nesting opportunity.
Warden Intern at Otmoor.