Hello my name is Jim, I live in Plant City, Fl. I put up a 12 unit plastic house last year. I had several visits of 2-3 martins during the spring but no takers. I don't have any water on property but there are several small ponds within 1/4 - 1/2 mile of my site. I have made a couple of changes to house this year hoping I might have better luck.
I cut the 12 unit house down to 6 hoping that this might make site more attractive with the larger units, I also lowered the unit from 16' down to 12'. The house is setting in a nice open area with no trees within 75' in all directions. There is a house within 50-75'. I have thought about getting a couple of gourds and attaching them to the bottom of house but being new to this I need some feedback before I do anything else.
Feedback Please! Thanks, Jim
Need Help!!
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KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
Hi Jim!
Welcome to the forum - there are lots of experienced people here that can give you some help, so you've come to the right place.
Do you have any pictures of your setup? I don't think lowering it will make much difference, but here are some things I did in my first year that helped:
1. build some nests in your 6 cavities - eastern white pine or any other suitable nesting material (search this forum for nesting material)...you'll get lots of options! It makes the site look "used" and the martins love it.
2. try smearing some mud on the entrances after building the nests.
3. are your entrances SREH or round holes? I was having a hard time getting martins to stay when I first went up with SREH because everyone else around me uses round holes. So, I had a plastic house too and I cut round holes in 2 of the doors, built some nests with hay and voila! I ended up with my first pair and fledged 3 the first year.
Do you have any starling problems?
Others on here have recommended cutting the hole to a 2" diameter, letting a pair get bonded - have a few eggs, then reconstruct the hole back to a SREH if you do have problems with startlings.
Others will chime in I'm sure....
good luck!
Welcome to the forum - there are lots of experienced people here that can give you some help, so you've come to the right place.
Do you have any pictures of your setup? I don't think lowering it will make much difference, but here are some things I did in my first year that helped:
1. build some nests in your 6 cavities - eastern white pine or any other suitable nesting material (search this forum for nesting material)...you'll get lots of options! It makes the site look "used" and the martins love it.
2. try smearing some mud on the entrances after building the nests.
3. are your entrances SREH or round holes? I was having a hard time getting martins to stay when I first went up with SREH because everyone else around me uses round holes. So, I had a plastic house too and I cut round holes in 2 of the doors, built some nests with hay and voila! I ended up with my first pair and fledged 3 the first year.
Do you have any starling problems?
Others on here have recommended cutting the hole to a 2" diameter, letting a pair get bonded - have a few eggs, then reconstruct the hole back to a SREH if you do have problems with startlings.
Others will chime in I'm sure....
good luck!
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
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KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
one other thing....drive around your area and see what kind of housing other successful landlords are using. and yes, I hear gourds help. 
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
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Joe Zorn
Hi Jim, and welcome.
Gourds are a VERY GOOD idea. After a couple of the gourds attract birds, then the house will also begin to get a few.
There are several different types of gourds out there. I cannot honestly recommend one over the others. I have five different sizes and shapes, and even natural gourds that we grew last spring/suimmer, and just finished installing this year. They all seem to attract the birds equally well.
Since you have modified your house to enlarged rooms, then Starling protection is a must now. I prefer round holes, but starlings have no problems with those, and they love the large cavities. One many of my wooden compartments, I went back to the small sized rooms and also round holes. But don't keep round holes if you keep the enlarged rooms. Starlings will dominate your site.
PM's like the bigger gourds, but so do the starlings. I have four plastic gourds that I bought at a local hardware store three years ago. Only 7" deep. Both of my first year pair chose those small plastic gourds, ahead of the Bo Gourds and all of the wooden houses the first year. Last year, all four were used. All 16 of my different kinds of gourds have Extruder entrances.
Another tip: Porches. My starling problems vanished after I installed the extruder entrances, then attached porches almost flush with the bottom of the entrance. My pellet gun saw action only against the sparrows after that.
Good Luck.
Joe
Gourds are a VERY GOOD idea. After a couple of the gourds attract birds, then the house will also begin to get a few.
There are several different types of gourds out there. I cannot honestly recommend one over the others. I have five different sizes and shapes, and even natural gourds that we grew last spring/suimmer, and just finished installing this year. They all seem to attract the birds equally well.
Since you have modified your house to enlarged rooms, then Starling protection is a must now. I prefer round holes, but starlings have no problems with those, and they love the large cavities. One many of my wooden compartments, I went back to the small sized rooms and also round holes. But don't keep round holes if you keep the enlarged rooms. Starlings will dominate your site.
PM's like the bigger gourds, but so do the starlings. I have four plastic gourds that I bought at a local hardware store three years ago. Only 7" deep. Both of my first year pair chose those small plastic gourds, ahead of the Bo Gourds and all of the wooden houses the first year. Last year, all four were used. All 16 of my different kinds of gourds have Extruder entrances.
Another tip: Porches. My starling problems vanished after I installed the extruder entrances, then attached porches almost flush with the bottom of the entrance. My pellet gun saw action only against the sparrows after that.
Good Luck.
Joe
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Guest
Jim,
I'm only one year experience, but read and learned a lot from these folks right here on the forum. Can't tell you which or which order but here are some previous suggestions I read:
Decoys
Dawn Song
Mirrors outside or inside
Porches
Perches galore
Nesting material
Predator guards
Used look (mud)
Talk to them
And Astrid's favorite: With curlers in hair and fuzzy slippers on feet, flap arms up and down while dancing wildly every time you see one
It's her happy dance, welcome home routine that we all practice when we think no one in the little white truck is looking.
Best of luck...........
I'm only one year experience, but read and learned a lot from these folks right here on the forum. Can't tell you which or which order but here are some previous suggestions I read:
Decoys
Dawn Song
Mirrors outside or inside
Porches
Perches galore
Nesting material
Predator guards
Used look (mud)
Talk to them
And Astrid's favorite: With curlers in hair and fuzzy slippers on feet, flap arms up and down while dancing wildly every time you see one
It's her happy dance, welcome home routine that we all practice when we think no one in the little white truck is looking.
Best of luck...........
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Guest
The problem may be that you do not have enough open space, and that is the main problem that causes martins not to accept a site. All the other suggestions may not do much to keep martins at your place. When you say that you have 75ft, some other things to consider are the height of those trees. If the trees are short then thats a good distance, but if the trees are 50 to 75 feet tall, then that may not be enough space. Martins don't like to see a hawk or an owl sitting in a tall tree that is 75 feet from them, and if that happens, they will not accept such a site. Their main concern is their safety
Another thing to consider on the open site is the flyway. A martin needs a long flyway to build up speed, preferable in 2 or 3 directions. They are like a jet fighter, they fly low and build up their speed. The do not fly straight up like a helicopter. What that means is that they do not like a site that has a bowl effect with trees in every direction.
The 16ft pole would be more desirable if you have tall trees nearby. The taller poles have the same effect as a shorter tree does.
Some people remove some trees on their property to open up their site. This is often not a viable option, but it is something to consider. If people want purple martins enough, they may remove the trees to get the necessary space that martins require.
Its difficult to say if your site is open enough, and I wish you well, and I hope that you get martins. Often there are people that do get martins with a tree nearer than 75ft, each situation is different, and we don't know if the female martin will feel secure at your site.
Another thing to consider on the open site is the flyway. A martin needs a long flyway to build up speed, preferable in 2 or 3 directions. They are like a jet fighter, they fly low and build up their speed. The do not fly straight up like a helicopter. What that means is that they do not like a site that has a bowl effect with trees in every direction.
The 16ft pole would be more desirable if you have tall trees nearby. The taller poles have the same effect as a shorter tree does.
Some people remove some trees on their property to open up their site. This is often not a viable option, but it is something to consider. If people want purple martins enough, they may remove the trees to get the necessary space that martins require.
Its difficult to say if your site is open enough, and I wish you well, and I hope that you get martins. Often there are people that do get martins with a tree nearer than 75ft, each situation is different, and we don't know if the female martin will feel secure at your site.
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flyin-lowe
- Posts: 3788
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
- Location: Indiana/Henry Co.
What was the reason for lowering the house? If you have a week pole and it was a safety issue I think you made the correct move. If the pole is strong enough to hold the house safely at 16 feet I myself would move it back up. You might see if you can get some pictures or post a Google earth image of your property so some of the pro's on here can help you out.
Jim ~
I used "universal gourd arms" found at "Martin Market Place" (www.purplemartin.org ) to hang 4 gourds under the 4 sections of my metal "Alamo" house. I just happen to use SuperGourds with round holes. I keep a clothes pin over the hole until the martins show up and this works well keeping both blue birds and startlings away.
Last year I added a 2nd pole (AAA 16 from "Creative Universe Enterprises") with gourds only (SuperGourds with round holes). This "gourds-only" pole next to my "house with 4 gourds" has even attracted more martins. I, too, prep the house cavities and gourds with some nesting material.
Debba
I used "universal gourd arms" found at "Martin Market Place" (www.purplemartin.org ) to hang 4 gourds under the 4 sections of my metal "Alamo" house. I just happen to use SuperGourds with round holes. I keep a clothes pin over the hole until the martins show up and this works well keeping both blue birds and startlings away.
Last year I added a 2nd pole (AAA 16 from "Creative Universe Enterprises") with gourds only (SuperGourds with round holes). This "gourds-only" pole next to my "house with 4 gourds" has even attracted more martins. I, too, prep the house cavities and gourds with some nesting material.
Debba