Porch solution for Troyer crescent opening????......

[geneinmurphy]

A friend gave me a couple of Troyer horizontal gourds with the crescent openings and metal porches. If I remember correctly, I read in previous posts that sometimes the PM's had difficulty entering the crescent opening with the metal porch attached. Any suggestions as to how to improve on this without having a buy/make a tunnel entrance????

[Dale Hrncirik]

Gene,

I would suggest trying the S&K porches. I have them on my SGs and Bo-Villa and the martins seem to do really well with them...I love those S&K porches but I secure them to housing using SS nuts and bolts making them very sturdy.

Dale

[geneinmurphy]

Dale......not sure how easily the S & K would work on the Troyer.....the Troyer gourd is unique in that the front surface is not at a 90 degree angle to the entrance but rather slopes backward making it difficult adding a "normal" entrance. I remember in the past some people on the forum had mentioned that the metal porch that comes with it and mounts with clips over the crescent sometimes made it difficult for the PM's to enter/exit.....

[Dale Hrncirik]

Gene,

I had forgotten about the sloping 'front'. You might be able to use a wedge of some sort so that the porch is horizontal. Hopefully you will get better ideas from others that have actual experience with porching their Troyers. Good luck,

Dale

[Dave S (Texas)]

Gene

The Troyers don't need a porch. I bought mine back in '01 and installed a piece of soft-wood, 1/4"x1/4" across the bottom of the opening. Has always worked great. Takes them awhile to figure out the opening, but they do. Their problem is they raise the wing-elbows. Once they realize not to do that....it's all good.

[DAKdude]

If a porch is not absolutely necessary for martins to enter a crescent opening. (And I have noticed others on the forum that say they don't use porches with their crescents) Do they need to also have a porch with WDCs or Excluders? Especially since most of the comments say that the birds can enter WDCs and Excluders easier than the crescents. Has anyone tried these openings without porches? I would like to hear from anyone who has.

Thanks
James

[Louise Chambers]

James,

PMCA tried porchless Excluders on gourds and the martins can get in, it's just easier for them, a lot easier, if they have porches too. We only tried that one season that I recall. And I would imagine the same is true of any of the SREH, on both houses and gourds. We had previously used porched and unporched crescents on natural and plastic gourds.

Louise

[klcretired]

Gene,
on my SG's and Troyer HZ's i have all sreh's w/ porches, what i did was to attach the porch , drill 2 holes and Ribit them on. I have the same kind of porches that you do and my PM's never have had any problem's getting in or out of the Gourd's....but those starlings can't get in at all, at least i haven't seen one as of yet and that's what i like best.

[geneinmurphy]

Dave S.......your post gave me an idea....maybe if I attach a 3/8" or 1/2" wooden dowel horizontally right under the crescent opening that would give them something to grab onto and enter the crescent. I could attach it with two screws/nuts..........

[Guest]

Gene,

Have you tried to use the porches as is? I've had great success with those same metal porches using Troyers with crescents. You mentioned that you would like a solution without having to buy/make/modify the entrance. Following the instruction sheet that comes with Troyer gourds, you should be fine without any additional accessories or modifications at all.

There are some good porch and tunnel alternatives and solutions out there but if you have the metal porches already I would suggest you give them a shot first. The martins I've had each year learn to enter very quickly. By the time they are feeding the hatchlings those parents sometimes fly thru the entrances at what looks like top speed.

Actually I misspoke when I said 'no additional work'. I do adhere those little bathtub safety strips of rubber onto the porches for traction. I found them at Walmart or Home Depot or some such place. They've lasted for several years now just fine.

Good Luck!
MartinDave

[mbuster]

MartinDave,

Do you do anything at the attachment point of the porch? My wife said something about putting silicon in the gaps inside and out to prevent hanging a talon.

Mark

[Guest]

Mark,

Great question! When you get a Troyer you also get an instruction sheet that gives an explanation about how to prep the gourd. As far as the porch is concerned it actually is both an outside porch as well as inside porch. The part that fits over the bottom of the entrance hole divides the two sides(my wife calls me Mr. MOTO: Master Of The Obvious).

The instruction sheet says you can squeeze the porch at this point and it will hold onto the gourd. However, I have LOTS of wind at my house so I go thru the glue and caulk process to make it more secure and also to smooth out any possible cracks or gaps between porch and gourd, as you mentioned. I use super glue and water proof adhesive caulk on the inside and outside edge. I even cover the area below the porch; underneath where it contacts the gourd on bottom.

I don't know if this actually makes it more secure ....but I FEEL like it does so I go through those extra steps. I just make sure not to let any caulk build up on that opening area to inhibit martins getting thru.

I have three gourds that are a number of years old and those porches are rock solid. Is it because of the extra steps? I don't know. But I do know that is one thing I don't fret over. I just put up 12 more Troyers and followed the same steps. It takes an extra day to let the super glue and caulk set before putting out in the rain. I pick up the gourds up by the porch and swing them around and shake them to test each one.

NOTE: I also put strips of bathtub safety traction tape on each porch(3 strips per porch seems to give good coverage) which may assist the martins in the early parts of the season. The porches are already designed with a rough texture but I assume that the rubber strips would just increase effectiveness.

Take Care,

MartinDave

[Guest]

Hello Gene down there in North Ga. This is Jon up in Ill.
This is how I do the Troyer gourds. I take white vinal house siding cut it into a 3inch wide to 6 inches long. Scratch the surface up with drimmel tool on the top side. Then I cut a slit three inches wide (tight) and 1/4 inch below the cresent opening of the Troyer gourd and slide the siding into the slit half way. Three inches inside and three inches outside. Calk it good on inside and out. Then put corn fodder or pine straw up to the inside entrance level, this is a must. Raised 77 young last year with no problem.
You may have to do a little maint. at the end of the season as far as re calking but that is part of the caulking. I have 26 troyer gourds ready to raise as of right now.
Hope to be down that way in June.

[geneinmurphy]

Jon...sounds like a good idea. I may try that and a wood dowel underneath the perch on the outside for support. Your kin folk that you got the Troyers for...did he ever get any PM's this past year??

[Guest]

Good morning Gene. I dont think that they had any luck down at lake Notley this past season, maybe this year.
Glad to see that they are back at your location! Have a great year Jon.