Does niteguard scare purple martins?

Trishy · Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:51 pm

Anybody have any experience with the niteguard? I ordered 3 and mounted them on a tri pole about 15' from the gourds and trio. Am wondering, since it is suppose to scare owls and other night predators, it only stands to reason that it would also scare the purple martins. Wish I would have thought of this before I ordered them. Any input?

Show-Me-Mike · Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:25 pm

Hi Trishy,

I've been using the Niteguard lights for about a month now. They were recommended to me by a fellow martin landlord who also had problems with a predator owl. I mounted three of them to a pole on my deck that faces my martin houses and the pond and golf course that are behind them. The martin houses are about 90 feet behind my deck. After losing two martins to this owl before installing the Niteguard lights, I've had absolutely no problems at all. I don't even hear the owls hooting at night. Best of all, the martins aren't fazed by them. They fly in before sunset, sit on their perches, and are oblivious to the Niteguard lights blinking. I think because the lights are coming from a human's house, it doesn't seem to concern them since they like being around people anyway. Hope this helps ease your concerns.

Trishy · Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:47 pm

Thanks Mike, that does help considerably. I've read several testimonies to how much it helps, but one just never knows. I use to live in Rolla, MO. Where are you from there? Don't remember Carrollton. Am thinking about returning that direction in a few years. I miss the warm weather.

Lawrence Berger~MI · Wed Jun 03, 2009 7:16 pm

I have had the night guards for about 3-4 years now. I bought four and mounted them on a piece of sheetmetal and mounted them on top of one of my gourd racks. I didn't have any owl predidation before but I had heard the owls hooting at night so I put up the lights as a precaution. I have not had any owl problems and haven't heard them since. The lights don't bother the martins at all. I was told that the owl see the lights as predator eyes. So, I hope this helps and the fact they do last at least four years. They must have a pretty good solar cell.

Lawrence Berger~MI · Wed Jun 03, 2009 7:18 pm

I have had the night guards for about 3-4 years now. I bought four and mounted them on a piece of sheetmetal and mounted them on top of one of my gourd racks. I didn't have any owl predidation before but I had heard the owls hooting at night so I put up the lights as a precaution. I have not had any owl problems and haven't heard them since. The lights don't bother the martins at all. I was told that the owl see the lights as predator eyes. So, I hope this helps and the fact they do last at least four years. They must have a pretty good solar cell.

Ron Shaffer · Wed Jun 03, 2009 8:38 pm

I wonder if the manufacturer ever considered a magnetic option...would sure be handy for some purple martin people.

ccarlin · Wed Jun 03, 2009 8:46 pm

we put niteguards attached to the top of our martin houses. the martins don't pay them any attention at all. they come after dark on some nights and fly right pass them like they aren't there. we had an owl in under our secruity light that is about fifty yards from the houses but he didn't go near the houses at all.

Donna - TX · Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:08 pm

I have my night guards attached to the martins perching pole and they will perch right next to them while they are blinking. I have four of them so they can be seen from all directions.

Joe Zorn · Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:27 pm

What a timely post!

I looked online and found the website to order the night guard. And I do like the idea that they are solar powered, so no electricity necessary.

The question I have is what the neighbors are gonna think?

In all seriousness, how bright are these lights, if they can be seen for a half-mile?

Also, how big of an area do they serve? My two furthest poles are about 100 feet apart. Would the recommended 4 lights, viewable from all directions, protect the entire yard?

trank · Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:35 pm

Trishy, I just put mine up tonight and it didn't seem to bother them one bit.

Tom

Donna - TX · Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:52 pm

Joe my neighbors have not said anything about the lights. I ordered 4 lights since that was recommended for owls and hawks.
I ordered mine from a different place, a little cheaper.
Not allowed to put it on here.
The light is very tiny so it should not bother people.
My neighbor can see them from her place and she is 75 yards from me.

Show-Me-Mike · Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:00 pm

Trishy,

Carrollton is roughly 60 miles NE of Kansas City in the middle of farm country and is 10 miles directly north of Waverly, Missouri, on US Hwy 65 North. Waverly is the apple and peach capital of Missouri.

The Niteguard lights that I have face the martin houses directly from about 90 feet away. Since there is only a pond, then the golf course directly behind them, the lights don't bother any neighbors but otherwise can be seen up to 1/4 mile away. Since the lights only operate from dusk to dawn, they probably wouldn't bother a neighbor but a person should be sensitive to that when installing them.

Trishy · Thu Jun 04, 2009 6:13 am

I want to thank you all so much for your input. I am smack dab in the middle of barred owl country and this seems to be a very good investment from the sounds of things. If we can just get some warm weather so the birds will lay eggs. Sounds like a cool, dry summer ahead.

Tim Mangan-Kansas · Thu Jun 04, 2009 6:29 am

Joe:

Since I have experienced several owl attacks this season, I ordered two of the solar night guard lights. I attached one to the roof of my boat dock and positioned it so that it faces my multi-purpose pole about 10' away at the same height as the housing on the pole. The second light, I mounted to my house rain gutter about 20' from another pole. As was mentioned, the manufacturer recommends four units on a pole, one facing each direction, to deter both owls and hawks. (At $30 each, I did not want to invest that amount not knowing for sure if the units would work.) If I feel the units work, I will consider purchasing more for next season and mount than on my housing poles in the manner suggested by the manufacturer.

I don't see how the light would bother your neighbors. The unit does not shoot out a beam of light. It is just a little red blinking light about 3/16" in diameter that blinks about twice every second.

Tim

Sandy - NC · Thu Jun 04, 2009 7:22 am

I rrecommend taking them down at the end of the season for several reasons. One, no need to make them work when not needed and this shoudl make them last longer. I put them in a bubble wrap envelope and seal it so that they can get no light to recharge. Also, no need to give the owls an opportunity to get used to them. My martins also perch on the pole and the top the of the T-14 I have them mounted on. It doesn't bother them at all.

Joe Zorn · Thu Jun 04, 2009 8:53 am

I did not want to invest that amount not knowing for sure if the units would work.) If I feel the units work, I will consider purchasing more for next season

My thoughts, exactly, Tim.

Please let me know if you think the lights worked for you, since you have owl activity there. The present owl visits I am getting may just be the first I have experenced at this location in the three years Ive had housing up...but how do you ever know for sure?