New Internet Caused My Martins to Abandon my Houses?

[Cooldaddy8]

I'm at my wits end here. I have 2 houses and have had martins for 10 years. Last year my houses were filling up and the nests already had eggs in them by mid April. Our electric company (4 County) ran internet (FastNet) down the power lines and we activated it at our house. The houses are about 50-60 feet from the lines. Upon activation our martins left. Abandoned the eggs and just left! I have never seen martins abandon nests, especially after laying eggs. They did come back from time to time, but never stayed more than a few minutes.

Fast forward to this year. Martins showed up, examined the houses, stayed one night, and promptly left. I have seen them a few time since but they never stay. Craziest thing I've ever experienced. I'm assuming the internet wire is emitting some sort of frequency that has my martins freaked out.

Has anyone here had any experience like this? Any advice?

Nothing has changed other than the FastNet internet being activated.

Any idea how far I'll have to move the houses from the wires so the birds will be comfortable enough to stay?

[flyin-lowe]

My guess is the internet is a coincidence and there was some other cause. I have never heard of any type of wifi or other signal at that causing problems. Martins like the physical wires themselves for a perch. Like you mentioned something major has to happen to get a colony to abandon a colony, especially in the middle of nesting. I also know that internet, wifi, electric, etc. is everywhere and none of would have a colony if this was an issue..

Have you done any research or found verified information about something similar happening?

[SSMartin]

Owls predating at night and snakes feeding on sleeping adults will certainly cause such abandonment. Do you have any snake netting or baffles on the housing?

[Spiderman]

Once Martins lay eggs they will stay until the owls kill them all one by one. It happens but it takes time.

I am as surprised as the landlord that the Martins abandoned the eggs and site, especially after being there for years.

[CTMartins]

fiber broadband does not rely on radio frequency radiation to transmit data. HOWEVER Fiber is converted to electrical and that can turn your house into a EMI high amounts of wide-spectrum EMI (electromagnetic interference). This inadvertent EMI then piggybacks on the copper cable and phone lines into our homes where it can radiate from every copper wire. This EMI from the fiber optic infrastructure is a primary reason why electrical sensitivity is increasing when high-speed internet is installed in our communities.

[Spiderman]

Here the power company uses contract helicopters to spray their right of way to kill weeds and trees.

Is it possible that something like this could have occurred when you were away one day???

[Bird Brain]

If there is any technology that would affect martins, I would think 5G would be at the top of the list.

[Cooldaddy8]

Thank you all for the replies.

No power line spraying. I'm nearly a half mile down a private lane and maintain my own power line right of way.

No owls or snakes that I can tell. I also have chickens and keep a keen eye out for predators of all kinds.

The oddest thing to me is the martins keep coming back every few days. They check out the houses; go in nearly every box, and then leave. I had a couple of pair come today, stay for 30 minutes, and leave. Blows my mind.

I guess this winter I will move the houses further away from my house and the power lines to see if that helps.

One thing to add: the barn swallows have built under my porches this year. So, if it is a frequency thing it isn't bothering them.