Question for the guys about nesting trays

[baileysambone]

I put together some universal nesting trays I bought from PMCA. I had to cut the width slightly to fit my rooms. The trays are put together with glue. My question is, I want to reinforce the corners and edges to make it stronger and to take away the tiny gaps I see where the edges meet.
What is the best thing to use for this that can withstand the heat and that is non toxic to birds.
Thanks,
Yvonne

[John Miller]

You could glue in a length of material into the corners...anything tiny would work. You probably can find something at home centers.

I made some of my own trays from same material that I purchased online, and glued with the instant clear glue stuff...I call it model airplane glue. Didn't seem strong enough to me, so I just sort of caulked the corners inside with construction glue and ran my finger over it to smooth it out. It's not neat...but dries hard after three or four days and lasts forever. I used "liquid nails" that you set in a caulk gun canister. Cleanup with mineral spirits or paint thinner, but there may be a water-based "liquid nails." Also laid a square of thin cork in the trays to provide a nest base material that would be more warm and more traction. I wash at end of season and reuse (the cork..and me too).

John M

[Tommie D]

What type of material are they made of ? PVC Sheet ? If so I have some small strips in gray you can have if needed.

[baileysambone]

Tommie,
I was looking for like a caulking or silicone material I could use to seal all the edges together and make it stronger. I'm not sure that glue it came with will hold. I don't know what material it actually is, but it's the universal nest trays sold by PMCA (Black ones)

[Matt F.]

Hi Yvonne.
This will be the second season for me using the PMCA universal nest trays.
So far, the super glue they come with has held up great.
One thing I discovered last season (thankfully before nesting had started), was that the bond created by the super glue was so good, that some of the trays were actually holding water after some hard rains - like a bathtub.
This was quickly resolved by drilling numerous, small drainage holes, in the bottom of each tray. After that, they stayed nice and dry.
I also used a utility knife to score the front part of the tray, to assist the Martins in exiting.
Here's a photo from last season (you can see the score marks on the front of the tray)

[John Miller]

I'm pretty sure the material is sentra...also comes in white. Some SREH entry plates are made with it and commercial signs - it's a type of PVC, I think, but more easily cut.

drainage...I cut some thumbnail size pieces and glued on bottom corners of mine, flat, to raise up, and also drilled drain holes. these trays should last many years if not forever.

For the traction etching, you can just take a flat screw driver and drawn it across to make grooves.

John M

[Glynn B - LA]

After putting mine together with their glue. I put a heavy bead of construction adhesive around the inside corner to corner and on the slick side entry area of the nest tray. I then took my finger and smoothed it out. After letting it dry, I drilled a hole for drainage just a little bit away from every corner and also drilled one in the middle. This made them very very sturdy.

I also smeared a thin layer on the porch area leading to the nest. I then took a tooth pick and made criss cross design so the martins could walk on it easier.

[Dave Duit]

Lexel adhesive caulk.

[jr 2]

if these nest trays are made out of sentra[ signboard] how thick is it ???? and what color would be best???;;would i have a problem getting some at the home store and making my own too fit the back compartment of my trio's that have enlarged[6x12] compartments and is lexel the best too put them togeather;;i am curently using subfloors in the back[6x6] compartment ;;would these nest trays be better than the subfloor????

[John Miller]

JR

I've made some of my own..ordered online as I sometimes make my own entrances too -- entrance plates in white and nest trays in black. I've never seen sentra at home centers -- it's sort of a hard PVC but soft enough you can cut with a utility knife. I think I'm allowed to provide commercial links for industrial products (not martin housing)..so here it is. I used 3 mm for entrance plates I make and 6 mm for nest boxes.

http://www.foamboardsource.com/sintra-p ... nt640.html



I don't think you want it in back Trio compartments..but everybody does these a little different...I suspect it might interfere with the door clip. My way is to use the trio subfoors and overlay those with either a snug fitting square of cork -- I buy 12 x 12 squares from Walk Mart and cut to fit -- or a square of roofing shingle, gravel side up. The overlay helps prevent any water wicking up. But ideas for back trio rooms are many here.

John

[daveh]

I use subfloors in both front and back compartments in my castle and mini castle. I'm like John about using roof shingles over the back nesting subfloors. I've used them for years and they seem to help keep nests dry. They do add weight to the houses which I don't like because of the light weight poles Trio uses.

dave

[jr 2]

hi john and dave;;thanks for the link and the imput;;i may just use roofing shingles over my back subfloors but i also though about the weight as i am not getting any younger[65] now and those poles seems too be getting heavier too slide up and down; i have an extra bundle of shingles in my building;;going too try an put houses and gourds up today or tomorrow as it is going too warm up here;;thanks again jr2

[daveh]

Jr2, both my trio houses are on winches so raising or lowering is no problem. I worry about extra weight in these houses when storms come thru. The poles are not strong enough to begin with. If I'm home I'll lower them 4-5 ft. and that helps a bunch before the storm comes.

dave