Off season project

[Unk Bond]

Hello
What month does your season start
Here in southern Ohio It starts in April [ Later

[C.C.Martins]

Hello sir,
Starts here mid Feb. 8 Feb was the earliest couple of years ago, but that big polar freeze got them. They are in the area at the oldest colonies end of January.
Feb is a tough time anywhere, cold and blowing.

[DeeCee]

Wow, that's a fine looking house Tom. Love it!

[C.C.Martins]

Wow, that's a fine looking house Tom. Love it!

Thanks!!!! Dry run soon, be sweet to see it up even if just for a little bit.

[C.C.Martins]

IMG_8458.JPEG

(2 MiB) Not downloaded yet

Well got her up today, looks fantastic. Way way up there, bottom of the house will be above the level of the gourd racks when all the way up. Think half way is a good height. Light, easy to work with, definitely needed the saw horses. No screeching like the trio mini, no sticking.

[Matt F.]

Stellar work Tom!
Those modified Excluder plates look really good on that house.

[C.C.Martins]

Thanks Matt, I can rest easy now. Everything worked just fine.

I like them too, no sharp edges. Talk about painstaking work on installing. Did not want to Foxtrot Uniform the entrances!

Now just install, get the perch rods up there, and nest treys...done!

[Gary-La]

Tom,
Your Goliad setup is looking awesome! That is a tall pole. I used to have all my set ups fully up but last season I left them just above the guards. Martins had no problem with that and I didn't have to run out and lower setups for storms. Each pole has 6"x48" PVC snake guard but I found out pretty quick that racoons can climb up the PVC so above that I installed the cylinder guard. On top of the cylinder guard are 2 motion sensitive night lights for owl deterent.
Gary

[C.C.Martins]

Gary,
Wow! Awesome set up! Outstanding!!
Soon as you chimed in last month or so I bought those same stakes for perch rods. They fit like a glove and am quite happy with them.

I'd like to attach the predator guard to the house, will explore that. Really like that look, a whole lot.
We have rat snakes bad out there, so I drilled holes in the guard and fastened four 1/4 threaded rods to the guard for the snake net. There is a way to attach 6 rods so two are just off the guard opening seam in order to open and remove the guard and net but I just draped the whole "array" with net.

I'd like to go electric, but since its a public site I gotta be careful.

Owls...man I don't yet know what I can get away with out there....

[Gary-La]

If its a public site I would reconsider netting. Someone will definitly get offended if a snake is seen caught in the netting. Someone may even report it. I used netting for years when I lived in east Texas wasn't much of a problem not that many snakes. But here at my rural Louisiana place there are snakes galore. I got tired of pulling snakes almost daily out of the netting. So I replaced it all with PVC and have never had a snake attack! Ive added a pic below of a snake trying.....

[C.C.Martins]

Yes your right, good point. Ill find some PVC. All I need is one Facebook complaint about a tangled snake...

I love your house set up sir, its fantastic. I looked at the bottom of our house, can attach the predator guard fairly easy.

[C.C.Martins]

Yes, your right about that...one Facebook complaint and that's it.

Love your set up, looked at the bottom of our house and it will be easy enough to attach a predator guard.
This site is 168 acres of brackish bay shore and mesquite. Some trails, and visitor center. Rest of the surrounding area is getting built up, no other place for wildlife to go. Every year but this one we've caught rat snakes...the grounds guys are good at finding them quick and getting them out. Actually if all goes well, ill be working out there soon! Fingers crossed!

[Thomas Maddox]

The PVC shown won't allow rat snakes to get past?
Awesome looking setuos!

[Gary-La]

Yes, 6"x48" or 8"x48" will work. Mine are 6". Dont get schedule 40 ask for thin wall PVC at a plumbing supply company. One 10' piece will give you two guards. Snakes have to wrap around at least twice to hike up a pole, 6" or 8" PVC prevents them to do that, see pic. I just happend to catch this snake trying to get up the PVC unsuccessfully!! I put PVC guards on my bluebird sets ups as well. And BTW, I've had the PVC installed for over 10+ years now and they are still holding up no cracks or brittle at all. Keep the PVC leveled so I every so often check the level.

[tor]

Our of-season task will be to install a Gemini 24 rack, as our current 3 Super-24's are next to full every year. So why not add some space :-)

[Mstan]

That looks great. Congrats on your occupancy rate. Much success in 2025.

[C.C.Martins]

tor,
Agree with mstan, and yep you need room!!! I love to hear about the projects and upgrades as we whittle away at the time.

[brent]

Great posts. They’re only a little over 2 months from coming back! More excited about that than Christmas. Hey Gary-LA where did you get the lights with motion detectors? Brent

[tor]

As promised, we're giving them some more room for this year. I still got about a month and a half to complete. Waiting on a little warmer weather so we can pour concrete. Love off season projects.....for the martins
Working on installing vents and aluminum sleeves on the gourds. If you drill just the right size, you'll get a very nice press fit with 1/2" aluminum pipe. I used to caulk around the ends a couple of years back, but a good press fit keeps it nice and tight. No water leaks from the top of the gourds by doing this. Using a dab of lithium grease (or lithium spray) on the hangers, and the sleeves will last forever.







Happy New Year to all the Purple Martin Lovers.

[C.C.Martins]

Tor,
Those look awesome!!! The aluminum tube is a wonderful idea, 100% water tight.

Me too, love these projects!

Happy 2025!