Modified crescent

Emil Pampell-Tx · Wed Jan 18, 2006 5:38 pm

in case you are worried about a martin getting caught on the sharp end of a crescent, you may wish to do this modification..I took a small sanding disc on a dremel tool and made the corners round, as this in my opinion will keep martins from getting caught in the corner, they may not hang up on it.

This can be done after the gourd or crescent entrance is attached, as well as before you attach it (easier before you attach it)

RC Moser · Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:06 pm

Nice photo Emil, I still have a few crescents on my trio's, but mine are rounded as much. If I use them this year I'm going to round them out more. Thanks. I new to round them out but didn't know to do it that much. Rc

Emil Pampell-Tx · Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:17 pm

RC, it may not be necessary to round them that much, but that was the size of the dremel sanding disc. I even like the looks of it much better than the old sharp corners. In my opinion, this is so easy to do if you have a dremel tool, it is really quite simple...

Guest · Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:26 am

Emil,
thanks for the replys, now what would you do?

I have the trio housing that need replacement doors due to age.
The two choices I have for SREH's are the crescent and the excluder.
I will go ahead this weekend and enlarge the compartments so that is no longer an issue.
Which door would you rather buy, the crescent (and round out the corners) or the excluders. I am only going to do this once as the doors are expensive so I want to make the right choice. I really like the WDC's the best but no one makes the TRIO doors with them.
Any opinions would be welcome. I do not have a bank roll to fund this either so cost is a factor.

Emil Pampell-Tx · Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:48 am

Do you have a martin colony started. If not, then I would start with the crescents, (or WDC if you can find them would be my first choice). Most martins have a tough time learning to use the excluders, so if you don't have martins, that may hinder them staying at your place.

If you do have martins, either would be OK, but I have used both, and the crescents are much easier on the martins, but I keep the starlings away very much, so I don't have a serious starling problem..

How large are your rooms, if they are 6x6, I wouldn't get the excluder..

Why not get 1/2 of one kind, and 1/2 of the other kind..

e p jones · Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:58 am

Probably need to round-out crescents on aluminum housing entrances, but not extensively--or the purpose will be potentially defeated.
Using a 1/4" drill bit works great!
On wood or plastic (PVC) crescents, rounding probably is not essential as the "pinch points" are much less likely to snag a PM wing.

Guest · Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:05 am

I also am leaning toward getting the cresents and rounding out the corners assuggested. I have a very established colony going on 7 years at the same location. About 34 breeding paris last year. Drove some of my close neighbors crazy... but they get used to the morning and evening chatter after a while...

Emil Pampell-Tx · Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:05 am

e p, rounding out the ends like I did certainly will not affect the performance of the crescent. as long as you don't make them larger than I made mine. The maximum rounding out should be about 3/4in or 7/8in...

John Miller · Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:46 am

Emil

I'm so glad you posted this. I've been pulling my aluminum corners back and in very very slightly with needle nose pliers, but was afraid to post a photo for fear of being told I had compromised the SREH. Maybe your version should be the new standard for aluminum crescents.

John Miller

Emil Pampell-Tx · Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:55 am

John, the only thing that really matters in size is about the middle 1-3/4" of the entrance, the rest is there to allow the wingfeathers to go thru. Its the center hole plus the smaller sides (either top or bottom) that is critical. On the crescent, the sides are a bit lower than the entrance hole. On a excluder, the pips on the bottom are there, plus the top is also sloping slightly, so that little bit extra makes them harder for a starling to enter..

I am so happy that the excluder was developed ...The real credit belongs to the crescent, it was developed first, and it did the most good to help the martins, and it was not patented, so everyone can use it.