Gourds vs House

[Airborne725]

Have extremely aggressive English Sparrows in my neighborhood. Are gourds better choice than a 12 hole house?

[Bird Brain]

I gotta opine on this one. The advantages of gourds over houses are endless. I can shoot a HOSP off a gourd without causing permanent damage. Try that with a house. Gourd racks are like swiss cheese in heavy winds, causing less pole sway. A house catches all the wind, causing more pole sway. Gourds don't need porch dividers. Gourds never need a fresh coat of paint. Gourds usually offer more cubic inches of space for the martin family. Gourds are better ventilated. Gourds don't transmit infestations to each other such as mites or blow fly larva. Gourd racks are less expensive than most of the houses(except for S&K). With gourds, you can start small and expand later. People that have both report that the gourds are usually occupied first. If a hail storm damages a gourd, you buy a new gourd. If a hail storm damages your house, good luck. Gourd rack owners report higher occupancy rates. Gourd rack owners can offer a variety of gourds to choose from. Can't do that with a house. I admit. I'm biased. But I can't think of a single advantage to houses other than asthetic. Would you rather live in a single family unit or an apartment? As for the house sparrow? They don't care. They will infest either one.

[PMDavid]

Gourds all the way. I have 35 natural gourds and 24 available house holes. How many choose the houses.....ZERO. The houses are on their way out. The gourds have lots more room for the birds than houses. And yes,if you have the porches on gourds you can pick off the sparrows and not damage the gourds. I and the birds here prefer the gourds.

[deancamp]

I agree with what has been previously posted and will add it's easy to get a sparrow trap for gourds as well.

[Bird Brain]

Gourds all the way. I have 35 natural gourds and 24 available house holes. How many choose the houses.....ZERO. The houses are on their way out. The gourds have lots more room for the birds than houses. And yes,if you have the porches on gourds you can pick off the sparrows and not damage the gourds. I and the birds here prefer the gourds.

You just made an excellent argument for the benefit of porches. I don't think I'll ever buy "porchless" gourds.

[John Miller]

Speaking strictly about house sparrows, they will build in either gourds or houses with equal glee. However, if you have a near full occupancy colony and larger gourds, and you are pulling sparrow nests, the martins can more easily claim all the gourds -- sometimes -- than they can with houses. That's my observation.

I use both houses and gourds. I like houses with wide overhangs, such as the Trendsetter, so martins can sit on the porch and relax out of the sun and rain. I also add little porch swings.

[flyin-lowe]

I have a colony that is half gourds and half T14 cavities. In my situation the HOSP flock to the houses. I also have BB boxes and individual gourds for TS and BB. They never use the gourds, but I think that is because they are trying to use the houses. I assume if I went to all gourds the HOSP would be fighting over those.

[Unk Bond]

Hello All

Quote post = have a colony that is half gourds and half T14 cavities. In my situation the HOSP flock to the houses. I also have BB boxes and individual gourds for TS and BB. They never use the gourds,

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Same applies for my colony . Had T 14 houses first and added gourds . My reason for adding gourds they caught my eye first and looked more practical.
Later and stay safe.

[Unk Bond]

Hello All
PM setting here still pondering on your houses verses gourd subject.
And why my birds don't seem to take to my vertical gourds.
A thought crept in for a question.

And that is. Would a gourds shape have any bearing on how well a Martin would except a gourd.
Would a Martin bird have a preference If a vertical or a horozonal gourd was offered.on the same rack
I just put up this past summer 4 aluminum square house post, Nothing attached to them

2nd question , Will gourd racks adapt to my post. Believe my post are 3 12" by 3 1/2." aluminum sectional post.
Having no experience with gourd racks . Since my gourds are attached to my T14 houses.
Later and stay safe.

[Airborne725]

Thank you all for your insight!

[MartinBro]

I like the houses the best. I can pick up a martin house for cheap or free. I be driving down the road and see an old martin house in somebodys yard that aint had a martin in it for 10 years. I knock on the door and ask em if they still want it. 9 times outa 10 they say no, I dont even know what it is. I tell em I be happy to take it off their hands. They say it's cemented into the ground. I tell em I got a big sledge hammer and Im off on weekends. They say OK and I got a free martin house.

[Whippy]

And that is. Would a gourds shape have any bearing on how well a Martin would except a gourd.
Would a Martin bird have a preference If a vertical or a horozonal gourd was offered.on the same rack
I just put up this past summer 4 aluminum square house post, Nothing attached to them

Unk,

First off. Welcome to the forum.

Second. I have found there are two characteristics of a gourd that are important along with a third characteristic that some say is also preferred.

A. The size of the internal cavity. This allows the Martins to place their eggs and babies in the very far back wall of the gourd farthest away from the entrance as possible. It also allows them to lay more eggs and have more room inside for the chicks as they grow.

B. The tunnel. Having a tunnel on the gourd provides more security and safety for the Martins during the night and for the babies 24/7.

C. Internal gourd darkness. I have heard that Martins prefer dark interiors and I hope others who have more experience and knowledge of this will chime in as I don't like to lead anybody in the wrong direction. However, my personal experience with this is that the gourds I do have with dark interiors have been chosen over the others without.

So. With all that I have chosen to use three gourd types. I use the Troyer Horizontal and Troyer Vertical. In addition to those I use the S&K Bo11 Plus with the black inner gourd. All of these have tunnels with variations of entrances. I do not have a starling problem so I can offer the various entrances. The Troyers have a thick shell that keeps the interior darker than most. The BO11 Plus obviously has the black inner gourd that allows for interior darkness.

That is my 6 years of trial and error and experience with gourds.

Have a look at the many gourd manufacturers and see if you can find a carrier for your 3.5 inch pole. Most that I have seen before writing this offer carriers for 3 inch poles. You mentioned you have T-14 houses. Measure the pole to make sure but it may be a 3 inch pole. Just a guess. If that's the case, Troyer has gourd rack kits for the conversion.

Good luck to you.

Coolwhips

[mwren]

Like many of others who have already posted whether they prefer gourds or housing......I think the best of both worlds is to offer the T-14 housing with the Troyer gourd mounting hardware, and the horizontal , long tunneled gourds, porches, and starling resistant openings. Along with the 8 gourds per each of my three T-14's, I also have two gourd racks in the center of the colony. I was experimenting for a number of seasons to allow the martins to tell me what type of housing they prefer, versus what I may like! The martins will decide what housing they like the best, or maybe what type of housing they were raised around. The deep housing of the T-14's with nest trays are first to be chosen on average, but my birds also like my Troyer gourd offerings.

Geaux Tigers and Geaux Bengals!

Bird

[Lewis]

Maybe this is not true anymore,but in the past say the past 20 years the Trio aluminum house was and maybe still is the most recognized purple martin housing for martins looking for a new site for whatever reason. I can not remember names ( old age) but I do recall landlords that had tried for years with no martins until someone advised them to put up a Trio house and they got their first martin and established a colony.

Lewis

[rrmartins]

My martins have always used my T14 and gourds equally. Guess it just depends on the birds.

[Unk Bond]

Hello Coolwhips and all.
Very nice reply post and I gained from it. Thanks for your input here.on the thread gourd subject.

The gourd thread starter here got into my billfold
So I now have ordered a 18 gourd adapter for my for square 3" x 3" aluminum.pole'.
In my earlier post i stated pole sizes as 3"x 31/2".

Sorry for that. That was a type O. My young timers kicked in.
==
My starter post here. I stated that I like to design and build or improves existing things to my liking. You know better mouse trap.
Now being a retired sheet metal craftsman. And learning from other tradesmen that worked on my jobs I sure gained from there input just like here on this tread.

Now looking at different racks. My cogs turned on to a thought of a different rack design last night,.
I visualized a round aluminum flange ring, Like are shop added to are duct pipe. Biggest one I ever erected was 8 feet in diameter and on down to 6 inches diameter

I could visualize that flange ring in mid air in a horzonal position. With the ring leg pointing up
and the flange face facing down.
down.

As some here might have seen, A flange ring fastens to another flange ring. using the holes in the flange ring face.
Well we have now the pole coming up through the center opening of the of the flange ring.
Using a pole hub support to hold the ring on center with the pole, And ataching are winch cable to

Now there are those pretty little spaced holes in the flange ring to attach are gourds to. And evenly spaced.
Later and stay safe.

[Unk Bond]

Hello Mike and all
Quote = I think the best of both worlds is to offer the T-14 housing with the Troyer gourd mounting hardware, and the horizontal , long tunneled

Reply = Mike that describes what I now have.

After reading hear about others having good luck with there gourd s
Just maybe by my T14 house being the first offering . Since my gourd racks are mounted under my two T14 houses.
Hoping that this 18 gourd rack will entice them to except gourds.

Sure would be easier on my back
Later and stay safe,

[dsonyay]

Have extremely aggressive English Sparrows in my neighborhood. Are gourds better choice than a 12 hole house?

HS will go to both. Nothing stops them; If they can enter, they’ll figure out a way to nest in it.

I have a house and gourds.. they’ve tried to nest in both. One pair was successful with a gourd one year but I was able to get both trapped. They’d have no issues building in SK house either.. i see them in Houses all the time.

Best thing to do is let them get one.. then set a trap in the gourd or house entrance

[Airborne725]

So much info for a novice! Appreciate all your replies! Where is the best place to purchase a T14 house and what kit is needed to add gourds?