Anyone in Indiana using aluminum housing successfully???

[jeffwilliams72]

I was wondering if I should replace my modified Coates house with gourds.
A subbie male stayed in 1 room, but never attracted a mate. There seemed to be some interest in the house, but not like the gourds
I am asking for any info at all on Central Indiana success rates in aluminum houses. How they are modified, how many rooms filled up?

[Louise Chambers]

You might try hanging a few gourds below the house - that's often a magic bullet for attracting martins.

Metal houses work fine in IN and most of the martins' range. Trendsetters are very good houses, mfg in IN, and very popular with landlords and martins. Trio houses originated in IL, also very popular with landlords and martins.

One reason to replace or upgrade your Coates would be to have a system with a winch or lanyard, instead of a telescoping pole. You can also move it to a multi-purpose pole and hang gourds below that.

[landonn]

Jeff,

I know of a colony near me that has unmodifed Trio housing and does great, but I would modify your ompartments. Martins love compartments that are modify. In my opinion I would modify the house and get a small gourd rack. Martins in my opinion like gourds better than metal houses, and many trying landlords including me who are now active landlords seem to think martins like it when there is 2 poles at their site because it gives them more room to move and and explore.

Here's a link on how to modify metal housing http://purplemartin.org/update/9%283%29trio.html

[flyin-lowe]

There is a colony near me that has three heath houses and they are used every year. There is an Amish farm down the road from me that set up a coates house this year and last time I was down there he had 1 nesting pair. I am pretty sure Tom Jonker who lives near Indianapolis has a large colony and uses metal housing. It won't hurt to add some gourds though.

[Rich Jewell In]

I have a t-14, gourd rack and a coates waters edge alm house. This is the first year I finally got 2 pair in the alm house. It seems to be martins last choice in Northern In.

Rich

[jeffwilliams72]

Thanks for all your replies!
I have already modified the house from 12 rooms down to 6, and added tunnels with porches, there is a rack of 6 Bo-9's with tunnels underneath it also, one of which has a pair feeding 5 babies in it!
I believe I will keep the modified Coates house, and hopefully watch it fill up in years to come.
I also have 12 Big-Bo's with tunnels on a 2nd rack, it had a pair that fledged 3 TODAY, that was very exciting to watch before I left for work this morning! I heard all the chatter and witnessed the parents dropping bugs, and the babies going after those bugs!
If, in the future, the house doesn't fill up along with the gourds, I may replace it then. But, with only 2 pair this year and 24 holes offered, I will have plenty of time to experiment with the house.
Thanks again for all the info!

[John Miller]

Jeff

Aluminum houses work fine, and I'm honestly torn to know which martins like better -- houses or gourds.

But I'd suggest you consider insulating the Coates House with styrofoam this winter. Most of my aluminum housing has at least some styrofoam. I have two Coates houses, the suites, on a multipurpose pole in Forest Park, St. Louis, and these are favored houses, getting the first arrivals each March, maybe because they are in an optimal location, but maybe because they are insulated and help the birds survive early spring conditions. I have insulated these houses with one-fourth inch thick styrofoam glued to the interior walls; overlaid the aluminum subfloors with 6 x 6 inch squares of cork, and the cresents have wing entrapment guards.

I was reviewing "numbers" of nestlings found in nests in the last few days in various housing types this season, and was surprised to find that the two Coates houses (note they are suites) had an average of 4.3 nestings per 10 occupied cavities (two of the 12 vacant), compared to 4.0 for a gourd rack. Now, candidly this had me scratching my head. My sample is statistically small, but it least indicated to me that these houses are worth keeping.

John Miller

[jeffwilliams72]

John,
I will follow your advice and insulate the house this winter.
Did you get your 1/4" styrofoam and cork at a craft store?
Thanks for the excellent info, I can see how these mods. would make the house much cozier and more comfortable to the martins.

[John Miller]

Jeff

I get the cork in 12 x 12 panels from Wal Mart. It's the kind intended to go on home walls. Craft stores here were very expensive. The down side at Wal Mart is finding it among the canyons of stuff, but ask and search.

You probably could insulate all the walls with the cork and might be just as effective. The R value may not be as high, but surely much greater than thin aluminum. I have seen it done that way on plastic houses.

I use styrofoam "sill" insulation...comes in a flexible role -- pink or blue -- at home centers, and glue with a very thin layer of liquid nails. You may need to stuff compartments with newspaper wads to hold it until it dries. You can buy rigid one-fourth inch, comes in a big accordian stack, was more costly...but might be better choice. Maybe we could split some (grin); I probably will insulate and modify a couple more Trio houses this winter.

John Miller

[jeffwilliams72]

John,
What kind of wing entrapment guards do you have on your Coates house? and, where do you get them?

[John Miller]

Jeff

I think all aluminum crescents should have some sort of wing entrapment guard, to "reduce" risk.

On my Coates suites house, I'm using some older ones I made from styrofoam, and some from just some little blocks. I recommend the PMCA "wing protectors" as it's more professional, and will reduce but not eliminate risk.

You also could try weather stripping. I recommend automotive weather stripping because it's more firm and durable. I think some of the home weatherstripping is too soft and may "give" if a martins presses against it.

Here's an older thread on it.

http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12790

I want to experiment more this winter. some of us use just a simple arch cut from 3 inch thin wall PVC in gourds as a wing guard, and I may try to get one sized right for aluminum doors, but the challenge becomes not obstructing opening or nest trays.

If I'm not past my word limit: first choice, PMCA wing guards, and second, automotive weather stripping.

John M

[jeffwilliams72]

John,
Thanks again for the info, I will get the PMCA wing guards, and avoid driving myself nuts trying to fabricate my own!