Tossing Crickets?

[katkola]

I've read all the posting lately about tossing Crickets. It's in the 40s and very windy here in the Shenandoah Valley.

I purchased some Crickets, froze and defrosted them and tried tossing them to my PMs. I have 4 male adults and 1 one female.

If they are on the porches or perches they either fly away or go inside their gourds when I approach. One or two may return and go to my other pole nearby. I toss the Crickets, they go slightly above the gourds, but the birds ignore them. How many should you have to toss before they realize that I'm giving them food? This could get very expensive very quickly.

I haven't wanted to put the crickets on the porches because of the high winds. If I place them inside the gourds, they will just blend in with the nesting?

I don't want to see them starve!!

[Louise Chambers]

Two things to try: plug most of the gourds, leaving the ones with the most protection from the wind open - not more than 4. Put some dead crickets in each open gourd - right inside the entrance, where they will have to walk over them to get inside. This worked for us last year - good luck.

[Laverne]

Hey Katkola. We don't mean to scare you. I checked the weather forecast for Waynesboro, Virginia and they say it's gonna be 61 there tomorrow and it's gonna get warmer and warmer for the rest of the week. Your birds are not going to starve and this may be why they won't pay any attention to you. They may not be hungry after all.

[katkola]

Louise, thanks for the great suggestion. I will do just that - plug all gourd openings but 4 and put the crickets just inside the opening.

Laverne, you have a great point also. I may be worrying and jumping the gun a bit. This week, so far, has been very blustery, but the temps have been over 50, except for today. Today it didn't get out of the 40's and we actually had a few snow showers and, again, the blustery winds. I was beginning to get very worried after reading all the other posts about martins starving and/or freezing to death. I couldn't bear to let harm come to my martins without doing everything possible.

I think I'd rather err on the side of caution, so I'll take Louise's suggestion this evening or early tomorrow morning. Can't do any harm.

Then, I'll look forward to a warming trend the rest of the week!

Thanks a million! I'll sleep better tonight.

[lcline85]

I can't wait till it warms up around here this weekend! Today was extremely cold and I can't believe we got snow flurries. It has been freezing all week and if I was in your position I would be trying to feed too! But I'm still waiting on those subbies to arrive!

[Dave Duit]

Louise is right on the button with her suggestion. I have put crickets and scrambled eggs on the porches of the most used goards and the martins do eat them. I also put some on a raised feeding tray about 10 feet from the gourds. Last night here in Iowa it was 26 degrees with frost on the gourds this morning. The martins may not be feeling the need or hungry yet at your location. If they are hungry they will feed on your crickets in rainy, windy or cold weather; especially after two days. Tossing cricket during bad spells may make the martin work harder for their food. I always go with a feeding tray and offering them on their porches.