Questions for the Experienced

[PurplePupil]

Hello,
Before I ask my questions, I would like to give a bit of history about the site and myself. First, I am a high schooler. Second, I am trying to attract Martins to a Trio house that has 3 compartments and has been modified to 6x6x12 compartments and SREH. I live in a neighborhood about .12 miles away from a river. Third, my yard is a semi open lot. There is a 60' Maple within 35' of the house. (I know, I know, not to good) There was a SY male on my housing in 2023 during some rainy weather in April. However, my compartments were not open due to the fact that I was over run by HOSP. (I'm afraid of having Martins try to nest and get absolutely killed.) My neighborhood is full of HOSP!! I have a Spare-O-Door trap that gets its use, as well as, a Van Ert and repeating bait trap. Last year I exterminated approximately 89 HOSP between June-December. This year, they have all but come back. I believe someone within 2 miles of me is letting them nest. Four, I have spent more time than I want to admit on chuckspurplemartinpage.com, so I have a bit of insight into landlording. (Just no experience) So, now that you know a little history of my "efforts", I would like to ask some questions.

1. How am I supposed to afford some stuff that I need when I am just a kid and not that much of a crafty person? For instance, I currently don't a predator guard on my house due to the fact that they are SO expensive and that I don't have the resources to make one.
2. What am I to do about all of the HOSP in the neighborhood? I feel like I shouldn't even try to get Martins because they will all just die due to HOSP takeover even though I would do nest checks and TRY to trap them.
3. How do you get a Trio house pole to stop the metal on metal squeaking? I've read that you can put 3-in-1 oil on the pole, or that you can put plastic in the house slot?
4. How do you go about getting a mentor if there is no one within an hour of you?

Thanks for taking the time to look at this post! I can't wait to see some of your answers!

[Mstan]

Welcome PurplePupil to the Martin community. It’s great to see a young man get involved with the Martins. You’re doing a great job dealing with the hosp population,keep it up. Once you get your Martins established they will hold there own against hosp. I think you already have found your mentor. People on this forum are so helpful and generous to help us beginning landlords. I am just into my third year of landlording here in southeast Missouri and have learned so much from this community of landlords. Be patient and stay the course, you might be surprised where help comes from to build your colony.

[flyin-lowe]

I do not have experience with the Trio systems but I am sure you can come up with a low cost predator guard of some sort.

As for the HOSP, keep up the good work. They do have a relatively small home range so you can make a dent in the local population. The first year I started I killed over 100 of them, maybe 80 or so the next year. After a few years I was only seeing a handful each year. I had a cattle barn within 200 yards of my housing, so barns, feed, straw, water.... basically a perfect environment for them, and I still got them knocked down. It took a few years but you can get them under control. If I were you I would leave the housing closed up, and like last year once you see martins visiting your location open a couple cavities.

Also if you have access to some type of audio system (I used a cheap CD player alarm clock), you can play the dawnsong in the mornings. It is probably the best overall tool to attract martins to your site.

If you just have one tree and their are open flyways in other directions I wouldn't worry too much about the trees. Martins will tolerate it until/if hawks start using it as a place to attack from.

[C.C.Martins]

Welcome! As nice as it is to have someone local to lean on, you are in the exact right place to lean. Its what we do. Glad you are here.
You will get lots of trio experts chiming in on that house, iv a few still.
One thing you can try to stop the horrible noise, is get a PVC pipe length, just a tad longer than the house. It will fit tight in the middle of the house with a bit of work and will fit the pole. Tricky part is there are notches you need to cut in the top of the PVC to catch the house stop in the pole. Plenty do-able. Oil won't help but won't hurt the life of your pole. Or just live with it, your martins won't mind!

I could go on and on about sparrows so wont...you will make a diffrence with each one you catch and eventually, the numbers will drop, they will never stop but you will give your martins breathing room.

I'm 60 and I still need stuff so don't feel you are behind the curve, the fact you have a house, a spare o door (which is gold), and a desire to help martins, you are in a better spot than you think.

If you want, just throwing it out there, ask your parents if its ok...I have 2 unused erva nature house predator guards for a trio sitting in my attic...can send one to you no charge, best to use em vs sit in an attic. See what your parents say.

[Thomas Maddox]

Hello,
Before I ask my questions, I would like to give a bit of history about the site and myself. First, I am a high schooler. Second, I am trying to attract Martins to a Trio house that has 3 compartments and has been modified to 6x6x12 compartments and SREH. I live in a neighborhood about .12 miles away from a river. Third, my yard is a semi open lot. There is a 60' Maple within 35' of the house. (I know, I know, not to good) There was a SY male on my housing in 2023 during some rainy weather in April. However, my compartments were not open due to the fact that I was over run by HOSP. (I'm afraid of having Martins try to nest and get absolutely killed.) My neighborhood is full of HOSP!! I have a Spare-O-Door trap that gets its use, as well as, a Van Ert and repeating bait trap. Last year I exterminated approximately 89 HOSP between June-December. This year, they have all but come back. I believe someone within 2 miles of me is letting them nest. Four, I have spent more time than I want to admit on chuckspurplemartinpage.com, so I have a bit of insight into landlording. (Just no experience) So, now that you know a little history of my "efforts", I would like to ask some questions.

1. How am I supposed to afford some stuff that I need when I am just a kid and not that much of a crafty person? For instance, I currently don't a predator guard on my house due to the fact that they are SO expensive and that I don't have the resources to make one.
2. What am I to do about all of the HOSP in the neighborhood? I feel like I shouldn't even try to get Martins because they will all just die due to HOSP takeover even though I would do nest checks and TRY to trap them.
3. How do you get a Trio house pole to stop the metal on metal squeaking? I've read that you can put 3-in-1 oil on the pole, or that you can put plastic in the house slot?
4. How do you go about getting a mentor if there is no one within an hour of you?

Thanks for taking the time to look at this post! I can't wait to see some of your answers!

Hmmmm

[deancamp]

You have a good system for trapping sparrows so stick with that and be persistent. That is a very generous offer from CC, if that doesn't work out, predator guards can easily be made from 8" furnace duct work. You might try hanging a couple s&k gourds under your house for $20 or under each. You sound very resourceful so don't be afraid to take on a small diy project to improve your site.

[Conrad Baker]

For an inexpensive predator guard, I used 4 foot lengths of 6 inch pvc pipe. Sewer drain pvc is (was) pretty cheap. Cut a hole in the endcap only big enough to fit the pole through. If the hole is too big, a snake can still slither up the pole inside the predator guard and get past the cap. They worked effectively for me.

[ToyinPA]

If you look at the Scout Map from 2024 you might find a landlord close by that will be willing to help you:

https://www.purplemartin.org/research/s ... =2024&S=IL

Zoom in on the map & click on a dot close to your area. It will give the Name & location of that colony. Not all on the map post on the forum tho.

Toy in PA

[PurplePupil]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I really appreciate your comments, suggestions and encouragement! I believe I may make a bit of an investment into the Bird-X dawnsong player on the PMCA store.
And, I do have another question. Have any of you ever gone to your local town and ask if they would buy a PM house to put up and have you monitor?

ToyinPA, I found someone close to me, but how do I message them?

Thanks!

[C.C.Martins]

Try your city parks, a wildlife center, senior center, (Gary takes care of one at a senior center) etc. Lots of folks have public colonies. Outstanding idea.

[Mollsrab]

Hi purplepupil!! I love the name!

Welcome to the best hobby there is.

I’m impressed with your will to get involved at a young age!

With you being in high school, are you by chance in FFA? My husband is an ag teacher and I’m trying to talk him into buying a set of gourds to have at school for students to have an SAE project. Anyways, I think it would be an amazing SAE project!

Depending on what state you live in, a lot of states have qpublic or tax assessor site and you can look up names/addresses. I found another landlord that lives about 4 miles from me incase I ever needed help. He posted on the map, too. You could at least get a name and address and then maybe find a phone number.

Have the best time. Fingers crossed you get lots of birds! Good luck!

[G Saner]

PurplePupil,

You have received some great replies. I will add that a good no cost way to acquire martin housing is to find old Trio houses in bad shape. Usually, if you ask the homeowner, they are glad to get rid of them. Most of these martin houses were originally purchased by a prior owner that moved. Look around your area and see if you find them. You might need several old houses to add to your current martin house or use the best parts to make one single new house.

If you decide to start a colony in a public place, I can give you advice on how to approach that. My own colony is 4 miles from my house.

The best thing a mentor can provide in person is where to place the pole for best success. Any other question can be answered right here on the Forum. In effect, you will have dozens of mentors. By the way, I erected my first martin house when I was 13.

[daveh]

I put a house tube in my minicastle thinking it would stopthe squeak but did not. Iused a pvc pipe. My castle has a metal house tube in it that came with it and it works well, no squeak. The pvc pipe may have helped alittle but still pretty loud. I do nest checks every 4-5 days. Ithink the birds get use to the noise and I have never had any try to leave and not come back. A lot of the parents stay in there nests while I do my nest check. I've been doing the martinwatch nest data sheet for around 15 years.

Use traps and a decent pellet gun to control house sparrows and starlings. I sit in a tent next tothe colony and knock them out. It's fun.

Pvc pipe makes a good baffle All kinds of information onthis website. For 15 years I used 15 gal. syrup containers for baffles. They are 24 inches tall and about 13 inches wide. I split them in half, put hinges onone side and hook and eyes on other side to close up. That waythey are easy totake off pole. Cut the bottom off and cut hole in top that just fits the pole size. They will wobble onpole and that's what youwant.

I electrified all my poles last fall and bought a solar fence charger. We will see how this works this year.

Dave

[PurplePupil]

With you being in high school, are you by chance in FFA? My husband is an ag teacher and I’m trying to talk him into buying a set of gourds to have at school for students to have an SAE project. Anyways, I think it would be an amazing SAE project!

I am not in the FFA, but I think that Purple Martins would be a great SAE project. The public tax assessor site is a good idea.

I will add that a good no cost way to acquire martin housing is to find old Trio houses in bad shape. Usually, if you ask the homeowner, they are glad to get rid of them. Most of these martin houses were originally purchased by a prior owner that moved. Look around your area and see if you find them. You might need several old houses to add to your current martin house or use the best parts to make one single new house.

That's a great idea! This forum has got my brain spinning with so many new ideas! You started your colony when you were thirteen!? That's really cool to hear! Were you successful in attracting them right after that? I would love some advice on getting public colonies going. Although, I believe I am going to try to get the 'colony' in my backyard going before I branch out more. Regardless, I would definitely love some ideas on that topic.

I put a house tube in my minicastle thinking it would stopthe squeak but did not. Iused a pvc pipe. My castle has a metal house tube in it that came with it and it works well, no squeak. The pvc pipe may have helped alittle but still pretty loud. I do nest checks every 4-5 days. Ithink the birds get use to the noise and I have never had any try to leave and not come back. A lot of the parents stay in there nests while I do my nest check. I've been doing the martinwatch nest data sheet for around 15 years.

Thanks for the suggestion. I am gonna try to work on that once it gets a little bit warmer outside.

[G Saner]

PurplePupil,

Yes, I attracted martins my first year. That was in my parents' backyard.

As for a public site, take a look around your area and try to find places with open areas. Since you are concentrating at home first, you can at least identify possible sites for future use. These would include schoolyards, golf courses, restaurants, senior living centers, etc. You would only want to consider "A plus" martin habitats (you have no choice at home).

If you wanted to, you could even pay the business a visit to gage interest. Always emphasize that there would be no cost or maintenance on their part. I have my colony at an Assisted Living Center. My first approach was to send a letter to the director. The letter allowed me to clearly state my objective and what the benefits to them were. This allowed the director to read the letter when they had time and think it over. After I waited a week or so, I showed up in person to discuss the idea. That seemed to work better than just walking in unannounced. The director said yes because their biggest problem was boredom with the residents.

So, get your martins going at home but if your site is too treed, a public (or satellite) site might work out.

[birdman in buckhead]

Greetings PurplePupil (PP),

I'll double down on what most repliers have said. This forum is ripe with mentors and advice! If the answer isn't here, then there likely isn't an answer! Being your age I'm sure you can use the forum's topic search feature. The information contained there goes back for many years.

Definitely try playing the dawn song! My neighbors probably thought I was nuts my first year trying to attract martins, because I blasted it for hours. It works! And don't just play it in the morning. I was playing it in the early afternoon when the first pair showed up and started my colony. Do a search on the internet for it. There are many for sale, but you can find free copies that play for over an hour. Tell me if you can't find a good one and I'll send you a link.

You're doing good with sparrow control. Just don't let up on them! They will learn to fear you and eventually stay away from your housing. Last year, before the first martins arrived, I put a mouse trap in a unit that sparrows were trying to occupy. Later that day I found the trap on the ground, but no dead sparrow. But I didn't see the sparrows again.

Try spraying silicone or WD-40 on the squeaking pole problem. Like another reply, the squeak won't bother the martins.

The sparrows and squeaking pole are just the start of many issues you'll have being a landlord, and prepare yourself for some sad times. But it's all worth it when a martin starts living in your housing, and the first fledgling, and then when they return the next spring! Eventually, they become "your" birds and you'll do everything possible to protect them. It's a great hobby that my wife and I take great pleasure in!

Good luck!

[dcronwell]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I really appreciate your comments, suggestions and encouragement! I believe I may make a bit of an investment into the Bird-X dawnsong player on the PMCA store.
And, I do have another question. Have any of you ever gone to your local town and ask if they would buy a PM house to put up and have you monitor?

ToyinPA, I found someone close to me, but how do I message them?

Thanks!

PurplePupil, Your idea of working with a local town (or county) is a great one and can be very successful. Before I retired from the City of Panama City, Florida last year I convinced the Parks Department to construct a Troyer 12-gourd rack (all SREH) at each of two city parks that have excellent sites for martins. Because the martins create interest to park visitors, especially to walkers since the racks are near walking paths and benches, and because this city has an interest in being good environmental stewards, they were happy to purchase and set up the racks. Last year (2024) was the first year the racks were up, and each rack attracted four pairs of martins and fledged young. Excellent success for a first year! City parks staff is learning about martins with my help. They set up the gourds, cleaned out old nests last fall and stored the gourds inside for the winter, set the gourds back up about a month ago with pine straw and entrance plugs to try to prevent HOSP nesting. I let them know that I would tell them when to pull plugs as I check every few days in the morning for martins to return. The first two martins showed up at one park and a single martin at the other park last Saturday (Feb 15th). I texted the park staff and they had three or four plugs pulled that same day at each park. As more martins show up I'll ask them to remove more plugs. With your help and enthusiasm, I'll bet you can find a park or similar site (public library? etc.) suitable for a martin house or rack, and a willing parks, or public works, or other department to do a similar project. If they cannot or do not want to do the landlord maintenance duties on a regular basis, then perhaps they will let you. If they cannot afford the cost of a rack or house assembly, check with a local Audubon Society or Kiwanis Club or similar service organization about getting a grant to pay for the rack or house. Before you make a pitch to anyone about setting up a new martin colony watch "Purple Haze: A Conservation Film" by Capt. Zach Steinhauser on YouTube (if you haven't already). It will give you knowledge to help you make your argument for doing this. Good luck and go for it!

Dale

[C.C.Martins]

And, I do have another question. Have any of you ever gone to your local town and ask if they would buy a PM house to put up and have you monitor?


Thanks!

Gary and Dale are spot on and I trust help you generate ideas.

Iv a public site, started out fairly straight forward, approached a city preserve with a trio mini castle, donated it and asked if they would allow me to set it up and monitor martins. Got the go.
We had visitors the first year, Mr Barrow approached PMCA and got a 12 unit excluder gourd rack donated, next year they stayed.
Two educational PMCA grants later we have 36 excluder gourds, last year 39 pairs of martins. 6 years on, the city bought a lonestar goliad to replace the trio.

There is money out there, find a worthy open spot you believe would be a good host for martins, do-able for you, approach them with the idea ask them if you can start and help manage a colony. Tie into the local Audubon society, and your enthusiasm will carry you to success. Dont be dissuaded by little experience. We were all there.

Ps: yesterday was a federal holiday, my bad. Box will go out today.
Tom

[PurplePupil]

Definitely try playing the dawn song! My neighbors probably thought I was nuts my first year trying to attract martins, because I blasted it for hours. It works! And don't just play it in the morning. I was playing it in the early afternoon when the first pair showed up and started my colony. Do a search on the internet for it. There are many for sale, but you can find free copies that play for over an hour. Tell me if you can't find a good one and I'll send you a link.

Thanks. I bought the songbird magnet yesterday from Amazon. I probably could've saved some money by just buying a CD player and doing it that way, but I figured, "oh who cares about saving money". I've never really thought about a mouse trap. Might have to try that sometime when there's no possibility of having Martins around.

PurplePupil, Your idea of working with a local town (or county) is a great one and can be very successful.

Thanks. I've been thinking about that a lot. One question, how do you deal with HOSP in a public area before you successfully attract Martins? And your local Audubon society will give you grants for putting up housing in public areas? Has anyone ever had problems with human vandalism in public spots before?

It's sad to see the experienced people die off and have their colony disappear. I was looking at scout reports last night, and found someone who lived 5 miles away that had Martins for years. Up until 2015 when he stopped reporting. I looked up his name and found his obituary. Apparently, he loved Martins and "would give anyone all the facts about his bird hobby". So sad. But now I can (hopefully) take up his spot on the line and become a landlord in his place. : )
Looking forward to this spring! Thanks for all the answers and help on my questions!
PurplePupil

[C.C.Martins]

Being discreet is key to whacking sparrows at a public site, iv 3 trio houses full of spare o doors, a number of excluder gourd traps and a few other tricks to keep them under control.
We call them sparrow distractors, looks like a neat little bird house and if anyone asks I just say they can nest there.

When getting them out, just remove it, no muss no fuss, put them in a bag and take them home for the ground trap.

All that being said there must be an understanding between you and the grounds owner. They need to know what your doing, hopefully they are conservation minded and know its invasive species removal.