Porch Dividers

[Elijah Clark]

Hello everyone I'm new to this site and I was wondering if I could gain some knowledge and tips of a particular problem My male from last year just returned last week and is even checking out the same cavity he used. The only problem is that he chases off any other male that tries to land or fly around the house, and if one does land it ends with a fight all the way to the ground The even greater thing is that a female has arrived and is just as aggressive towards other females. I was thinking about adding some porch dividers that would fit my S&K red barn house, but I didn't know if it would scare off the pair I had now. I would like to keep this pair because the male always produces a good amount of young with his female, and was wondering if these would make the site less attractive to them and cause them to go to a new site?

[DebA]

Hi, Elijah,
Porch dividers may help some but I suspect they won't continue to dominate the whole house. Establishing who is Alpha to them is probably no different than any other animal (or human) species. Once paired up the first pair will settle in and focus on each other and start nest building. They want a colony and know instinctively that there is protection in numbers.

If you were to add some type of porch dividers I bet it wouldn't freak the first pair out enough to abandon their house. Martins seem to roll with the flow pretty well. After they have established nests with eggs or young they really tolerate all kinds of changes. Initially they will be wary and check things out. They'll stay. But given a bit more time I suspect if others want to they will take up residence too. Hang in there.
Deb

[pmartinlover2]

When I had an S&K house I added porch dividers. The only problem was that this house doesn't have separate doors to the cavities. When you raise the door you raise all 3 on that level. Assuming that the S&K red barn operates the same way,,,you have to remove the porch dividers before you can raise the door. I did not find this convenient since I was removing HOSP constantly. Pulse the dividers were cardboard and were not easy to put in. Just thought I'd share that info.
_____

Jody

[CraigMo.]

Make your own out of some kind of plastic. I think I used plastic off a cat litter container . Cut it a tiny bit taller that you need and bend it in to its grooves. I am assuming the grooves are still there. I haven't had that model of house for a long time
Good luck and dividers will help and I bet won't disturb your martins either

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Elijah,
Use foam pool noodle cut to the length so that the noodle is vertical.
Many references to this method and I can vouch that it works. Reversible because the noodle is only wedged in and can be removed to open the door flap.
Mark.

[Elijah Clark]

Hi Deb,
Thank you for helping me overcome my stress . My male actually even let another male perch on the other side of the house for quite some time today without any conflicts, yet the female still isn't letting up as much, but yet still it is an improvement. I was going to try putting up the porch dividers on the opposite side for a couple of days so they can get used to them, and then put them on the side they're on and hopefully as time goes on I'll have some nice separated compartments with privacy. Wish me luck

Hi Jody,
Thank you for the warning, it already takes me quite a bit of energy to clean out and I really don't want to add an inconvenience. I was thinking about trying to make porch dividers out of different materials and experiment with them which ones pull in and out faster and easier compared to the cardboard ones that S&K sells. I may even try next year to modify the doors to where they are all separate

Hi Craig,
Thank you for the idea , though I'm not sure if I have any litter boxes anywhere so I was maybe thinking of using some plastic storage containers and paint them white.

Hi Mark,
Thank you for the idea, I think I actually have some old pool noodles in our storage shed in the back that I can try using for this