The first housing you offered was....?

[Bill Pec]

Hi all,
Thought it might be fun to hear what type of housing you offered on your very first attempt to attract martins. Particularly, if you are among the most respected and knowledgeable members of this Forum. As the passion grew and more experience and knowledge was acquired it was a normal progression to provide better housing. But.... we all had to start somewhere as inexperienced beginners. What did you stick on a pole as your first attempt to attract martins? I know we should research before putting up housing but the reality of it is most of us didn't.
I'll start even though I'm not among the most knowledgable on the Forum. In my case I offered an aluminum, Natureline House with eight shallow cavities, round entrees and no predator guards. It attracted tree swallows. At least I had the good sense to put it on a pole with it pulley so I could take it down. Where am I now? The original house has been modified so it only has four deep nest cavities, restricted entrees and predator guards. In addition, I now offer a Trendsetter-12, a variety of ten gourds, and utilize the recommended attractants and predator controls.
Bill

[KathyF]

Bill, what a great thread to start! Well, I'm not among the most experienced on this forum, but I'll add my experience with housing.

I started out in 2007 with an S&K barn on their Tri-Tel pole just to see if we would get martins, before I even found the PMCA. I don't know why I refuse to learn the lessons of my past. After almost 3 weeks of fighting off the blue birds & tree swallows, I finally got them settled using Dan Drew's protocol.

When the martins finally laid claim to the house, I had issues with porch domination, so I only ended up with 1 pair that year. After dealing with the frustration of trying to lower the tri-tel pole by myself, etc. hubby bought me a Trendsetter-12 for Christmas! Then I decided I also wanted to try gourds and eventually added 2 of the Deluxe PMCA gourd racks with 48 Troyer horizontal gourds. I modified the S&K & gave it away. So, I now offer a total of 60 cavities.

I'm stopping at that number.....for now....maybe ..... until I retire...maybe...

This was 2008 (before adding gourd racks) -
http://www.youtube.com/user/pmslums#p/a/u/1/RgwCSbK1T6I

[CraigMo.]

Take me off the most respected list too I also started with the S-K Barn in 2002. Did not attract any that year. Found the PMCA that same year also and learned that my setup was about 30 feet from my house so I moved it 10 more feet away and in 2003 I got my first pair. I offer 24 cavities, Trlo MSS12 and the Deluxe Gourd rack from PMCA and Super Gourds crescent openings and metal porches(Which I love). I am hoping in the future I will add the Gemini 18 gourd system which will probably be my total cavites to monitor. I don't want to make to much work for me. Maybe if I was retired I could have more:)
Craig

[flyin-lowe]

Take me off the most respected list too, but I will chime in. I too started off with an S&K barn house that I put up. Luckily I did find this forum before I bought the house so I did have my house put up in the correct location in my yard. I also converted the the house to six rooms instead of twelve. I was shocked with my quick success. A few weeks later I was even more shocked to find out that my PM's were actually TS . It was late enough in the season that I let them stay. The next year I worked on relocating them which I did successfully. The second year I put some Big Bo's underneath that house. After a couple of years with no PM's I decided to upgrade to a T14 with gourds underneath. Last year I had five pair and this year I am also adding a AAA gourd rack with a variety of different plastic gourds. I figure it will be a couple years before I have to add anymore housing. I will have 34 cavities available. As well as two TS gourds and 1 BB house.
I did successfully fledge PM's, TS, and BB's on my one acre yard last year.

[Carlton]

At my present site in DE I started out with a Coates Watersedge house with crescent entrances and modified interiors. I fought house sparrows and fought house sparrows. The pole was a telescoping pole. No martins.

I then purchased an MSS-8 and modified it to four compartments. I also had a few Supergourds on another pole. My first pair of martins, an ASY pair, moved intothe Trio house. Lower level. They had four young and all four fledged successfully. I think the Spar o Door offered with this house REALLY HELPED me get martins as for the first time I found it easy to catch the pests and I caught MANY of them within a couple weeks. A lone SY male spent that season in one of the Supergourds. Last year I had 27 pairs and all nested successfully!

I gave my Coates house to a friend out in Virginia. SO FAR they have not seen any martins on it but martins are scarse in their area even though it is very open and in a valley.

[wyatt]

What a great topic! I remember my dad talking about the purple martins and how he loved to watch their acrobatics, so after he died I found his old martin house in the shed and decided to put it up. Thankfully some google searches led me to the PMCA and I was advised to add some gourds. I spent several months anxiously waiting for martins to show up and then gave up. I had forgotten all about it when I woke up one morning in mid May and heard a great racket outside. I thought some birds were fighting at the birdfeeder. I looked out the window and screamed "PURPLE MARTINS!!!" There were 8 martins excitedly picking out apartments. I spent the whole morning watching them and making comments like -- ' I'll take apartment 3B ' Well it turns out the house was very difficult to make nest checks on. The doors did not open and I was perched precariously on the dock railing or a ladder. The only successful martins were in the gourds. I upgraded to the T-14 the next year, but I will always remember my first time with fondness. Actually I kind of miss the simplicity and innocence of just having the 2 pairs. They successfully raised a fine group of young ones, and when they fledged it was quite obvious that all of the neighboring martins showed up to cheer them on. We had running commentaries on the parents showing off their children to the aunts and uncles. Below are 2 videos. One of a normal day, and the other on fledging day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbqxZWyVTok

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6jkqGJzdKU

[KathyF]

Wyatt - your story made me laugh!

Great videos - thanks for sharing!

[jldoll]

I was a very slow learner. I started out in 2003 with a trio musselman on a telescoping pole, kept it up for two years then converted it to 6 cavities. The next year I added 4 gourds under it. 2 troyers and 2 excluders. I kept this for two more years.
In 2008 I added a small gourd rack with 8 excluder gourds, on a telescoping pole about 20 ft. from the musselman. In 2009 I got my first two pair of martins and fledged 9 babies.
In 2010 I had 7 pair and fledged 33 young.
Can't wait untill april
Jerry

[Don~VA]

Hey Bill, Good topic for the pre-martin season. I certainly can't claim any knowledge as I can't even attract a pair in years now. But, every time I think of my first PM house, I cringe a little. It was a home made 14 hole unit which I built with 1/2" plywood and mounted it on a 14 foot locust post. I don't know what it weighed, but it took 3 of us to get it up in the air. I used a 16 foot wooden ladder to clean it out each season and we always had 6 or 8 pairs of martins. During a four year stint in the service it fell into disrepair and of course the martins stopped. After that I was given a 12 unit aluminum Heath House which is what my neighbor used. Between us we had martins for many years. Hope you have a Great and successful season.

[Peggy Riley]

I'll admit that I had never seen a PM until I found an old 1960's model 12 room Heath house laying behind an old building in 1997. I put it up with no way to monitor anything. I had one pair and watched as a sparrow rolled the eggs right off the porch. They did relay. Then I found the first Kent Justice forum and started to learn.

In 1999 I added a Natureline rack with 8 natureline gourds. And I discarded the old house.
In 2001 I added a Lone Star 8 room San Jacinto house and a 2nd level to my gourd rack. I added 4 Troyers and 4 SGs.
2002 I added a Lone Star 14 room Alamo.
2004 I added Lone Star add-a-racks under both houses adding 16 gourds.
2007 I added a CUE deluxe rack and 16 gourds
2008 I added another 2 tier Natureline rack with Bo11's
2011 This year I am adding my last pole with a CUE Round Rack on which I will put 8 ComBo gourds I have.

I will have a total of 64 various gourds and the 14 house compartments. I have come to realize that this is all I can handle. Wish I had started earlier in life! I don't even want to add up the expense!

Peggy

[Wendell Hansen-IA]

The other half give me an 18 hole blitz plastic house on a telescoping pole for x-mas . I gave her my word that it would not get out of hand. And that I would be very happy with just the one house.

Then I found this site I now have two SS36 and one T-14 for a total of 94 compartments.

She put her foot down in 09. NO MORE poles. With a lot of love and kisses, well maybe one more, but only if the big old hackberry tree dies off........I love roundup

[James Strickland FL]

Mine was back 40 years ago and I started with 20 gourds and they were full. Now I have Trendsetter 26 and Natures 12 room Grand pap with 24 gourds both natural and plastic. Had lots of martins back then and now trying to get started again. This my 4th year trying.

[Tim Stover]

home grown gourds and a home made house sounds like a garden and home cook meal that's how it started got away from it for years really don't know why but i'm back to stay now have 110 gourds put up as today built two houses each 4 room condo's gonna put up. and 15 more gourds 133 cavities may stop there wife say's i'm nuts

[Evan337]

my first house i put up in 2004 and it was a 12 room blitz house on a telescoping pole. i had two pair and fledged five young. that house is currently in the shop scheduled to be worked on and converted to an enlarged compartment six room house.

i have two colonies. the oldest one has a t-14 i built with 8 natural gourds and a pmca gourd rack with 12 natural gourds and 4 big bo gourds. 38 cavities total and there were 34 pair that nested last year. between 100-125 fledged in 2010.

The second colony I established in 2008 with a t-14 i built and four big bo gourds. One pair nested and fledged five young. This year I'm offering the t-14 with four troyer horizontal gourds, three trio grandpas and a trio mussle man with a coates 8 room watersedge on a homemade multi-pole. i'm going to put four natural gourds on that pole as well. Last year i offered 24 cavities and had 20 pair that fledged 80 young. This year i'm offering 54 cavities. it should be a good season.

[Martin man RI]

Started in 1994 with trio 12 unit added five more trio's the martin population
never grew never had more then 10 pairs. A storm in 2005 killed all
the martins the plan was to add gourds and double size units. Took two years to get one pair. The site seemed doomed with problem after problem
to date the birds have never returned to north central RI. I blamed the small
units had they been nesting in bigger gourds and houses the site would be still active. Today there are 18 gourds only at that site. All my other sites
are gourds and large aluminum houses and the population is growing leeps
and bounds with over 30 pairs in my home town of Barrrington. In only five years.......Small units retard the growth of any colony and should be removed or made double sized. In the early 1990's most of the martins
in Southern New England were in trio units today its more like 60/40 gourds
are the most active unit for nesting martins. They seem to avoid the small
houses here because so many chicks fledge from gourds. They are making a great comeback in many area's with the removal of the vintage houses

[Evan337]

i forgot to mention that all my trios and the coates house are 12" deep compartments. Deep compartments along with good plastic and large natural gourds are all I offer. So far it has paid off. Both colonies have grown every year.

[Sparky]

1999, Coates 16 room, 6 X 6. I learned fast. For 2000, it was coverted into an 8, with 6 X 12's. I added another with 6 X 12's, so I would have 16 units. The pole was modified to accept both. They are long gone now.

[Jeremy Shuler]

I started in 2009 with a s&k 12 room house and 2 big bos under it, and on another pole was 2 whistle gourds. had 1 lone SY that year last year had 2 ASY pairs 16 gourds and the house. This year Im offering 16 naturelines, 2 excluders, 2 bo9's with clinger tunnels, 2 whistle gourds, 1 big bo with a clinger plate, 1 bo gourd, and 1 troyer horizontal with cling plate and no house. So 25 cavities for now til I get a few more filled up. My ultimate goal is 200+ pairs. Ive got a while to work on it im only 22 and love my hobby!!!

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

Started in 2006 with a Coates house on a steel round pole and a telescoping aluminum pole purchased at Walmart with four double compartment gourds. The pole purchased at Walmart only lasted about three weeks. It bent in half after some stright line winds came through one evening. Installed two of the double compartment gourds under the Coates house. Ended up with four pair, half ASY martins, which layed 22 eggs. All 22 eggs hatched and fledged. Learned my lesson with the equipment purchased at Walmart and switched to 3" tinsile aluminum pole the following year.

[billb]

In 1970, my dad and a neighbor built 2 each 28 cavity houses out of plywood and particle board. It had 12 6x6 apartments on each wide side and 2 attic apartments in each narrow side. Round holes of course. Had to raise the house on the 3" galvanized steel pole and screw it into the anchor socket - pipe threads. It was heavy!

Attracted about 6 pair the first season and gradually grew. As I recall, porch domination was prominent and the sparrows had to be dealt with. The hot / humid south LA weather got the best that house after a few seasons, and it was replaced with an improved homemade design.

My first personal PM housing in 1995 was a Duracraft hexagon - like the Trio castle, but 12 6x6 cavities with round holes on a telescoping pole. Attracted 3 or 4 pair that first season, double that the next. Had to take it down when I moved overseas for a few years, but set it up again at our new location in Katy in 2009. Added 3 TH gourds last season and have converted a couple of the apartments to 12 x 12 this season. Pretty much full last year, so could be overbooked when they arrive this time.

Should be here any day now. In fact. I dreamed about them last night.