Numbering Gourds

[jlee]

We have numbered our gourds with everything we can think of. Has anyone found a way to keep the numbers on more than 1 year?

[Fireflyfisherman]

I use those vinyl numbers. My wife prints them out. They have lasted 3 years so far and look as good as new. I do a major decon and cleaning after every season and the numbers are still going strong.

[randyM]

Have you ever thought of just numbering the fixed location from which you hang your gourds? I have a schematic of each combined house and gourd system at my colony for each of 10 house/gourd systems, and that works very well for me. I don't have to physically mark or number each one of my nesting cavities, as they are numbered on my tracking sheet/schematic. Just use the fixed location on a rack where you hang your gourds...for example, for a due north facing gourd position on your rack, call the gourd that hangs on that specific hook location gourd #1, then move either clockwise or counterclockwise in ascending numeric order until you come back to gourd # 1. For racks with more than 1 level, you can begin numbering gourds at a fixed location on each level beginning with # 1 but add a prefix to each level (for level 1, gourd #1 = L1-1, L1-2...and for level 2, gourd #1 = L2-1, L2-2, so on and so forth). For multiple poles, just add a pre-prefix to the cavity number, so Pole A, Level 1, gourd 1 would begin with cavity/gourd A-L1-1, next gourd would be A-L1-2... next level first gourd would be A-L2-1......next pole "B", for level 1, gourd 1 would be B-L1-1, etc.

This may or may not be a good system for you to try at your colony, but it certainly helps me track nearly 300 compartments at my colony without having to physically mark individual gourds or nesting cavities each year.

Good luck.

[Ed Svetich-WI]

I went high tech. I use an indelible marker to mark my gourds right under the porches. It lasts for a couple years before it fades.

Ed

[Dave Duit]

I use Sharpie Extreme Permanent Markers, Black. They seem to hold up well against UV rays, rain and snow without too much fading.

[maxxwlf]

Check some of the hobby stores (Hobby Lobby, Michaels) and office supply stores (Office Depot, Staples) for vinyl adhesive letters. Many say they can be used outdoors, and are relatively easy to apply. I've used these for many years and they're still holding up to the elements.