(In a hurry to get gourds together and up, forgot to soap the caps!
)Giving wasp the ole butterfly treatment
I notice while doing a check for nest that I did in fact have tenants in one gourd. WASP! As my little brain was racing to figure out how to rid the gourd of them without leaving a poison of some kind for a potential martin. I decided to give them the butterfly treatment. I taped up the vent hole and weep holes in the bottom (very carefully!) I have some round sponges that came in the doorknob hole of a new door. So I soaked the sponge with alcohol and stuck it in the hole. Worked like a charm! The next day I unplugged everything and all wasp dead, no poison for martins. Even disinfected the entrance hole!
(In a hurry to get gourds together and up, forgot to soap the caps! )
(In a hurry to get gourds together and up, forgot to soap the caps!
)Tony
2007 --- 0 2011---0 2015---4
2008 --- 0 2012---0 16-19—0
2009 --- 0 2013---1 2020—?
2010 --- 0 2014---3
2007 --- 0 2011---0 2015---4
2008 --- 0 2012---0 16-19—0
2009 --- 0 2013---1 2020—?
2010 --- 0 2014---3
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flyin-lowe
- Posts: 3792
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
- Location: Indiana/Henry Co.
Some people say that wiping the top of the gourd with cooking oil or something very slick will stop the wasp's from building a nest inside. I have never had this issue so I have not tried it but I have read it on here many times.
2026 HOSP 29
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
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The Olsons
- Posts: 3200
- Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:57 pm
- Location: North Padre Island, TX
Great work Gobbler! I will remember that......
I never use any kind of oil around the martins because of the danger that there feathers might get messed up which would make it difficult for them to fly. I have also used alcohol to get rid of mites outside and/or inside a gourd. Fortunately that only happened one year in two gourds. When that happens also rub your hands with rubbing alcohol to get the critters off of you
I never use any kind of oil around the martins because of the danger that there feathers might get messed up which would make it difficult for them to fly. I have also used alcohol to get rid of mites outside and/or inside a gourd. Fortunately that only happened one year in two gourds. When that happens also rub your hands with rubbing alcohol to get the critters off of you
Love it or leave it~~~Astrid :-)
Hey Gobbler, with all due respect,
Everyone reads your post faithfully, and I do for sure, and we all know your frustrations in trying to get martins, but you can take solace in knowing that the old saying certainly may be true in your quest, that "half the fun is in the chase." So you may be having the time of your life right now, so be careful to savor the moment.
Seriously T-man, I think you are on the verge of landlord success. You do have the little lovelies visiting regularly, it's just a matter of time, and I personally think it's going to be soon.
I know you'll feel much better now after this little reminder. Seriously again, I wish you the best and continuous good luck in this landlord chase.
I have nothing at my site but starlings and tree swallows. Swarms of tree swallows. If a martin comes within a half mile; the ts's are after him like a side winder missile. It is frustrating, but here I have to take my own aforementioned advice. Again Good Luck to you Gobbler.
Everyone reads your post faithfully, and I do for sure, and we all know your frustrations in trying to get martins, but you can take solace in knowing that the old saying certainly may be true in your quest, that "half the fun is in the chase." So you may be having the time of your life right now, so be careful to savor the moment.
Seriously T-man, I think you are on the verge of landlord success. You do have the little lovelies visiting regularly, it's just a matter of time, and I personally think it's going to be soon.
I know you'll feel much better now after this little reminder. Seriously again, I wish you the best and continuous good luck in this landlord chase.
I have nothing at my site but starlings and tree swallows. Swarms of tree swallows. If a martin comes within a half mile; the ts's are after him like a side winder missile. It is frustrating, but here I have to take my own aforementioned advice. Again Good Luck to you Gobbler.
I appreciate your confidence, but my legs are getting tired!"half the fun is in the chase."
I'm about to get too old to chase anything! Seriously though, I think you may be right. I'm there all but the nesting part. I at least get to watch martins every morning and several times a day. I wish you all the luck in the world also. The TS must be exhausting. I know there are a lot of people here who have them and love them, and I understand why, but I personally would rather have the martins.
Tony
2007 --- 0 2011---0 2015---4
2008 --- 0 2012---0 16-19—0
2009 --- 0 2013---1 2020—?
2010 --- 0 2014---3
2007 --- 0 2011---0 2015---4
2008 --- 0 2012---0 16-19—0
2009 --- 0 2013---1 2020—?
2010 --- 0 2014---3
what does soaping the lids do????
2011 19 Pair, 108 eggs, 74 fledged
2010 9 Pair, 44 eggs, 30 fledged
Mast 1: western cedar T18 + 4 SREH tunneled gourds - 3"x3"x24' alum. custom fab mast
Mast 2: 11 Horizontal Gourds with custom Jack Petty entrances +6 SREH tunneled supergourd - 2in deluxe 18.
2010 9 Pair, 44 eggs, 30 fledged
Mast 1: western cedar T18 + 4 SREH tunneled gourds - 3"x3"x24' alum. custom fab mast
Mast 2: 11 Horizontal Gourds with custom Jack Petty entrances +6 SREH tunneled supergourd - 2in deluxe 18.
Stretch,
They say if you take some white soap, say ivory, and rub it in the tops of your house and gourds the wasp won't build on the soap.
They say if you take some white soap, say ivory, and rub it in the tops of your house and gourds the wasp won't build on the soap.
Tony
2007 --- 0 2011---0 2015---4
2008 --- 0 2012---0 16-19—0
2009 --- 0 2013---1 2020—?
2010 --- 0 2014---3
2007 --- 0 2011---0 2015---4
2008 --- 0 2012---0 16-19—0
2009 --- 0 2013---1 2020—?
2010 --- 0 2014---3
huh. That's a great tip for us NOOBs!
Never read nor heard that till this post. I may try. The wasps this year started off bad, but the continued cold snaps have allowed the birds to get a real good foothold on the housing. They are getting bad again with the heat.
Last year, I remember knocking off several starter nests for those pesky paper wasps. This would be very helpful for me if it worked.
Never read nor heard that till this post. I may try. The wasps this year started off bad, but the continued cold snaps have allowed the birds to get a real good foothold on the housing. They are getting bad again with the heat.
Last year, I remember knocking off several starter nests for those pesky paper wasps. This would be very helpful for me if it worked.
2011 19 Pair, 108 eggs, 74 fledged
2010 9 Pair, 44 eggs, 30 fledged
Mast 1: western cedar T18 + 4 SREH tunneled gourds - 3"x3"x24' alum. custom fab mast
Mast 2: 11 Horizontal Gourds with custom Jack Petty entrances +6 SREH tunneled supergourd - 2in deluxe 18.
2010 9 Pair, 44 eggs, 30 fledged
Mast 1: western cedar T18 + 4 SREH tunneled gourds - 3"x3"x24' alum. custom fab mast
Mast 2: 11 Horizontal Gourds with custom Jack Petty entrances +6 SREH tunneled supergourd - 2in deluxe 18.