Best way to incorporate this predator guard?

Welcome to the internet's gathering place for Purple Martin enthusiasts
Post Reply
flyin-lowe
Posts: 3792
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
Location: Indiana/Henry Co.

I finally got a predator guard built for my T14. I have a 3.5 inch pipe so the stock ones wouldn't work. Plus with the size of the house and winch placement this is what I came up with. It's a 12 inch piece of PVC with a new slick coat of Fusion paint. It is big enough to wrap around my pole and winch at the same time. This is a plus as I have 2 kids of my own plus a bunch of nieces and nephews and this will keep them away from the winch.
My question is with this being so big is it likely to spook the martins I have? Should I wait until they lay eggs, or should I put it in the yard and let them get used to it and gradually move it to the pole? Or will it be ok to just take it out there and put it around the pole? I know they don't like major changes but I also don't want to have my first season as a landlord ruined by a predator attack either. The only thing I have to do is come up with a top so it isn't open.

I just split the pipe down the middle and made some hinges and have a couple buckles so I can open it up and move it to lower the house.
Attachments
Predator guard
Predator guard
PICT0847 (Small).JPG (20.22 KiB) Viewed 3744 times
Top
M.Stephens
Posts: 1130
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: Texas/Texarkana

Flying low , that's what I was also going to do to my T-14 . I've been eyeballing large pieces of PVC pipe at construction sites for awhile . I haven't gotten around to it because I have no martins nesting in there. I can't see why it wouldn't work. I bought the removable winch handle from the PMCA Shop so it wouldn't be in the way if I tried smaller PVC. IMO I believe it will work. 8)
Malcolm
2015 (110 nesting pair)
2014 (92 nesting pair)
2013 (75 nesting pair)
2012 (35 nesting pair)
2011 (20 pair)
____________
PMCA Member
Top
M.Stephens
Posts: 1130
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: Texas/Texarkana

Chuck Abare's Purple Martin Page - "How to build a predator guard ?" shows you how to build this contraption.
Malcolm
2015 (110 nesting pair)
2014 (92 nesting pair)
2013 (75 nesting pair)
2012 (35 nesting pair)
2011 (20 pair)
____________
PMCA Member
Top
flyin-lowe
Posts: 3792
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
Location: Indiana/Henry Co.

Ive got the design part done I was just wandering if something this big added to their pole would spook them or not?
Top
Guest

flyin-lowe wrote:Ive got the design part done I was just wandering if something this big added to their pole would spook them or not?
Spook 'em? not a chance, go for it
Top
razman
Posts: 568
Joined: Sun May 09, 2004 3:14 pm
Location: wichita ks

i added a couple of guards to my poles recently, at the time i had two PM pairs building nests.......didn't phase them at all! Rick
Top
jonkertb
Posts: 181
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2004 9:36 pm
Location: Coatesville, IN

it won't spook them near as much as a critter crawling up that pole and reaching in doing that grabby feely thing.....put it on!.......my great horned owl has been seen on the houses but I havn't seen the feather piles since I put the owl guards on......and those owl guards sure slowed them down more than your pipe will....they won't be bothered a bit with it......
2004 3pr 13 f 2005 18pr 80 f 2006 36 pr 138 f
2oo7 38 pr 176 f 2008 41 pr 154 f
2009 51 pr 209 f 2010 61 pr 247 f
2011 124E 122Y 55P so far

2 Sweet 16s SREH homemade
2 Trio Castles converted 24 into 12 w/porch dividers + SREH (for sale EOS )
1 towering "20" 76 total cavities
Top
flyin-lowe
Posts: 3792
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
Location: Indiana/Henry Co.

Looks like I've got one more thing to do tomorrow. :lol:
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Purple Martin Forum”