newbie sreh question

[deacdiddy]

After admiring my neighbors pm colony for the past several years...i decided to put up my own housing.. I ordered eight / 8inch plastic Heath gourds with sreh entrances and no porches.. My pole is 12 ft high...150ft from the nearest tree..in a 75 acre field/pasture...
I have had 4 BB houses erected around the field for 6 years, so they are very well established... As soon as the pm pole went up, the BBs begain to check it out...easily going in and out the openings, stealing the nesting material for their nest boxes..
My neighbors PMs showed up yesterday..His site is about 500 yards from mine..He has about 10 established pairs and several subbies...He has 10 natural gourds with round holes...ranging from 6 inches up to 10 inches with no porches.
I got my first visitor this am...He looked like an adult male..it was over sooo fast!! He circled, landed on top of the pole, and tried to enter a sreh. He was promptly mobbed by the BBs and left without a fight and has not tried again...
Since he probably has never seen a sreh, should I open up a couple of round holes to make my site look more familiar, or should I give it a few more days since I'm pretty sure all my neighbors housing is occupied.?
Thanks

[flyin-lowe]

There are a lot of threads on this topic if you look around. Many people have started colonies with SREH so that is not a problem. If the BB's are mobbing a new arrival they likely won't stay even if you have a round hole. Most martins don't go into a cavity at a new site when they first arrive. They will peak in and out a lot which looks like they are trying to get in a can't, this is not the case- if they want in they will get in. If the BB's have their own housing they might still use your PM house to perch and hunt from but they shouldn't cause too much problems. They might cause a little grief but if a PM really likes your place they will fight back a little.

More then likely since you have a new site and your neighbor is established what you saw was one of their martins just checking out your house. You said the PM house was out in a 75 acre pasture. How far is it from your house? You will have better luck if you can get the PM house within 100 feet of your residence. They feel safer with humans around. They do like to have open flyways and be away from trees but they prefer to be a little closer to human activity.

[deacdiddy]

thanks flyin-lowe
My housing is about 250 feet from my home...to get it closer would require it to be closer to some 100ft tall poplar trees.

[Courtney-NC]

Hi there! Just wanted to say welcome to another NC forum poster! There are lots of helpful folks here. Hopefully some of the more experienced landlords will chip in as well, but here are my 2 cents:
How far away are the bluebird houses from your martin setup? I had mine within 40 feet of my martin house, and even though the bluebirds nested in THEIR box, they chased away all the martins who were coming to visit the martin housing. I ended up putting my bluebird box on the other end of my property and haven't had any problems since.
I have heard that SREH with no porches are harder for the martins to learn, but certainly not impossible. However, they also seem to be more starling resistant without the porches. Do your gourds have ventilation, and are they opaque? Keep the paper wasps out, too. I have been having a real problem with them this spring. If you do get martins, don't forget a predator guard!
Good luck, and keep us updated!

[deacdiddy]

thank you Courtney.
I have 1 BB house within 50ft. of my gourd rack. I will be moving it shortly.
I already have a nice cone shaped pred. guard.
I'm going to try and be patient with the sreh for a few days. I wish my neighbor used sreh...I would be more confident of getting some of his extras.

[deacdiddy]

To solve my aggressive BB problem I moved their BB house to the other side of my home, about 300 yards away from my gourds. Now instead of stealing the nesting material from the gourds they have decided to move in. I have had 2 more PM visitors since the first, but they were both promptly BB mugged before they could even take a peek inside.
I have always admired my BBs, but they are getting on my last nerve...How many times will I have to remove their nests before they try elsewhere? I secretly find myself wishing my resident Coopers hawk would solve my problem but he has taken a liking to doves feeding off my feeder.
The only plus the BBs have going for them is they have also mugged any Starling who has dared to land also.

[Bob Buskas]

I agree with Flyin-low, I would forget about moving the BB house. Move your Martin setup closer to your house. The BB will leave the gourds alone and the Martins will be happier living closer to you. If you are 75 feet from the poplar trees you are OK. Don't worry about the SREH, they will enter when they decide to. Good Luck!

[deacdiddy]

I moved my housing closer to my home hoping to solve my BB problem...I convinced the wife to let me move my pole to the edge of our yard...about 90ft away from our house....BBs ain't budgin ....Today I had at least 8 visitors from the neighbors rack try to land with no luck...they tried for about 5 minutes and left...came back....left....came back again and at least 3 managed to land for a second or two....Do ya'll think the BBs will ever give up?

[Linda Reynolds]

If you are experiencing bluebird interference, you might want to access this tried and true method of dealing with the issue that was designed by Dan Drew. It has worked for many landlords.

http://www.drugfreeworkplace.com/%7EDan ... GENCY.html

[Dave Reynolds]

Linda --

That web site that you just posted, is the best information any Current Martin Landlord could pass on to any New Martin Landlord. Believe me I wished I could have had this information three to four years ago.

I have lived through the Tree Swallows/Blue Birds continued harassment, of new SY Martins. I have watched the Tree Swallows continue to fly figure eights over my Martin housing and would not allow the SY Martins to land or perch for very long.
Had I had this information years ago, I would have a Martin Colony by now. This will be my first year applying this new information. I have no doubt that this will be my first successful year. I have all ready applied this information at my site. I believe it will help any New Martin Landlord be successful. Those of you out there, that are trying to start a New Martin Colony, please go to the web site that Linda posted and take this information to heart

Thank you so much Linda ...

Dave -- in Ohio

[deacdiddy]

Last week I had a BB box about 40 or 50 ft from my PM rack...the BBs were building a nest there... They were mugging the PMs trying to check out my site...so I moved the BB box to the other side of my house, about 330 yards away...BBs took over a gourd...From the info given in the link provided, I have messed up big time...I guess I'll be putting the BB box back and closing off the PM rack til the BBs recommit to the BB box....geeeez this stuff is nerve wracking

[glmcvickers]

My BB house is withing 50 ft. of my colony site. When I first put up the gourd racks the BB's did hang around it but it didn't stop the PM's from taking it over. I also started with SREH's but mine have porches. Most of them scooted right in but some of the larger ones took a little longer to wiggle in.

You will have better success if it were closer to a building. Maybe a barn or shed of some kind. I never had any luck when mine was out in my pasture. Good luck...hope you get some.

[deacdiddy]

I thought Mr. Cooper (hawk) had solved my bb problem yesterday evening. He grabbed Mrs BB in mid-flight...good ole mother nature...Well Mr. BB didn't grieve for long as he had a new mate sitiing atop the gourd rack this am. Even with the gourds closed..they still lay claim to the pole. the neighbors pms still fly by every day to check out the housing. I hope I still have time to get a pair!

[deacdiddy]

I thought Mr. Cooper (hawk) had solved my bb problem yesterday evening. He grabbed Mrs BB in mid-flight...good ole mother nature...Well Mr. BB didn't grieve for long as he had a new mate sitiing atop the gourd rack this am. Even with the gourds closed..they still lay claim to the pole. the neighbors pms still fly by every day to check out the housing. I hope I still have time to get a pair!