Mosquito Diet Question

[Virgil McCoy]

It's been researched and stated that only a small percentage of the Purple Martin diet consists of mosquitos. I've come across many who refute this claim. What do the forum members think ?

[~Ray~Gingerich]

One day last summer I noticed my martins swarming over a low area in which a tall marsh type grass was growing. I went to see what they were feeding on and found a lot of mosquito sized gnats flying around.

[Scott D.- La]

All I know is this Virgil. In the early spring, we have some very large swamp mosquitoes, large enough, to clearly see them, as they relentlessly attack and can easily bite through clothing. They can survive in some very low temp's and are usually around at any point after the big freezes of winter. They can literally be in swarms large enough to where you cannot stay outside. When the Martins begin showing up in force, this problem goes away and no longer have to worry with them, Now, the little sucker's, they are not as bad at my house, like they are at other's homes but are a issue in the late evening's but most people that come over always say, you don't seem to have many mosquitoes and credit the Martin's. That is fine with me. So, take it for what it's worth.
Edit, edited to add, in the early season, it can be some very slim picken's for the Martins so, I would think whatever is available, is what they will target and I have seen some awful tiny insects targeted at these times of scarcity.

[Guest]

I look at it this way,,,,,,,,,,,,

A mosquito is usually active in the night time hours and feeds close to the ground.The Purple Martin is daytime feeder and this is at altitude,so with that being said its obvious that the mosquito is not much in demand or a big part of the PM's diet.

I do have a friend in La. who claims he has seen a feeding frienzy of PM's feeding on mosquitos but he also said the mosquitos were swarming at the time and he has only seen this once.

dick

[Guest]

Deleted,,,double post
dick

[Aaron H]

Hello...Virgil, I take care of two colonys my colony is small but while the martins are feeding
around their gourds i don't seem to be bothered with
mosquitoes but when the martins are out away from their gourds i
get bothered a little more with mosquitoes,
But at my second colony that i take care of, their are around 50 pairs
every year while the martins are here we have very few mosquito
bites. But when the martins leave the nests after raising their young
and are not staying nights after a few days with out the martins around
we can't even sat out at night or late evenings, so i believe the martins do
take care of some of the mosquitoes while they are staying around
their colonys.

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

In my opinion, we have far less mosquitos when the martins are here. No matter what the experts say, I think that they help to control them a whole lot. Something to consider is the terain, the martins do a much better job of controlling them if you have fewer bushes, flowers, and small brush type trees around. We also have bats here, and much of the credit probably should be given to the bats. Bats do the best job of controlling them.

[Steve Kroenke]

I have had purple martin colonies for many years, including my present site with 300+ pairs. When you add Bob's number of over 150 pairs, we have nearly 500 pairs of martins.

Mosquitoes are still here and during "wet" seasons mosquitoes are even more active. While martins may catch some mosquitoes that are flying out in the open and near the ground during the daylight hours, the martins are probably not controlling them in our area. Many mosquitoes hunt for blood in the darkness when martins are not actively looking for food.

At my large colonies in Florida, mosquitoes would "eat me alive" at night when I was patrolling around the housing in an attempt to keep owls away. One of these colonies had 150+ pairs of martins and the martins had zero impact on the mosquitoes.

And there is another issue...mosquitoes actively attack martins in their nests at night. Bird blood must taste "real good"! I remember seeing huge numbers of mosquitoes swarming around the entrance holes to my gourds at one of my large colonies in Florida. The mosquitoes looked like bats flying into a cave! I could hear the martins snapping their beaks at the mosquitoes. I could shine a flashlight at the gourds and see numerous mosquitoes swarming around the racks. The mosquitoes are possibly attracted by the carbon dioxide exhaled by the martins.

So perhaps the mosquitoes are "busy" feeding on your martins rather than biting you!

Steve

[Guest]

Steve looks like great minds run in the same channels

dick

[Virgil McCoy]

Lots of interesting opinions make great conversation. The reason this topic was raised is due to the amount of the elder Martin landlords I've come into contact with who truly believe they have an effect on the mosquito population. One wants to be polite and respectful when addressing the issue with them as to not discourage. Most of these elderly are ones that have lost colonies over time and don't seem to know why. The Martins were so plentiful back when and apparently there were much fewer Starling and Sparrow issues. They have been convinced of the need for constant maintenance and elimination of predators but just can't bring myself to tell them about the mosquito theories. The reason being is that I"ve met to many on this forum who make a great case both ways.

[e p jones]

Prime PM season is also prime dragonfly season--as they are a/the main source of "high value" protein since they are relatively large.

And dragonflies do eat lots of mosquitos--often very close to the ground.

[Virgil McCoy]

Mosquitos are most active at dawn and dusk. If our Martins are up before sunrise then, "The early bird catches the worm" per say. Maybe they feed on mosquitos early but primary sources such as dragon flies once the sun rises. I wonder how early dragon flies and other insect foods are up and about ?

[Scott D.- La]

The large swamp mosquitoes I am talking of, are active at all hour's of the day. Yesterday morning as an example, it was cold enough for a face mask with the wind chill while Deer hunting. I was bitten several times to the face through that fairly thick mask. Even with the hard frost of this morning, they will be out as soon as it warm's just a little.
Virgil is also right to state, many folk's will not put up housing unless they think there is a benefit with the mosquitoes. The PMCA should have let that myth remain regardless, of how many they actually eat IMO! I am sure also the diet can vary wildly form PA to La.

[Virgil McCoy]

Scott, maybe its just relative to mosquito size ? I can understand them eating the large ones but like Steve claims the smaller "Tiger" mosquitos are a nuisance to them as well as humans.

[Scott D.- La]

Virgil,
Yes, I have witnessed on many occasions on my night patrol's, the Martins getting harassed/bitten by the small mosquitoes. I have seen them try and chomp down on them in their cavities at night. Not sure how successful they are at night. It's probably a miserable night's sleep out there. The tunneled gourds may help some? I noticed it the most when I had my wood house, especially with a cavity full of young.

[Guest]

If PM's liked mosquitos,there would be PM's in Alaska.I'll bet there are more mosquitos on 10 sq.miles of Tundra than there is in all of the swamps in Louisianna.

I played in a softball game in Alaska 1955 during my military stay on the flight line at midnight,the land of the midnight sun-remember,We started out with a new white softball when we were finished it was black and red from killing mosquitos as it flew thru the air.Blood and smashed mosquito's.

dick

[Scott D.- La]

Dick,
I don't think that analogy quite work's for Alaska We will have to believe what we want and leave it there however, a lot of people would not host Martin's if they thought for a minute it did not help with mosquitoes. That is one myth that needs to be left alone IMO, for what little housing is left around here would be lost if people believed it. Not one Martin conversation that comes up around here is not followed by, those Martins eat ton's of mosquitoes. Some folk's think it's all they eat and will hardly believe they eat other insects which I mention to them. So, regardless of reality, I have learned to smile and nod, saying..... sure they do, and that is all fine with me.

[Guest]

me too

[Matt F.]

Great article.......
http://purplemartin.org/update/MosCont.html

[Virgil McCoy]

Very interesting article especially the part explaining the digestive system working so rapidly that most soft tissue foods (mosquitos) are processed quickly leaving little proof of diet.