Perch or Porch

[Guest]

I have been doing a bit of research but can't find the answer to this one.

What is the preference and why of a porch vs a perch and visa versa,also what size should either of these be?

As mentioned before I built a house without doing any reserch 3 years ago and used perchs(3/8" dowel rod 4" long) ,they seem to like it fine but curious as to which is preferred.

What about hoods over the entrances is this rcommended?
I notice some Gourds have them.

Thanks dick

[Mary Dawnsong]

Hi Dick,

Martins like extra perching areas around their housing, but a narrow perch attached to their compartment has no value, IMHO.

Porches are considered unnecessary with the traditional round hole entries. Martins like porches, but so do House Sparrows.

When Starling Resistant Entry Holes (SREH) are used, porches make it easier for martins to enter. The martins in my colony simply could not enter crescent SREH until I added porches.

When deciding which type of martin housing to buy or build, it is vey important to understand what martins in your neck of the woods require.

Are non-native European Starlings a big problem in your area? If so, then consider using SREH, of which there are several designs.

Are non-native House Sparrows a big problem in your area? If so, then consider using only gourds for martin housing and using a martin house strictly for trapping House Sparrows.

Other serious considerations in Texas are ventilation and paint color of wooden houses. If not carefully designed, wooden houses are killers in your high heat. For more info, read this article on thermal testing of martin housing:
http:///// ///.com/pm/thermals.htm

Rat snakes are a major predator of martins in Texas as they can climb any pole. Make sure your pole design incorporates a good snake guard.

Martin nests must be kept dry. The hoods you have seen are called "rain canopies". They help protect the interior from rain and martins like to perch on them, too. Some of us are using tunnel entries on gourds, which keep the nest even drier than rain canopies.

There are some very experienced Texas landlords on this forum who would be happy to share the martin knowledge it has taken them years to acquire. I'd love to see you connect with them.

My best, Mary

[Guest]

Thanks Mary,this all just gets more intriguing and I might add exciting.

I am a wood worker of some standing so am qualified to build the house and I'll continue my research efforts and incorporate the best of the best,

thanks again

[klcretired]

Why not offer both for the martins, that way they would have the best of both worlds.

[Guest]

Good idea KC,I'll just do that.

dick