Nest trays warping

[Thomas Maddox]

Several of my trays(Troyer) have warped over time as rain inevitably gets in. Im thinking about cutting the ends off as the warped wood is starting to block (slightly) the entrances. Thoughts? Thanks

[C.C.Martins]

Thomas,
Could cut them back or get new ones. Made 40 nest treys (i know, way way too many but it was fun) for the Goliad out of foam board. Some of the nest treys have short bottoms to keep from interfering with the entrance. Martins did ok.
Just to make sure they don't slide around I put black anti skid tape (3M makes it, dont know the brand...its used for slippery walkways) inside each cavity.

Here is a picture of a bunch lounging around the trey. You can see the black anti skid tape too.

Best,
Tom

[Thomas Maddox]

Ah. Thats a great idea. I also have the mesh wire subfloor(s) that came with the Trendsetter house and am considering just using those. I couldn't find any info on whether or not the PMs like nesting on these subfloors. They are designed to help prevent leg spray with the babies, so I guess they can be used instead of the nest trays.
How's life treating you?

[Unk Bond]

Hello Tom
How thick is the foam board
Later Unk

[C.C.Martins]

Oh those should work! Phil uses them with success. When these are gone, will go to them. The treys i made seem to last one season only then i toss them.

Life is good sir, very good. I'm working at our public site so during the season surrounded by martins, just got done putting down tractor loads of crushed granite around the poles. Keeps the grass at bay.
Piddling around now, everything is clean and stored....but I need to be duct taped to a chair now and again as I keep picking up gourds and fiddling.
Plotting against the starlings...its still 90 degrees but when it cools they will come to the suet and......lol.
Have seen zero sparrows, really took them to task this year, wrapped up trapping last week. I honestly lost count, when there were more than 6 in the trap id remove them to maintain just 6.
Next few days id be up again, rinse and repeat.
So in short, doing good sir. Appriciate you asking!

[C.C.Martins]

Hello Tom
How thick is the foam board
Later Unk

Hello Unk B!
Half an inch thick i think maybe a tad under but not by much. I like it, if its cut right it fits tight against the sides. The front of the nest trey holing the nest wears down quick as does the center of the nest, nice neat little nest bowls are dug out by the females. They didn't slip around which was a big worry for me.

[Thomas Maddox]

Good to hear brother! If im not moving around, "fixing" a PM issue, watering a plant, throwing out some fertilizer, etc., im regressing in my mind. You have to keep moving! Its exercise and you'll be better off for doing it. I think im going with the mesh subfloors. It will keep the nests dry and doesn't break down (its vynal coated). They will be back before we know it. God bless you and your family!

[C.C.Martins]

Amen and thank you, agree a body in motion stays in motion!
Times moving fast, your right soon....very soon!

[Unk Bond]

Hello Tom and thanks
Now you have my coggs a turnin [ Smile
A couple plastic push buttons

A piece of 3/4"x3/4" board from side to side
For a young bird flapping perch
Later Unk

[C.C.Martins]

Yes, I got some wood for the front today. I should remove all the foam board fronts and use the wood.

My mistake was when the house came it had round openings, changed them all to modified excluders from PMCA. There is 1/8th of an inch from the bottom of the opening to the inner cavity, that was my mistake so have to make the nest trey shorter to give them room to come and go.

Foam board is easy enough to cut, looks like ill be stuck.

[brent]

Hi Thomas. I have Trendsetters too. Originally I used the mesh floors but quickly discovered that with the amount of rain we usually get and the humidity, it was hard to keep the nests dry. I use the nest trays and some of mine have warped but I haven’t had any problems with them. I use a small pebble under the opposite side of the tray so to tilt it allowing for the martins to enter and exit easily. It’s worked for me. Sometimes two pebbles, one under the opposite back side and the other under the opposite front side. Brent

BTW I am still researching the best owl guard protection for my Trendsetter houses. Rob, from LaPlace, sent me some good ideas and I’ll check them out, especially the tubing arched in front of the entrances as used with gourds. Dave Duit also sent his hawk guard. Awesome. But please send me any ideas. Thanks, Brent

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[Thomas Maddox]

Thanks Brent. Hmm. I wish someone made some plastic nest boxes. I am surprised that the nests were getting wet with the mesh flooring as its raised. The cavities seemed to drain well when I hosed them off. I haven't had issues with owls yet, so I don't have any experience with that. Starting to count the days down!

[C.C.Martins]

Starting to count the days down!

Thomas! Made my stomach jump with that one!

[Carlton]

When I first purchased my Trendsetter 12, I ordered the nesting trays and they were superb! They were constructed of lumber and had a depression in the wood for the nest. After using them for years, I needed to replace them as they had rotted in our South Florida heat, humidity and rain, but I was very disappointed with the replacements. They were flimsy and not nearly the quality of the originals. I gradually went to the raised, vinyl covered, wire floors and no nesting trays. They seem to work just as well, for my martins, as the expensive nesting trays and did not interfere with the crescent entrance holes. I have the wire floors in my 6 condo Sunset house as well. I would have thought that the raised, wire, floors would come standard, as part of the Sunset house, but they were $30+ more, as I recall.

[Thomas Maddox]

Thanks. I sanded my trays so they wouldn't block the entrances. Im in SWLA and get the same heat and humidity, so I imagine, I'll be retiring them after the next year or 2 and will go to the wire mesh. I just didn't know if the PMs would reject the change. Getting closer to return time!

[daveh]

I have a trendsetter house that came with the wire mesh subfloors. I built my nest trays out of 1/4 inch plywood for the floors and the fronts and aluminum flashing for the sides and backs. They are approx. 6 inch by 6 inch. I have a nail in the bottom that hooks into the subfloor so they don't move around. This works well for me. It keeps a dry nest and they are 14 years old. I move them forward in the off season to cover the crescent entrances so they get some rain on the fronts but not to bad. Like I said, they are getting old.

dave

[Thomas Maddox]

14 years old! Job well done!

[brent]

Hi Dave. If you could send a picture it would be great. I kept all the wire mesh floors and may have to, in time, use them again. Would like to see what you’ve done. Thanks, Brent

[Thomas Maddox]

Hey Brent. How are you? I've had a good 'off season ' specifically catching HOSPS. 109 for the year. I got a really nice Troyer repeating trap for Christmas. Its getting closer to arrival time!

[daveh]

Brent, pictures did not go thru. But there is nothing about the nest trays that's special. They are about 6 x 6 inch square, maybe a little less than 6 on the width side, 1 1/2 inch tall wooden front and 3 inch tall by 18 1/2 inch long aluminum sides that's folded around the wooden base. The wood is 1/4 inch plywood. It's all put together with pneumatic staples. They sit on the mesh floors so they don't get wet on the insides. At first I placed a nail or screw in the bottom of the trays to hook into the mesh subfloors to hold in place. Most of the trays have nails but some don't so I don"t know if they are needed. They all stay in the back of the compartments.

dave