Hello everybody,
I am new here and have been reading and reading and reading. I received as a gift a PM house as my family new I had an interest in these birds. The house I got was a S&K 12 unit with a 15' Tri Tel pole. I have read about house colors and locations and I have a great place. (Open yard, and I live on a state park with 1000 acres of water). The house I have seems to have small "rooms" and also the roof is green. I am sure that many of you are familiar with these houses. Am I wasting energy by using this house. I am planning on building a nice one this fall but don't have the resources right now. I see a lot of people making mods to the S&K houses, are these necessary or just a help. Last but not least the house I have has a green roof, with white front and light tan sides. Should the roof be white or is the white front enough. Thanks for the patience as I am still learning.
Newbie looking for some advice
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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
The green roof is OK according to S&K temp measurements. so much depends upon the ventilation, so if the house is well ventilated, then the green roof should be fine (and its pretty!)
Most experienced people like to modify 6x6in roooms, and make them 6x12inch rooms, as this gives the martins more room and more protection from owls and possibly hawks. It is recommended but not necessary, as the smaller rooms were used for over 100 years.
If you have starlings, you will need the starling resistent entry holes (SREH), so does your house have them or do you have round holes?
Hope that you are successful, as your site sounds excellent..good luck
Most experienced people like to modify 6x6in roooms, and make them 6x12inch rooms, as this gives the martins more room and more protection from owls and possibly hawks. It is recommended but not necessary, as the smaller rooms were used for over 100 years.
If you have starlings, you will need the starling resistent entry holes (SREH), so does your house have them or do you have round holes?
Hope that you are successful, as your site sounds excellent..good luck
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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flyin-lowe
- Posts: 3789
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
- Location: Indiana/Henry Co.
It does have the SREH. I got my pole set last night so I might try to modify the rooms to be larger.