New Here - Please Help Me Identify This House

nalts · Wed Oct 22, 2014 2:26 pm

Hey all-

I'm new to the Purple Martin Forum and want to get started with the whole "Purple Martin thing."

I'm from the far northern reaches of the Twin Cities in Minnesota where the mosquitos far outnumber the people. The past few years I've seen many martins on and around my property and two years ago a pair took up roost in a small generic house hanging about five feet off the ground. Unfortunately, I'm pretty certain that a starling took over. I know if I were to help these guys out, I should be successful.

That said, I have a ton to learn.

My parents gave me an old martin house (see attached photo) and I need to know if I should even bother with it. Can anyone help me identify what I have and if it's worth my time (and money) messing with it?

If I do use this, I'd love to get a pole up, (or at the very least, install the correct size pole sleeve), before the ground freezes.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Anthony Neira · Wed Oct 22, 2014 2:34 pm

Yes, That's an older Trio Nature House MSS12 House! Very cool, and it's best to get 4 Porch dividers & 6 Blank Doors & make each room 6" x 12".you can order the dividers & doors at the PMCA Shop. Yours has the older "Spaghetti" railings! Real cool!

Louise Chambers · Wed Oct 22, 2014 2:34 pm

I think that's a Trio Grandpa, worth putting up. It does not fit onto a telescoping pole - instead it slides up and down a pole (with the channel built into center of the house), using a rope & pulley system that is very user-friendly.

Some landlords modify the house by enlarging the compartments, as shown here: http://www.purplemartin.org/update/9%283%29trio.html

You will want a replacement pole from the mfg., we can get you the info you need.

nalts · Wed Oct 22, 2014 3:31 pm

Anthony and Louise, thanks so much for the quick replies.

I should have put in my earlier post that I assumed it was a Trio based on the colors and style, but I'm glad to have some details I can now use.

Based on what you told me, if I were to put in a pole ground socket (I assume I should), this is the one I would use:

http://shop.purplemartin.org/TGS___Trio ... tails.aspx

I did find a pole on another site, but wasn't sure I should link it here.

Thanks as well for the information on enlarging the compartments. This is something that I had not heard of before. It looks like I now have a winter project. ;-)

I knew I came to the right place!

Thanks again!
-Chris

~Ray~Gingerich · Wed Oct 22, 2014 3:51 pm

Welcome to the forum!
I have one just like it, in 2008 was home to the founding pair of martins at my current colony. Yes, that would make a good winter project. It looks like you have parts missing for the rope system pole and that house does not have a support plate and bracket for slide poles like MK-12 but you could fit it nicely onto a multipurpose pole along with a few gourds.

jr 2 · Thu Oct 23, 2014 2:24 pm

I have 4 of the older trio m12k that don't have rope and pully;;maby your parents would still have the pole that goes with that house;;!!!!you may not be able too buy the pole separate but you could put it on a wood post[4x4] maby; don't know if botton plate off of m12k would fit that house;;;if it would you could use a telescopic pole;;;I made some of my poles out of electrical caundit;;;maby this will help;;you can always use that house as a sparrow trap with spar-a- door traps;hate too see you throw it away;;thosesalumium houses last forever;jr2

leroy · Fri Oct 24, 2014 11:17 am

As Louise said this is the TG-12, I have had 2 of them for over 20 years and are still in great shape. All parts are still available, they are easy to modify and its easy to hang gourds from the corners of the units.

Matt F. · Fri Oct 24, 2014 7:52 pm

One tidbit of trivia.....
The only differentiating factor between the Trio Grandpa (TG-12), and the later version called Martin Safety System 12 (MSS-12), is that the MSS-12 came with the Lanyard Lock mechanism (pictured below):
(photo credit Nature House Inc.)

Of course, the only other change to the classic, spaghetti-rail equipped MSS-12 units (which occured about 5 years ago), was the addition of pre-punched holes in the room dividers, to make compartment enlargement easier.
So you have the Trio Grandpa TG-12, which debuted in the mid 60s.
The TG-12's "son", the MSS-12, which debuted in the mid-to-late 70s.
And the latest, MSS-12R - the single porch rail equipped "grandson" of the original TG-12.

Anthony Neira · Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:01 am

Thanks for the trivia Matt! I just called it a MSS-12 because it was in good shape!

Now let's party over here..Riddle me this.. What is the name of the Trio, TG-12 Looking house with the VERY wide contiguous porch with the X crossed railings ?? It was made in '70-'71? It's on the '97 Stokes PM Cover.
I HAVE ONE! It's never in the forum, only in the Stokes book! I don't want to put it up (yet) 'cause it seems rare (?) but if I did, I would have to REALLY block off the porch!

~Ray~Gingerich · Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:28 am

That Lanyard lock ...LOL is the main reason my MSS12 now sits on a multipurpose pole....screeeeeech

Anthony Neira · Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:44 am

LOL! GOOD ONE RAY! I'm still LOLing!

taxidermy lady · Sat Oct 25, 2014 6:35 am

Ok Ray, I did away with the landlock mechanism. I have the wench. I still get a screeching sound.

Is there something I can do to stop this. I waxed the pole when I took it down. I like smooth and quiet.

~Ray~Gingerich · Sat Oct 25, 2014 8:08 am

I don't know Sharon, must be metal to metal contact somewhere as it rides up and down the pole. I wonder if there's a way to use a pvc or plastic bushing?

daveh · Sat Oct 25, 2014 8:38 am

Sharon, check out the archives and go to house improvements then to eliminating noise from a TG-12. May help.

dave

Matt F. · Sat Oct 25, 2014 1:29 pm

Anthony Neira wrote:Thanks for the trivia Matt! I just called it a MSS-12 because it was in good shape! Now let's party over here..Riddle me this.. What is the name of the Trio, TG-12 Looking house with the VERY wide contiguous porch with the X crossed railings ?? It was made in '70-'71? It's on the '97 Stokes PM Cover.
I HAVE ONE! It's never in the forum, only in the Stokes book! I don't want to put it up (yet) 'cause it seems rare (?) but if I did, I would have to REALLY block off the porch!

That is a collector's item Anthony.
That is the TW-12, also known as the Trio Wade (named after the late Trio/Nature House founder, J.L. Wade).
Aside from the unique, large porch, and ranch-style railings, it utilized the bigger pole used with the large, PMC-24 Castle houses.
A smaller, 12-room house, on the larger, stronger pole like that, probably made for a pretty robust setup.

Anthony Neira · Sat Oct 25, 2014 2:21 pm

YOU THE MAN ! MATT, Thanks, I've seen it not too far from my home from the '70s, the owner died not to long ago & his son sold me (real cheap) The TW-12 , 1 MSS-12, & 3 DRC-12s (all 3 silver, flat tops, stucco walls, doors,& roof, & M-12K type smooth floors??!!) I'd give that TW-12 to a PM museum..(?)