Nest box design I read about somewhere...

[WI/MI Border]

I'm building an eight unit PM apartment. I might have it done in a week or two. Never had Martins before. Actually have never seen any around these parts. Anywho, I read about owls reaching into the nest boxes and grabbing hatchlings. Someone suggested having a baffle just inside the entrance to make raiding difficult, if not impossible. Anyone have any experience with this design?

A couple of photos of one 7 x 11.5" nest area. The entrance is there but it is currently being covered with exterior sheathing. Eventually there will be a crescent shaped entrance, front porch and a perch outside each of the eight nest boxes. I haven't quite got a handle on how to post photos. Please bear with me...

[Thomas Maddox]

I don't have much to offer other than I really like the look and concept of it. Have driven around and looked for any colonies nearby? Best of wishes regardless!

[WI/MI Border]

I don't have much to offer other than I really like the look and concept of it. Have driven around and looked for any colonies nearby? Best of wishes regardless!

Thanks for your reply Thomas. I think the design is worth a try. I don't know if PMs will like the 90 degree turn to access the nest area. The article I read suggested the partition creates a difficult spot for an owl to see the hatchlings and may work as a deterrent as well as a physical barrier. I just hope the physical barrier doesn't discourage the PMs.

Sorry, I can't recall where I read about this design. For those who build their own houses or manufacturers who build the large nest box designs can easily adapt to this... if it proves to be successful. A BIG if.

I'm a DIYer to a fault, so building is my thing. I will say that when I was looking on line for a manufactured house I was surprised at how many PM houses are still offered with round entrance holes.

[Phil01]

First, very nice looking house. Great craftsmanship! I have the 90 degree turn on my sunset inn house and the martins love it! I feel it keeps the parents and hatchlings safe from a predator reaching in and snatching one. Deep compartments help as well. Of course once the young are moving around and being fed from the entrance they are vulnerable.
Question…. Are you going to put any type of door on it so you can open and perform nest checks?

Phil

[WI/MI Border]

...
Question…. Are you going to put any type of door on it so you can open and perform nest checks?

Phil

Thanks for the compliments. It's a work in progress so access to nest boxes are still being figured out.

In theory it will be installed on an aluminum pole (an old 14' Sunfish sailboat mast) which has a pulley at the top. The roof will act as a "stop" when the house is lifted up to its highest point effectively closing off each four apartment level. When the two levels are lowered the roof assembly stays at the top of the mast. The two apartment levels lower as one assembly. The top level has a loose fitting ceiling which can be lifted for viewing its four apartments. The floor of the top level acts as the ceiling for the bottom level. Lift the top level up to view the lower level apartments.

I'm not sure that explanation makes a lot of sense! I found an article on PMCA about Bernie Nikolai's XPS based house design and I am adapting that to what materials I have on hand or can get easily. For instance I'm using 1/2" XPS where Bernie used 1" XPS. There's a post by Bernie from 2005. I don't see any new updates but I suspect it is still working for him. I will be taking down my house every fall and installing in the spring (May) to avoid most of the harsh weather it will experience.

Edit: I should probably mention that Bernie used epoxy and fiberglass to coat the XPS. I build Teardrop camping trailers and have used PMF for years. PMF is "Poor Man's Fiberglass". Canvas and exterior latex paint. My last camper build is XPS walls and roof sheathed with PMF. It has several thousand highway miles on it and look almost new. I know it lasts and is very rugged. The nest box has a "nest cup" made from Coroplast. That's the corrugated plastic sign material you often see as yard signs. Especially during political campaign season. Making nest cups with coroplast is probably a good way to "Reduce, Reuse and maybe Recycle". Easy to cut, easy to hot glue into cups.

Post by Bernie...
viewtopic.php?p=41696&hilit=Edmonton%2C ... oam#p41696

[Martintown33]

Your design looks great! Your martins will love the safety, as others have stated…
Good luck on starting your colony!
Rob

[flyin-lowe]

I have seen a T 14 with the entrances staggered on each side instead of the front, so when the martins go in they have to turn toward the back. I would be interested to see how the martins accept that design, but I assume they would use it all the same.

[WI/MI Border]

... I would be interested to see how the martins accept that design, but I assume they would use it all the same.

I'll keep all y'all updated on success. I am near the northern limits of their range and I'm probably locating in a non-prime spot in my yard so...