I was installing some doors I had recently purchased from the shop for a new Trio MK-12.
I have a few concerns.
1. The doors are too tall. I have to trim a little off the bottom to get them to fit properly
2. The excluder opening is so low the subfloor can be seen in the profile of the opening. The opening needs to be about 1/4" higher.
3. The notch area for the "hinge" part of the door is too weak and easily bends
4. The bottom of the door does not have enough material. Nearly bent it trying to open the door.
Am I doing it wrong?
Excluder Doors Sold in the Shop....
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DornCounty
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Trio-Jedi
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Dale D
Dorn,
Would it have been possible to have trimmed the height off the top instead off the bottom. That way the distance from the opening to the sub floor would have stayed the same. Just a thought. My thinking may be off on this.
Would it have been possible to have trimmed the height off the top instead off the bottom. That way the distance from the opening to the sub floor would have stayed the same. Just a thought. My thinking may be off on this.
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Emil Pampell-Tx
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I sure don't have a solution for your problem.
I have had problems after cutting off the bottom of plastic plates for my gourds. Its hard to modify something because the porch must be so close to the bottom of the entrance. the bottom is too thin, and breaks easily. The only thing that can be done is to raise the floor instead of cutting off the bottoms. I think that it may be easier to purchase a new tunnel that is made correctly for my gourds.
I have had problems after cutting off the bottom of plastic plates for my gourds. Its hard to modify something because the porch must be so close to the bottom of the entrance. the bottom is too thin, and breaks easily. The only thing that can be done is to raise the floor instead of cutting off the bottoms. I think that it may be easier to purchase a new tunnel that is made correctly for my gourds.
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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DornCounty
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Trio-Jedi
The big problem is the height... If I retrofit a bunch of houses in town, I could end up needing a couple hundred of these. I want to simply throw them on and not to have to make a mod.
Only about an 1/8" of the subfloor shows and it's only in the wing areas of the opening. Don't think that would be an issue, but it is a design problem.
Or it could be I am simply doing something wrong. I'll try to get some photos up tonight.
Only about an 1/8" of the subfloor shows and it's only in the wing areas of the opening. Don't think that would be an issue, but it is a design problem.
Or it could be I am simply doing something wrong. I'll try to get some photos up tonight.
2017 - Home & Public Colonies - 300 Cavities
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DornCounty
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Trio-Jedi
I guess I could trim the top.. but it is broke straight across and I would have to trim the break, which is hard.Dale D wrote:Dorn,
Would it have been possible to have trimmed the height off the top instead off the bottom. That way the distance from the opening to the sub floor would have stayed the same. Just a thought. My thinking may be off on this.
2017 - Home & Public Colonies - 300 Cavities
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John Miller
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I just got some crescent Nature House doors direct from them, and they fit perfect on some older houses that I'm re-configuring for a park.
Years ago, I bought some doors for Trio/Nature House houses from the PMCA and didn't like them. They fit, but did not have the little lip at the bottom of the crescents, leading me to believe they were not made by Nature House, and maybe if that were true, your excluder doors are not either. I don't know this for sure, but might be worth investigating.
I'm going to put the PMCA wing protectors on these doors, but sticking with the factory direct for the doors themselves.
John Miller
Years ago, I bought some doors for Trio/Nature House houses from the PMCA and didn't like them. They fit, but did not have the little lip at the bottom of the crescents, leading me to believe they were not made by Nature House, and maybe if that were true, your excluder doors are not either. I don't know this for sure, but might be worth investigating.
I'm going to put the PMCA wing protectors on these doors, but sticking with the factory direct for the doors themselves.
John Miller
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DornCounty
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Trio-Jedi
The Trio cresents fit great. The issue with them is the starlings get in as they are too high off the porch.
Does Trio make the excluder? Can't find one on their site.
I am 99% sure these doors are not Trio, which is fine, I just want them to fit properly.
Does Trio make the excluder? Can't find one on their site.
I am 99% sure these doors are not Trio, which is fine, I just want them to fit properly.
2017 - Home & Public Colonies - 300 Cavities
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John Miller
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Well...I just looked at their site and did not see the excluder doors. Maybe they stopped making these.
You are correct that starlings sometimes breach the crescents at one half inch. I don't observe that it happens a lot, but if you have several public houses where you are not trapping, you will get a few entering and nesting each season.
John M
You are correct that starlings sometimes breach the crescents at one half inch. I don't observe that it happens a lot, but if you have several public houses where you are not trapping, you will get a few entering and nesting each season.
John M
Last edited by John Miller on Sat Dec 01, 2012 9:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
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~Ray~Gingerich
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Check the slot, if it's bent maybe there's also a crack at the top of your slot letting the door hang too low, or maybe the slot is simply bent too wide to fit right. You might have to pop rivet an extra strip of metal on the inside and make a shorter slot.
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
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Carlton
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I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
2. The excluder opening is so low the subfloor can be seen in the profile of the opening. The opening needs to be about 1/4" higher.
I had this problem on SOME of my condos so I put the floor in upside down in the foyer side and the entrance was clear. Another choice is to leave the floor out in the foyer side and just put a couple of nonskid tape strips in there to make the floor less slippery. Works for me. I have had very successful results. Good luck!
I had this problem on SOME of my condos so I put the floor in upside down in the foyer side and the entrance was clear. Another choice is to leave the floor out in the foyer side and just put a couple of nonskid tape strips in there to make the floor less slippery. Works for me. I have had very successful results. Good luck!
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DornCounty
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Trio-Jedi
Great idea Carlton.. there is really not much need for a subfloor in the entry room. Nice catch.Carlton wrote:2. The excluder opening is so low the subfloor can be seen in the profile of the opening. The opening needs to be about 1/4" higher.
I had this problem on SOME of my condos so I put the floor in upside down in the foyer side and the entrance was clear. Another choice is to leave the floor out in the foyer side and just put a couple of nonskid tape strips in there to make the floor less slippery. Works for me. I have had very successful results. Good luck!
2017 - Home & Public Colonies - 300 Cavities
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DornCounty
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Trio-Jedi
The slots I am refering to are the ones on the door, that hooks over the rods that run horizontally.~Ray~Gingerich wrote:Check the slot, if it's bent maybe there's also a crack at the top of your slot letting the door hang too low, or maybe the slot is simply bent too wide to fit right. You might have to pop rivet an extra strip of metal on the inside and make a shorter slot.
2017 - Home & Public Colonies - 300 Cavities
I've been tempted to grind those 2 tabs off the top of the door, but I haven't done it yet..I do the same with my sub floors and turn them upside down. On some floors there is a little piece sticking up and I just bend that flat..
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~Ray~Gingerich
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Yes Dorn those are the slots I was referring to,if they get bent and open up wider than they should be,especially the top side of the slot it would make the door drop a little lower. Another thing I noticed on some of my mine is a flange where the side walls meet the ceiling can make the door tight. Had to trim the doors a little to clear.
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
Dorn, maybe half of the excluders I use show the subfloors inside. It doesn't slow the birds down at all and generally have a full house in both castle and minicastle. I did have a baby stuck in a subfloor in a front compartment last season. The foot was down inside a hole. I got it loose and everything was ok. First time this has ever happened. Maybe traction tape in front compartments would be safer than subfloors. Might try it next year.
The tie rods and nuts that hold these houses together might be to tight. My castle doors were always tight and hard to open and close. I loosened the bottom nuts on the tie rods a bit and it helped some. Maybe that might help you some.
dave
The tie rods and nuts that hold these houses together might be to tight. My castle doors were always tight and hard to open and close. I loosened the bottom nuts on the tie rods a bit and it helped some. Maybe that might help you some.
dave
PMCA member