This is the first year I haven't had white pine needles for pre-nesting material. The pine needles I collected this year seem stiffer and sharper.
Before I put them in the gourds I crumpled them with my hands to soften them a little, but they still feel kind of sharp. Are they okay to use?
Are prickly pine needles ok?
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Louise Chambers
- Site Admin
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- Location: Corpus Christi, TX
Are they short or long needles? Do you know what kind of tree? I would say to avoid spruce needles, short and sharp. But if these are pine, and long needled, should work okay. Maybe you can do the steve kroenke method and let some cars drive over them for softening 
Besides white pine, slash pine and loblolly pine are good choices, basically if it's a pine with long needles, it should work.
Louise
Besides white pine, slash pine and loblolly pine are good choices, basically if it's a pine with long needles, it should work.
Louise
Last edited by Louise Chambers on Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Hi Kelly, I have been using the pine needles in my T-14 and gourds. For sometime. Before I put them in, I put some cedars shaving, them the pine needles. It has work for me. Now the sparrows don't like it and they kick it out, and I take a shot at them. Happy Martin.KellyTee wrote:This is the first year I haven't had white pine needles for pre-nesting material. The pine needles I collected this year seem stiffer and sharper.
Before I put them in the gourds I crumpled them with my hands to soften them a little, but they still feel kind of sharp. Are they okay to use?
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Guest
Thanks guys.
Yes, they are long needles, and were gathered from variuous trees at a park by our house. (I don't know my pine trees so I googled spruce and they are not spruce needles).
I'll have to try running over them a few times. That sounds like a pretty good idea. Don't want any of my martins to impale themselves.
Yes, they are long needles, and were gathered from variuous trees at a park by our house. (I don't know my pine trees so I googled spruce and they are not spruce needles).
I'll have to try running over them a few times. That sounds like a pretty good idea. Don't want any of my martins to impale themselves.
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
I have used loblolly pine needles as well as Japanese Black Pine needles. The Japanese Black Pine are stiffer and sharper so I would not recommend them. I use scissors while I have on gloves and cut the loblolly needles into thirds. Seems to work well for me and my martins.
The best are the white pine needles as they are very soft but any of the above pine will work just fine. I always add a few dry oak leaves, cut up, as well.
Personally, I do not care for the cedar shavings or bark mulch as I find they get soggy and dry out very slowly if a driving rain gets into the unit.
The best are the white pine needles as they are very soft but any of the above pine will work just fine. I always add a few dry oak leaves, cut up, as well.
Personally, I do not care for the cedar shavings or bark mulch as I find they get soggy and dry out very slowly if a driving rain gets into the unit.