How far apart do I put a second house?
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Guest
I am a first year landlord and had 3 nesting pairs with 12/12 successful fledglings. Already, I am SO hooked and looking forward to expanding my little colony. I plan to add another house --aluminum with larger compartments than my current 6"x6". I am looking at various models and poles. How far apart should I put my second house from my first one. I have a backyard in a subdivision with about 50' open on either side of my current house. Several people in my subdivision have successful martin houses. Currently my martins have been spending only 1 hour here from 9am to 10am. They try to all get on my little 12 compartment house at the same time and swarm around, dipping and diving. I anticipate that soon they will migrate south. Please excuse me if I ramble--- this is my first ever post!!! Thanks for any feedback--Joan
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TreeGreenwood
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 9:27 pm
- Location: Virginia/Catlett
Facetiously, close enough but not too close.
More seriously, the common advice is to place a second house far enough away that it wouldn't be hit if the first house fell in that direction, say 14' sway if the first house is on a 14' pole. I placed mine a bit closer with no problem. Be sure that the flyway, the aerial approach to the cavities, is open enough for them to land easily. If your house is a traditional one with entry holes only on two faces, you could put a second house only a few feet away and PMs would probably accept it.
I'd also add perching space, whether a commercial 'perching station' or just some garden bamboo stakes tied to the railings on your house with twist-ties.
Congratulations on a great first year,
Tree
More seriously, the common advice is to place a second house far enough away that it wouldn't be hit if the first house fell in that direction, say 14' sway if the first house is on a 14' pole. I placed mine a bit closer with no problem. Be sure that the flyway, the aerial approach to the cavities, is open enough for them to land easily. If your house is a traditional one with entry holes only on two faces, you could put a second house only a few feet away and PMs would probably accept it.
I'd also add perching space, whether a commercial 'perching station' or just some garden bamboo stakes tied to the railings on your house with twist-ties.
Congratulations on a great first year,
Tree
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Guest
Hi Louisiana Joan,
I don't know the norm But my houses were about 15 feet apart.
Some one may answer that knows. All I know is this worked for me.
I don't know the norm But my houses were about 15 feet apart.
Some one may answer that knows. All I know is this worked for me.
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Laverne
- Posts: 2216
- Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:58 pm
- Location: TX/Alvin
- Martin Colony History: Erected 1st house in 1997. Birds were checking it out before Mike got down from the ladder. Six cavities had a little colony 1st year. Grown to 88 cavities all gourds with near 100% occupancy. Most important factor for success is rain = bugs.
Hi Louisiana Joan.
Congratulations on your first season and it being such a success! You will discover that it is not always so easy to attract a colony. You have the gift of a dense martin population in your area - but, they still need our help to raise their young.
In response to your question - I will tell you that it's not critical. Put it up where it is within... oh... 10 - 12 feet (give or take) of the other house. The main thing to keep in mind is the safety of the Purple Martins. When you erect a second house, don't put it in the fly-way of your present house. Don't put it up any higher than your present house - this would block their view of an incoming hawk trying to ambush them. Put yourself in their position - get a ladder if you have to and see what they see. That should help you a lot in deciding where a second house needs to be.
Good luck and Welcome to the Forum!
Congratulations on your first season and it being such a success! You will discover that it is not always so easy to attract a colony. You have the gift of a dense martin population in your area - but, they still need our help to raise their young.
In response to your question - I will tell you that it's not critical. Put it up where it is within... oh... 10 - 12 feet (give or take) of the other house. The main thing to keep in mind is the safety of the Purple Martins. When you erect a second house, don't put it in the fly-way of your present house. Don't put it up any higher than your present house - this would block their view of an incoming hawk trying to ambush them. Put yourself in their position - get a ladder if you have to and see what they see. That should help you a lot in deciding where a second house needs to be.
Good luck and Welcome to the Forum!
Sincerely,
Laverne
Laverne
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
Louisiana Joan, where you put your second house is mostly a personal choice, as different people recommend different spacing. I would recommend that you put them where you want them, as far away from trees as possible, leave enough room between the poles so that you can mow between them easily, face the houses so you can see the martins enter & exit so that you can enjoy them, and keep the housing far enough apart so that you can work on one house without bumping the other house, and try to keep the flyways open..I have 4 poles with gourd racks, the gourds from one pole are within 5 ft of the gourds on the other poles, and the martins enjoy them all. Spacing is really not critical.
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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John Atteberry
I'll just say what I did and you can do what with it! Ha! I put my houses up north and got 21 pairs the first year with houses that were 5-6 feet from each other, and I had 10 poles (houses) altogether! Then the next four yrs. I grew to 62 pairs and now down here in Florida, I put them still 5-6 feet apart and got three pairs, so it's up to you how far you want to put them! But the closer you get them (5-6 feet) the more you can watch the martins closer together and the more housing you can put up too! Hope that helps! John!
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Sigundo
All I can do is tell you what I did, maybe it'll help. I bought 2 of the S&K 20 roomers (now modified to larger rooms, even though the martins sometimes still build in the close to the hole half.. oh well). I watched them for a while when they were first testing the first house for "swoopability" and noticed an average swoop ran 5 fence posts (roughly 28-30 feet i'd say) until the arc was completed.. so I put the 2nd house 5 fence posts away, and they really love swooping between the 2 houses, and barely have to flap at all, except for landing adjustments. I put two of those 4 foot plastic plant support poles through the attics of my S&K's and that just made them swoop even more (more landing places I guess, but they are a hit and don't weigh much, so that isn't an issue when raising the house back up).
I'd bet though that if the houses were really close, they would think it was one BIG place to nest and be just as happy (but not as much swooping, and my martins seem to like to do that a lot, in case I didn't make that clear in the previous paragraph
).
Good luck with whatever setup you decide and keep us posted!
I'd bet though that if the houses were really close, they would think it was one BIG place to nest and be just as happy (but not as much swooping, and my martins seem to like to do that a lot, in case I didn't make that clear in the previous paragraph
).Good luck with whatever setup you decide and keep us posted!
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Guest
When we set up our second martin complex of 4x Troyer Horizontal gourds, we used a simple measure. Four or five paces from the first house, which translates to about 12 - 15 feet.
Also, we've noticed that since martins love to perch and chat in the evening hours, installing perch rods (1/4" wooden dowels, zip-tied onto the existing perches) on the house gives the martins plenty of perching room.
Also, we've noticed that since martins love to perch and chat in the evening hours, installing perch rods (1/4" wooden dowels, zip-tied onto the existing perches) on the house gives the martins plenty of perching room.
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Guest
Thank you all so much for the feedback. I will place it about 15 feet from the original. My martins have headed south as of yesterday--I bet they are going to be at the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway Bridge soon. I'm tempted to drive down and see the roost! You are all so kind to help with questions. ---Joan
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Laverne
- Posts: 2216
- Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:58 pm
- Location: TX/Alvin
- Martin Colony History: Erected 1st house in 1997. Birds were checking it out before Mike got down from the ladder. Six cavities had a little colony 1st year. Grown to 88 cavities all gourds with near 100% occupancy. Most important factor for success is rain = bugs.
Hi, again, Joan.
If you have not been to a roost lately (or never) then you simply must go! They are the "crescendo" at the end of the PM season. The premigratory roost is indescribable - there simply are no words to define the awesome spectacle. Photographs can not do the scene justice. Videos can not capture the magnitude of the congregating Purple Martins. You just gotta go...
If you have not been to a roost lately (or never) then you simply must go! They are the "crescendo" at the end of the PM season. The premigratory roost is indescribable - there simply are no words to define the awesome spectacle. Photographs can not do the scene justice. Videos can not capture the magnitude of the congregating Purple Martins. You just gotta go...
Sincerely,
Laverne
Laverne