Leaving Housing Up

[Thomas Maddox]

Do any of you leave your PM housing up after fledging is done solely to attract and eliminate HOSPS? Just curious? Im not sure when the HOSPS quit multiplying here in SWLA. Thoughts?

[Conrad Baker]

I take mine down after I'm certain the Martins are gone. I have S&K plastic houses, and I think leaving them up is only adding to the wear & tear and damage from the elements. I would not leave them up to attract sparrows, even to eliminate them. Let them go elsewhere looking for a place to live.

[jhcox]

I leave mine up well after my birds are gone.. I do this just incase northern martins that have not moved south yet may have a place to spend the night if need be. As far as house sparrows i have usually dispatched most of them before the martins arrive or just shortly there after.

Good luck and God bless
JHCox Heiskell TN

[Bird Brain]

I leave mine up all year long. It's been my experience that a HOSP can arrive any time of the year. HOSP elimination is an all year long job. I only kill an average of one HOSP per year now. But I've been killing them since 2016. I think I killed around 40 HOSP in 2016. I never have any HOSP bother my martins during the season. The plastic gourds don't deteriorate and would take a lot of room to store them.

[Thomas Maddox]

I take mine down after I'm certain the Martins are gone. I have S&K plastic houses, and I think leaving them up is only adding to the wear & tear and damage from the elements. I would not leave them up to attract sparrows, even to eliminate them. Let them go elsewhere looking for a place to live.

Conrad, I understand that line of thinking for sure. However, i have 2 neighbors that live about 200yards away who have houses up all year long. I've never seen PMs there, but many HOSPS. They definitely aren't dispatching them, so i was wondering if I could lure them over and dispatch them myself.?

[Thomas Maddox]

I leave mine up well after my birds are gone.. I do this just incase northern martins that have not moved south yet may have a place to spend the night if need be. As far as house sparrows i have usually dispatched most of them before the martins arrive or just shortly there after.

Good luck and God bless
JHCox Heiskell TN

JH, I would leave them up just for that reason if it were true(I don't know if they "stay" in houses once the fleging is done).

[Thomas Maddox]

I leave mine up all year long. It's been my experience that a HOSP can arrive any time of the year. HOSP elimination is an all year long job. I only kill an average of one HOSP per year now. But I've been killing them since 2016. I think I killed around 40 HOSP in 2016. I never have any HOSP bother my martins during the season. The plastic gourds don't deteriorate and would take a lot of room to store them.

BB, im going to Trap all year this year. I usually only Trap while the PMs are here. You are doing great with your efforts!

[jhcox]

I have witnessed several staying overnight through the years. Well after all mine we’re gone. So just because of this fact I leave them up.

[Conrad Baker]

I take mine down after I'm certain the Martins are gone. I have S&K plastic houses, and I think leaving them up is only adding to the wear & tear and damage from the elements. I would not leave them up to attract sparrows, even to eliminate them. Let them go elsewhere looking for a place to live.

Conrad, I understand that line of thinking for sure. However, i have 2 neighbors that live about 200yards away who have houses up all year long. I've never seen PMs there, but many HOSPS. They definitely aren't dispatching them, so i was wondering if I could lure them over and dispatch them myself.?

Yes, sounds good!! If not you can always lower the housing and rip any sparrow nests out and stomp on the eggs. I just don't have the time to monitor my houses as much as I would like. I wish people like your neighbors that put up houses and don't bother to care for them or control sparrows just wouldn't even put them up. They probably think they are helping the martins, but they just have no idea how much negative effect it has on the martin community.

[Dave Reynolds]

... I take mine down a month or so after all the Martins are gone... Clean out the old nest and store for the winter in a shed...

Dave

[C.C.Martins]

Thomas,
I like your thinking. I did just that 4 years ago thinking they would look for somewhere to roost. They did not. My belief is they will roost in their old nests, perhaps that's what you see. Give it a try, doesn't hurt. Hope they make a mistake and you get them!

[Thomas Maddox]

I take mine down after I'm certain the Martins are gone. I have S&K plastic houses, and I think leaving them up is only adding to the wear & tear and damage from the elements. I would not leave them up to attract sparrows, even to eliminate them. Let them go elsewhere looking for a place to live.

Conrad, I understand that line of thinking for sure. However, i have 2 neighbors that live about 200yards away who have houses up all year long. I've never seen PMs there, but many HOSPS. They definitely aren't dispatching them, so i was wondering if I could lure them over and dispatch them myself.?

Yes, sounds good!! If not you can always lower the housing and rip any sparrow nests out and stomp on the eggs. I just don't have the time to monitor my houses as much as I would like. I wish people like your neighbors that put up houses and don't bother to care for them or control sparrows just wouldn't even put them up. They probably think they are helping the martins, but they just have no idea how much negative effect it has on the martin community.

I am waiting on those people to move and when I see a for sale sign, im going to try to buy their bird houses. I am betting they will. It would be worth the money to buy and discard (they all look run down anyway).

[Thomas Maddox]

Thomas,
I like your thinking. I did just that 4 years ago thinking they would look for somewhere to roost. They did not. My belief is they will roost in their old nests, perhaps that's what you see. Give it a try, doesn't hurt. Hope they make a mistake and you get them!

Can't hurt to try! Gives me something else to do in the evenings while I sip my favorite beverage (s)!

[flyin-lowe]

I always take mine down once I stop seeing my martins coming and going. I figure they spend the majority of their life living in trees etc. when they are not nesting so I don't think the ones migrating south really "need" housing to sleep in. Last year I built a platform feeder and started feeding birds once the season was over. I bought a new air rifle and I set the platform feeder between to of my poles so it is the exact same distance. I shot a bunch of HOSP over the winter months from a window in my house. It has made a big difference this year. I usually don't kill that many in the off season since my housing is down but last year my numbers were way up thanks to the rifle and feeder.

[roymg1]

I leave mine up, and closed remainder of the year, but at a lower height. I do so because I will still have my
birds make visits and I guess they know where they stayed during the spring. As soon as they
all leave here come the sparrows but it does them no good. Leaving the house up seem a nice way
to store it and being lower it can survive our canes that usually will happen.

Happy Martining!

[RCAMPBELL1970]

To all:

I think leaving them up but lowered and closed is the way to go. Winter storms might damage them if they are all the way up. HOSP habitation must always be suppressed, so keep them closed!

[Conrad Baker]

I thought I was done for the season with no activity. This morning, I have 12 to 15 birds here. They are in and out of the compartments, and I even see some feeding going on in my #3 house. Don't know where those babies came from, there was no such activity yesterday. Maybe I'm seeing things, but PM's are definitely bringing insects into house #3.,