Which gourd bundle for beginner?

[fightingbunny]

I want to buy one of the goard rack bundles from the purplemartin.org shop, but I am not sure which one would fit my needs best. I am just starting out and I am not sure what the differences are between the Excluder and Troyer gourds. For a new colony, how many gourds make sense? Also, what style of opening should I try? I am in Maryland in the suburbs if that helps for what species are around to try to keep out. (https://www.purplemartin.org/shop/166/g ... e-bundles/). Do I need the add on items like winch and bigger pole?

Thanks,
Jennifer

[TBaugh]

I would recommend a small bundle of gourds on a pole that you can can easily lower.
There is plenty of info on how to install the poles. As a Martin lover I have added over time.
I think it would be best if you start small, learn to enjoy them, check nests, share your fun with others in the area and build on as you see fit.
The gourd rack starter bundle looks like it is targeted exactly for people in your position. It is not the way I started but you can see where I'm heading. The gourds are just so much more durable and easier to maintain over time.
Excluder entrances help keep out the "big uglies" (Euro Starlings) and a winch is the way to go for ease of raising and lowering the system.
Not a small investment, but years of pleasure. Good Luck, enjoy and share your stories.

[James Strickland FL]

I think a good starting rack is the Gold Series Premium Gourd Rack Bundle with Quick Release Guard. Excluder or Serh entrances and Troyer gourds or Super Gourds. This system has everything you need to get started. It is easy to assembly and you can have it up in 2 days. One day to set the ground stack and just put the pole and gourds up the next. Remember that you it will take a week to get to you. I do not know where you live but you need to go ahead and get it so you will be ready fro them when they come. I have had Super Gourds for over 20 years and Troyer for 5 years and they look as good as they did when I bought the. There is some other companies that make gourds, but they do not last and they are very thin, which causes them to fail many years earlier.

[fightingbunny]

Which should I get, PMCA gourds or Troyer? If I get the PMCA ones, there are 4 different openings! Crescent, excluder II, Modified excluder and Round. If I get a troyer gourd, then there are two openings Conley 2 and round. I am assuming I should not ever get round, but I am not sure what the difference is between the others.

[volkmerk]

I got a 6 plastic gourd bundle at Tractor Supply with the exluder entries. I got my own aluminum stock and built a three tier colony with 2 gourds per tier. They entries face opposite directions to allow easy flight paths for each nesting pair. The starlings cant get in, but occasionally in the beginning of the season I will have a few sparrows, but simply lower the pole and extract the nest and the martins do the rest. I like the plastic white gourds because the cavity is big and they are lightweight and light colored. engineering can always be fun!

[flyin-lowe]

I have the best luck with Troyers. I started with other brands and at one point my rack was about 1/2 and 1/2. I continue to weed out the others and replace with Troyers. I have the TH and TV gourds with the Connely II entrance. Last year was the first time I ever had a single startling breach. It was early in the season and I assume it was one that was a little smaller coming out of winter. It was quickly trapped and never had an issue after that.

[Doug Martin - PA]

You can't go wrong with either the Excluder II or Troyer Vertical.

I have had just about every type of gourd over the past 40 years. Some of the Excluders are 15 years old and still clean up to like new. Other brands have turned grey and porous. Verdict is still out on the newer Troyer but they are good.

The excluder is larger than the troyer. The horizontal is attractive to them but the chamber is small and difficult to vent properly. Condensation and a very dirty long tunnel is an issue. The poop sacks seem to break on the way out and can make a mess.

So my vote is either the Excluder or the Troyer vertical.

[John & Linda - KY]

My opinion:

Start with a first class square pole and winch system, probably 2" square. Fit it with a 6 gourd one tier rack that can be easily expanded. As your colony expands you'll be able to expand with it, and it's a lot easier to keep sparrows out of 6 gourds than 12 or 24. Locate it somewhere you can easily enjoy watching the martins, I have mine about 20 ft. from my porch.

Any of the name brand plastic gourds will work, and all of the entrances will keep starlings out. None that will allow martins in will keep sparrows out. -- John

[Matt F.]

I'd recommend going with Troyer gourds - hands down.
One main, big reason - they come with thick, molded, wing-entrapment protectors.

[~Ray~Gingerich]

A good starting out rack would be a Deluxe 12 with Troyer gourds, they have a trap that works on the troyer tunnels to trap starlings or sparrows

[dragonfly]

i have a k18 unit with troyer horizonals and three housing units , the martins here could care less about the K18 , this is the 3rd year , they highly prefer the sunset inns on a multipurpose pole and the Trensetter 12

[fightingbunny]

I went ahead and got 6 Excluder gourds, the 3" pole, 2 decoys, pine straw and the dawn song. I couldn't figure out which opening to go with, but decided on the modified Excluder opening because...some random post online said they liked it. I can always add more to it in the future if I have any luck with the gourds. I think it would be a lot of fun to build a house someday. I am worried that my location is not great for purple martins, so I don't want to go crazy on this right off the bat.

Thank you everyone for all the help, I will hopefully get the items this week and have it up in time!
Jennifer