Wind damage

[SoIndyDon]

Could just kick myself. I saw the storm coming and didn't lower the martin housing. As the storm hit with huge gusting wind and buckets of water I watched in horror as the Fountain rack poles bent and the T-14 pole threatened to crack.

the T-14 survived but it and the Fountain rack poles leaned heavily to the north-northeast. With a long rope and steady pulling I was able to repair the damage.

I'll never be complacent again about lowering housing when storms approach.

[landonn]

I'm glad everything is ok.

Landonn

[Chriscreole]

I lowered my housing and then a plastic button broke so I left it a 6' tall good thing because we have had steady 20/40 mph winds daily for month or longer, my polr is leaning like your T-14 and its the cemented part that is shifting.

glad yor martins are safe.

[ron20m]

I had tow gourd rack break off at sleeve 6/14. I have always opted for taller 16 foot options. Now that I have an established colony I may go to 14 ft to try and cut down physics of the rack weight.

[Craig Dyer]

Because of a continued high wind threat, several days ago I lowered my housing from fifteen to ten feet. Last night a distant collapsing thunder storm produced freakish high winds (but not a drop of rain). Even at ten feet I now have a slightly leaning pole. I hate to imagine what would have happened, had I left the housing at fifteen feet.

[SoIndyDon]

Craig, that's why I posted because you can never underestimate the power of wind even on a "simple" gourd rack.

Martins might need the height that we give them to become established. They need height to drop and achieve air speed to soar, but 6' might be enough.

[Craig Dyer]

Don,

I couldn't agree more. It is obvious to me that the martins at my site are not the least disturbed by lowered housing. It doesn't appear to concern them one bit. I am guilty of preferring the housing at a high setting. I should probably leave it at a lower setting all season long. Instead I watch the weather like a hawk and constantly raise and lower the housing based on the forecast. That can be risky, as the weather forecasters are only right about half the time, and storms can pop up often and unexpectedly.

[ron20m]

My fav new rack is a Gemini and the lady at cuent says it only comes in 16 but since my colony is established (and I lost two racks in storm) I'm thinking about getting the 16 and just leaving it at 13-14 all year long. But maybe I'm being paranoid. Had a 16' 2 inch square for 15 years without losing it and never lowered it once. It might be better to keep a spare lower section around

[tonyg]

I'm thinking the lady who sells the Gemini needs to give us landlords the options of 12', 14' and 16ft..never was a favorite of the taller poles..i'm thinking of buying a gemini also and the one they call the Hybrid..getting to old to climb ladders..