Purple Martin Forum

I forgot to add that I have knocked down several starlings as well. I don't focus on them due to SREH and the sheer numbers in my area. I could should 500 starlings tomorrow and not make a dent in the population. The sparrows I can somewhat keep their number in check. But when I see a starling in ra...

By way of update on the new air rifle. As you can see from my signature below my HOSP shots are way up this year. In the past I only focused on the ones landing on or using my martin housing. I was also limited on what direction I would shoot because I usually used a 20 gauge shotgun. Or focused on ...

I think their instinct tells them these things happen. I have seen members have there entire colony destroyed by a tornado, killing all young, destroying eggs, etc. and as soon as the houses were put back up they re nested. Had the same colony been wiped out by a snake or owls they probably would ha...

Almost looks like a female but I couldn't tell from the picture. Usually the pattern on the SY males underside is a little more "splotchy" for lack of better terms. Seeing it in person, you are probably correct with your identification. Either way congrats to you. No matter what the sex is...

I have used Seven for many years and never noticed an ill affects. Typically I place a small amount under the edge of each nest before the earliest eggs are due to hatch. As long as your nests stay mostly dry this will keep the mites at bay long enough for them to fledge. If I were you I would place...

My first colony started with an SY male who spent a summer at my place. He never attracted a mate but the next year he showed up to the same cavity as an ASY. Not only did he attract mate right away I ended up with 5 total pair. An ASY male at your place will draw a crowd. Hopefully he returns next ...

I don't think it takes much of a hole to allow a little air flow.

Do you have the little vent places drilled out? If not I would make sure next season you drill those out. On the top of most Troyer gourds there are a few little raised areas that the under side can be drilled out for ventilation and it is angled at a way that keeps the rain out. If your little ones...

Do you have nesting martins? If not I would leave the house lowered, close all the openings except for those with a trap. If you see martins visiting, open it up and raise the house. If not just utilize the rest of this summer to lower the local HOSP population.

Almost every year our family vacation falls sometime during the end of the fledge season. This year we went early and are gone for two weeks instead of just one. Curious to see what I have when I get back but should still have a majority of the youngens there, they will just be too old to lower the ...

I did what will probably be my last nest check of the season today. I am leaving town tomorrow for two weeks and by the time I get back there will be too many old enough to jump if I start messing with them. This year I have 67 active nests out of 68 cavities. The last couple years I have hit the 60...

My guess is a snake is your problem. It will come back every year until you get a guard of some type to stop it.

I have 2 T 14's with winch/cable set ups and two AAA gourd racks with rope and pulley. The T 14's take a little longer to raise and lower but is slightly less work as the winch does the work. The rope/pulley set ups are a little quicker to raise and lower. I don't really mind one much more over the ...

I haven't really researched the new v old versions of Sevin. However years ago I was researching pesticides to do some home pest control instead of paying Orkin or some other company outrageous rates. What I found is Bifenthrin is one of the most common used pesticides in the industry because it is ...

I feel like the chicken wire would be rigid enough a rat snake could grip on the outside of it and go up. Could be wrong though. Unfortunately I feel like a racoon could go right up that no problem...

It can seem like an impossible task but you can make a dent in the population. They have a relatively small home range so keep at it. For example, at the original house I lived at I had a 1 acre yard surrounded by farms. There was a cattle barn less then 50 yards from my martin housing. So between a...

If you are/were able to lower it before it got dark that is what you need to do. You can lower it down around half or so and the martins won't care. What you don't want to do is lower it after dark, spook the martins into the darkness. That can cause issues.

I need to get my older Gammo out and tinker with it. I can't remember the exact model but I bought it at one of the big box outdoor retailers and never could get it to group. I tried several different type pellets and at 20 yards it was only grouping like 2 inches, no where near what I need to hit a...

I'm sure you have said before, but I missed it. What gun are you using? A couple weeks ago I bought a Umarex Notos and love it. I had most of the HOSP in my area taken care of but had a few very skittish stragglers I could get. I measured from inside my house to the PM housing and sited the gun in a...

An easy way to tell the difference between males and females is the vocalization. If you are out, listen for a series of clicks at the end of the vocalization. If you hear the clicks it is a male.