Any thoughts on why martins don't like this house?

[Trishy]

This house was made from Chuck Abare plans. The compartments are 6 1/2" wide x 9 1/4" deep x 5 1/2" high. The pair on the house was the only pair that nested in this house. The male was a returning sy that started my colony in 2009. He lost his nestlings to cold that year. I took the trio down and replaced it with this. The following year he successfully fledged 5 or 6 babies. I don't remember exactly. A year later he came back with a female and stayed for a week. He left and I never saw him again. Don't know if he was killed or talked into going elsewhere. There hasn't been a martin nest in that house since. Last year there were some sy's that checked it out, and apparently didn't like it. Any thoughts? There are nest trays in there. I sure don't get it. I have a gourd rack with 8 gourds. Last year they were all full, and the martins that couldn't get a gourd moved on. The house cannot be lowered, and I have to use a ladder. If there are no takers this year, it is out of here. My brother in law made it for me, and I feel kind of bad for him. He sure put a lot of work into it. The other picture is with home made owl guards.

[Sue P]

Trishy, my martins wouldn't use the T14 until I hung gourds from the bottom of it. That sure is a beautiful house. You might try gourds.

Sue P

[rrmartins]

Trishy, my martins wouldn't use the T14 until I hung gourds from the bottom of it. That sure is a beautiful house. You might try gourds.

Sue P

I agree, hang some gourds under it. I really do like that house, I think I will build one this winter for next year. Good luck.

[Trishy]

I can try that. I will have to deal with subbies yet. I have 1 or 2 sy females, but no males yet. It would be good to provide extra gourds for them. Thank you.

[D'Nese]

I agree as well!!! Martins LOVE gourds and it gets a couple there and the rest will follow!!!

[Stephen Thomas]

Trish,

Maybe extending the partitions out flush with the porch so there wouldn't be any domination from one cavity to the other. It would also make it impossible for the babies to move from one cavity to an other.

I do agree with some gourds as suggest earlier.

Good luck.

[KathyF]

Trishy, do you have any pine needles or nesting material in the cavities for them? If not, adding some will help. Smear some mud on the doors. Also, is that a clinger entrance? If so, they may not be familiar with SREH. You could try removing the SREH on ONE nest cavity and make it a round hole door. Then, once they lay eggs, put the SREH back on.

I wouldn't try it though if you have any starling problems.

[Waydog]

Dang, thats a nice looking house! ...+1 for hanging gourds under it, Id definatley try that!

[Doug Martin - PA]

Trish,

I agree with the gourds.

However... Ventilation is a key component to a successfull nest and a female that is going to incubate eggs.

My T-14 sat empty for many years. All the early pairs at my site chose gourds. Excluders to be precise. Even my Troyer hoizontals were over looked.

Prior to this season I installed elbows in the Troyers. I drilled much larger ventilation holes in my T-14. Now they are fighting for these.

Lack of ventilation leads to a soggy, messy, nest and poor conditions for the parents and young. Your house appears to not be vented enough. That is my main thought for you.... if it is away from trees.

Doug

[~Ray~Gingerich]

I have a coates watersedge house that wasn't very popular with my martins. This year I hung 2 gourds underneath and I see a big increase of martins on that house.

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Nice looking house, it looks well made. Often, people think that its the house or gourd that the martins don't like, but what it may be that the martins don't like are some nearby trees. How many trees, how far to the trees, how open are the flyways? The trees are always the first problem that I look for.

[CurtWelling]

I have this same house. I have martins nest in it every year but only about 3-4 pairs on each side. I agree that hanging gourds under it is a very good idea. I have 4 gourds under mine and they are full.

I don't believe ventilation is the problem. The problem is porch domination and given a choice, martins simply prefer gourds. Next winter I'm going to widen the dividers out to the edge of the porch to try and minimize porch domination.

At my colony, the martins prefer gourds.

Also for me, the way I cut the SREH crescents, starlings can get into the house. It's a constant battle with them. The sparrows never go in the house, they prefer gourds, also. You should have less of a problem with starlings.

[Guest]

I just gave away a S & K plastic house. Up 3 yrs. no takers. Gave away 3 trios since I started in 2006. None nested in those housss. Used gourds and all were stsrted with clingers or crescents with no porch. The 3 yr. I added porches. In 6 yrs. I had 53 pair last yr. It seems nothing but gourds here at my site. Chuck Abare never got martins until he put up gourds. I believe gourds are not a favorite in Canada from what I hear. Its wooden houses there. Some things only the martins know.

[John Miller]

When you have a gourd rack and a house side by side, martins will fill up one first before moving to the other; and in my experience, may alternative some years which they prefer.

Is this house separated by some distance from the gourd rack, to maybe a less open area? You could try moving it closer, or to a more open area.

I agree about adding a few gourds, but not because martins prefer gourds -- or prefer houses -- I agree because you have a nearby full gourd rack. Wisconsin martins, I thought, love houses, but if you got martins in gourds at the colony site, hanging a few under this house may drawn them to it. Probably only need two.

would take the owl guards off until you get martins... might make it easier for martins to land and evaluate.

Finally, are your gourds an easier to enter entrance? Martins will use clingers, but it would not hurt to try a few different SREH -- not round, if starlings are a concern -- but maybe some crescents.

John M

[Trishy]

Thank you for all of the suggestions. I love this forum. You all are so helpful. The house is only about 20 feet from the gourd rack. Similar fly ways for both. The trees to the west are a little closer than I like, but plenty of room for flying in. The entrances on the gourds are 2 crescents and the rest clingers with tunnels. I think the gourds hung beneath it sounds like a good idea. I will see what happens.

[John A Green Jr]

Trishy,
I can't get anyone to take up my house either so don't feel bad. I just leave it up anyway and put up all the gourds that I can and let it ride and so far it's working for me. KEEP THE TRASH OUT!, do your own thing and see what happens, that's how we learn and I'm getting a good dose this year. I would recommend buying at a minimum 9" gourds cause my little group seem to be sucking them up. They cost a little more than the local stuff but well worth it. Take care.

John