Purple Martin Forum

In our RV community in Deep south Texas, my housing is about 15ft from our 15ft high RV canopy with the RV under it, with lots of citrus trees within 10ft of the housing. I have it extended to 10ft and when I have it lowered to 5ft, the Martins don't care. Lots of people stop and talk right under th...

I have put up housing 2ft above the water right next to the dock and have 40 pair each year and the birds have no problems with 6 grandkids running back and forth all day long. The young that fall into the water just flop and swim to shore, no worse for wear. I have had housing attached to the dock ...

I am in need for some info. I have a neighbor that is not enjoying my martins and is complaining to me that when she is on her dock, they dive-bomb her and make nests under her pontoon. I told her that is Barn swallows but it doesnt matter, my Martins are the problem to her. I saw an article from th...

I live on a lake that has all kinds of species of fish including Bass and Musky and see a lot of swirles under the houses when insects are dropped. I will see an ocassional dead young Martin on the bottom of the water. Most of the time, when a youngster falls in the water, it will swim to shore and ...

Hi Don! A few years ago, Don taught me about Martin housing over water and last year I had 28 pairs. My housing is only 2 feet above the water and it is just fine. When the adults are feeding the young at the door, they drop alot of food in the water and it is fun watching the fish fight over the bu...

I put up 2 houses, one on each side of my Martin houses. They are about 20ft from the houses and I have TS in each of them in addition, I have 2 pair of TS making nests in some of my 40 Martin cavities and I have about 20 pairs of Martins and the all seem to get along fine. I have a pole for them to...

I had an older house that I put up at my Mothers place that has round holes last year and all I got was Starlings. I am making some entrance holes with the SREH. Is the 1 3/16 height from the very bottom of the porch up or does it matter if the SREH hole is up from the flush floor? What I am wonderi...

I put up 2 Blue Bird size houses by my Martin houses and other years just left the houses empty, but was thinking a little pine straw would entice them easier to the house rather than my Martin houses?? Other years when I looked inside a TS house, they have a nest made of very soft fibers and feathe...

Is there a site that has the exact sizes of the many different styles of SREH?? I know of the 1 3/16" high made off of the 3" circle, but there are about 6-8 different styles. Thanks, Jim

What power scope would I need for my ranges???, Like a 1" scope that you would use on a deer rifle?

Could I expect to hit sparrows at 100-125ft with a good quality pellet gun??

Is there any reason, good or bad, of using a single wood dowel for the Martins to use rather than a porch? thanks, Jim

I have my houses just out in the lake about 15 ft from shore, and they are only 2-3ft off the water and there is no problem with the Martins taking off or enterening the houses, and my friend Don Wilkins,also puts them in the lake in North central Minnesota, has over 100 pair and his are the same hi...

So do you all think I should just leave the 4 compartment that I have or add a floor or two to the existing one or get a 24 room and make it into 12? I dont think anyone would notice anything is different if I just keep one house but it would have more housing

I want to only have one house there but I dont want goard racks or anything large. If I put up one house to replace the other one, they probably wont notice or care

My wife and I spend the winters in a RV park about 10 miles west of McAllen, Tx on the US, Mex boarder. We own our lot that is about 40ft by 80ft. For the last 2 years I have had Martins and had a 8 room alum Coates house that is about 10ft high and right next to the road. There is a lot of bicycle ...

Are you using soft White Pine needles or just any long pine needle?

Wouldnt the cedar shavings smell alot or doesnt it matter?

Well, 6 days later and the bugs are about 99% gone. we had a storm go thru and I lost power for 2 days so I couldnt post. The bugs look like the last pic on the site that Linda posted but they were more reddish and even smaller when on my hand. I think the key to the bug situation is like what was s...

Jim: Whenever I had a bad case of mites in and on, gourds, I would spray the outside with liquid seven in addition to applying sevin powder under the nests. Just make sure you cover the entrance hole so you don't accidentely spray sevin on the young. This usually took care of the problem within 24 ...