S K red barn house

[lockharttaylor]

I was wondering if any of you have this type , with the four upper rooms , do you have them open and if you have any problems with them. we have ours shut down because a couple
of years ago we had problems with loosing the babies. it was too hot there and also we had a hard time checking that area.

[hhudson26]

I had one of those at my previous location (Caddo Mills) the past few years and kept those top compartments closed due to the potential for heat, and the fact they wouldn't be easy to clean out. They might be OK in cooler climates, but I think our temps here in TX might get too extreme for those compartments, and you're even farther south than I am (Belton). Would be interesting to get a temp reading in one of those rooms during the hot summer days.

[Clebone66]

I lost 2 babies last year in that style SK house. I have closed them off this year.

[Matt F.]

S&K over the years has been really responsive to implementing product changes and improvements. That said, it would be great if they would implement some type change to their three house models with attic compartments, that would allow for easy access to those compartments.

[Conrad Baker]

I had one of those in my earlier Martin landlord days. I too closed off the top compartments. It seems the wasps really liked the holes for access to build their nests. I'm sure the Martins didn't care much for the wasps moving in with them. I took some window screen material and epoxied it in place over the entry hole. It would allow some ventilation instead of just plugging the hole. I also sprayed the roof with white paint. Seems most of the S&K houses have that dark grey color roof which I believe increases the temp of the houses especially during the heat of summer. The 3 S&K houses I have now have had the roofs painted white to help keep them cooler. Krylon makes a spray paint that adheres really well to the plastic.

[Jones4381]

I had one of those in my earlier Martin landlord days. I too closed off the top compartments. It seems the wasps really liked the holes for access to build their nests. I'm sure the Martins didn't care much for the wasps moving in with them. I took some window screen material and epoxied it in place over the entry hole. It would allow some ventilation instead of just plugging the hole. I also sprayed the roof with white paint. Seems most of the S&K houses have that dark grey color roof which I believe increases the temp of the houses especially during the heat of summer. The 3 S&K houses I have now have had the roofs painted white to help keep them cooler. Krylon makes a spray paint that adheres really well to the plastic.

Closed mine off too and have since gotten rid of the house(had a green house and the red barn), i have kept the poles until I can replace them with a 2" pole for 12 gourds. I still have 6 gourds on each pole. The real reason I got rid of them was because I'm a terrible shot with my .22

I put a few holes in the roof shooting at HOSP's when they landed on them. They were a magnet for HOSP's in my parts and they seem less interested in the individual gourds around here. I do have to shoot them on the BB houses I have around the yard...Missed one yesterday dang it...I'm a terrible shot..

PM's here went to gourds first and the houses at the end so I just moved away from them entirely for those reasons. Good luck!

[dsonyay]

I never did open those upper four compartments as well from day one. I also did the option of doubling the size of the compartments.