Yes or No (remove old nests or leave them)

[guteart]

In the past I have clean out the old nesting from the gourds (4). I was thinking of leaving the nesting in them this season. My question is should I clean them out or leave them as is with old nesting from last season? Thanks

[Louise Chambers]

Are they natural gourds? They will last longer if you remove old nests at the end of the season before storing them for the winter. Old nests will hold moisture that can harbor mold and fungus that will cause the gourds to rot. Also the old nest material can make a good place for fleas and nest mites to overwinter. So even with plastic gourds, removing the old nest material will provide a healthier environment for the martins next year.

You can put some dry nest material into each gourd at the start of the season - many landlords like to use pine straw or wood shavings (coarse, not fine - aspen and cedar pet bedding can be used).

[guteart]

You right as the old nest would hold moisture, could have bugs. I went ahead and removed the old nesting. Thanks may you a good season. Happy Martin Day

[Carlton]

I would not leave the nesting material in there. It really gets nasty by the end of the nesting season and acids in it would be hard on any type of housing. Also, as stated it might contain harmful organisms.

I like to clean out the old nests as soon as the martins depart and I wash out the interiors with a strong stream of water and wipe off any stubborn stains on the outside with dishwashing detergent or Soft Scrub. I store mine in the garage as I have room but I can imagine as I get older that removing the poles from the ground sleeves or sockets may become too hard for me and they may have to stay outside year round. I figure the setup will last longer if protected from the weather Sept.-March.

[Laverne]

This is how I feel about it.

If you're going to remove the old nesting material you should replace it with new.

I can't build a Purple Martin nest, but I can fill up the huge space in the bottom of a gourd. I do this with cedar shavings topped with pine needles. This provides a good solid base for the Purple Martins to build their nest on - when the mood hits them.

When the earliest birds return and the weather turns frigid they desperately need some kind of nesting material to help keep them warm. In a natural environment, in the days before human supplied housing for the PM, nobody would have pulled the old nesting material out of the nest cavity. They will do fine building a nest on top of what people think is unacceptable.

Don't get me wrong - I replace nesting material every year. But, I know some people who clean everything out in the spring and leave the housing clean and sparkly and "empty" for the returning Purple Martins. I think it is better to leave the old alone than to leave the housing sparkling empty.

Sincerely,
Laverne

[Carlton]

I agree with you Laverne. When my martins arrive in the spring they always find lots of dry pine needles already in the gourd or house. Early April is usually COLD in coastal Delaware at least at night.

[Robbo]

I replace so much I can't count! Between Trapping and any signs of parasites. I cannot imagine using an old nest.
Rob.