I recently purchased three Big Bo Gourds, but have not put them up yet. Will do so this week-end. Has anyone painted the insides to make them darker, like I did with the compartments in my S&K house? Seems to me it would be good to make them darker from the inside and cut down on the light coming through the white plastic sides. Any other modifications or additions needed?
Thanks, Bud
Painting inside of Big Bo Gourds
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Bernie Nikolai
- Posts: 402
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 7:44 pm
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Bud, lots of folks are now darkening the inside of plastic gourds with very good results. Its not necessary in areas where martins are used to unpainted plastic, but seems to help a lot in attracting martins in areas where they are not used to white plastic gourds (on the inside).
1/ Very important. You need to "degrease" the inside of the plastic gourd for paint to stick well. Hot water and dishwashing soap will do, and then a light scrubbing with sandpaper or a metal scouring pad.
2/ Use a paint specifically formulated for use on plastic. Many have good results with Krylon Fusion spray paint, commonly available at any big box store. I use Hunter green, but would prefer a brown, but this isn't available in my area.
The paint will stick well, but still will scrape off a bit if you run your fingernail down the inside hard. The plastic used in gourds is hard to paint so the paint is on solidly, but the Krylon product does a very good job. Mine is still on, looking like new, after 3 years.
1/ Very important. You need to "degrease" the inside of the plastic gourd for paint to stick well. Hot water and dishwashing soap will do, and then a light scrubbing with sandpaper or a metal scouring pad.
2/ Use a paint specifically formulated for use on plastic. Many have good results with Krylon Fusion spray paint, commonly available at any big box store. I use Hunter green, but would prefer a brown, but this isn't available in my area.
The paint will stick well, but still will scrape off a bit if you run your fingernail down the inside hard. The plastic used in gourds is hard to paint so the paint is on solidly, but the Krylon product does a very good job. Mine is still on, looking like new, after 3 years.
He who harbors the nesting bird shall have health and happiness all the year
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Guest
I have 7 Big Bo's that haven't been popular with the martins. I have one pair in them so far this year. Does anyone know if painting the inside now is a good idea. They haven't started nesting, but they do roost there.
Last year I had two pairs in the Big Bo's. I had noticed that it let a lot of light through so I painted the OUTSIDE of the gourd with the white plastic paint. It helped but I think painting the inside with a dark color would be better.
Last year I had two pairs in the Big Bo's. I had noticed that it let a lot of light through so I painted the OUTSIDE of the gourd with the white plastic paint. It helped but I think painting the inside with a dark color would be better.
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Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Bud,
Here is a link to an article of mine on the Darkness, Seclusion and Rustic Factors. You may find it of interest.
Steve
http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1146
Here is a link to an article of mine on the Darkness, Seclusion and Rustic Factors. You may find it of interest.
Steve
http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1146
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Bernie Nikolai
- Posts: 402
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 7:44 pm
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta
grandmac.2 wrote:I have 7 Big Bo's that haven't been popular with the martins. I have one pair in them so far this year. Does anyone know if painting the inside now is a good idea. They haven't started nesting, but they do roost there.
Grandmac, an idea you might want to consider would be taking down 3 or 4 of the Big Bos tomorrow. It would take perhaps 15 minutes to scrub them out with hot water and dishwashing soap, and roughen them with sandpaper a bit inside. Once they are bone dry (you could use a hairdryer if pressed for time) inside, the Krylon Fusion spray paint will dry in only a couple of hours, overnight for sure at room temperature. You could then rehang them Sunday morning and the martins would only be without them for 12 to 24 hours. Then you would have 3 or 4 white inside, and 3 or 4 painted a dark colour inside. Later in the season you could let us know what the martins preferred, and I'm guessing they will go for the inside dark painted ones by a wide margin.
He who harbors the nesting bird shall have health and happiness all the year
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Guest
Steve and Bernie,
I had read Steve's article on darkness and seclusion last year which is very good. I painted the inside of my expanded S&K compartments this winter, so at Bernie's suggestion used the same very dark green paint for plastic and spray painted the interior of the gourds. Worked very well and they are now very dark inside which should be much better for the Martins. I left the access cap on after taking of the cardboard S&K advertisement insert and sprayed from the entrance side first all around inside the gourd. Then I let it dry for about 30 minutes, and took of the access cap. I then covered the inside of the entrance with painters tape and put it on the gourd, spraying again from the access hole side into the gourd. I let it dry about 1 hour and took out the entrance to let the paint dry out good over night with both the access cap off and the entrance out of the gourd. I like the results it and thanks for the suggestion. Just hope the Martins do to. A little worried about their acceptance though, as have not seen any gourds in the north Plano area...they are all houses as far as I can tell.
Bud
I had read Steve's article on darkness and seclusion last year which is very good. I painted the inside of my expanded S&K compartments this winter, so at Bernie's suggestion used the same very dark green paint for plastic and spray painted the interior of the gourds. Worked very well and they are now very dark inside which should be much better for the Martins. I left the access cap on after taking of the cardboard S&K advertisement insert and sprayed from the entrance side first all around inside the gourd. Then I let it dry for about 30 minutes, and took of the access cap. I then covered the inside of the entrance with painters tape and put it on the gourd, spraying again from the access hole side into the gourd. I let it dry about 1 hour and took out the entrance to let the paint dry out good over night with both the access cap off and the entrance out of the gourd. I like the results it and thanks for the suggestion. Just hope the Martins do to. A little worried about their acceptance though, as have not seen any gourds in the north Plano area...they are all houses as far as I can tell.
Bud