Sorry that I didn't get this out sooner. I read Steve's thread about his GHO problems. My father has been using a product called Niteguard for about four years and does not believe that he has had a single GHO attack since installing them. I believe that you would need four to cover each angle of approach (the guards are pulsing red laser lights, solar powered). It may be too late for some this season, but worth a try next year. Steve, I'd be interested in hearing what sort of results you get next year if you try these!
Mark
For anyone with GHO problems
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Louise Chambers
- Site Admin
- Posts: 6208
- Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:07 pm
- Location: Corpus Christi, TX
Mark,
We have heard from some users that their niteguard systems failed - they had owl attacks after installing the guards. One landlord who reported failures was Steve Domogala in IL, another was Andy Troyer in PA. Domogala had had the system in use for a few seasons and had thought it was working - until he started finding martin feathers below his housing. Same for Andy.
For that reason, I would not rely on these guards alone to protect martins from owls. External guards and deeper cavities are still recommended, with or without using an additional system like niteguard.
Louise
We have heard from some users that their niteguard systems failed - they had owl attacks after installing the guards. One landlord who reported failures was Steve Domogala in IL, another was Andy Troyer in PA. Domogala had had the system in use for a few seasons and had thought it was working - until he started finding martin feathers below his housing. Same for Andy.
For that reason, I would not rely on these guards alone to protect martins from owls. External guards and deeper cavities are still recommended, with or without using an additional system like niteguard.
Louise
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Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Hey Mark,
I, too, have heard that the nite guards have failed. Now, that does not mean they don't work for other folks. My current colony site is bathed in a security light all night long. At my previous colonies in Tallahassee, Florida area, I used bright lights in an attempt to thwart barred owls, but they failed. The only system that stopped barred owl predation early in the season was my sound deterrent system that masked the nocturnal vocalizations/noises of the martins. Nothing else worked, including external guards or deep compartments. The sound system appeared to deter the barred owls from predating the fledglings that roosted in the open later in the season, but I was never sure about that. Perhaps the owls never became conditioned to find food in my colony and never visited later on.
What is happening at our colonies at my current residence probably can?t be legally stopped unless you can stay outside all night long and chase the great horned owls away. You could try realistic ?scare crows? and move them around, but I tried that, too, in the past and it didn?t work. Perhaps playing crow mobbing calls at night might have some deterrent effect! But great horned owls will eat crows at their roosts or rob their nests at night! The martin fledglings are roosting in the open on exposed gourd crossbars and house perches. The owls can easily see this tempting prey and just swoop in and grab the martins. External house guards and deep cavities have no impact on this predation behavior.
This morning I found more owl kills near Bob?s colony. I can usually identify a fresh kill as fire ants are clustered around the ends of the martin feathers where they were plucked from the bird?s body. The feather base may contain small fragments of martin skin/blood. The owls eat all the flesh it seems and only leave feathers.
The owls grab the martin fledglings off the gourd crossbars/house perches and take their victims to the ground, usually 25 to 75 feet from the housing. There the prey is plucked and eaten. There are piles of martin feathers scattered about on the open lawn, looking like predation scenes from the plains of Africa!
As long as the martin fledglings roost in the open, they will be victims of great horned owl predation.
Steve
I, too, have heard that the nite guards have failed. Now, that does not mean they don't work for other folks. My current colony site is bathed in a security light all night long. At my previous colonies in Tallahassee, Florida area, I used bright lights in an attempt to thwart barred owls, but they failed. The only system that stopped barred owl predation early in the season was my sound deterrent system that masked the nocturnal vocalizations/noises of the martins. Nothing else worked, including external guards or deep compartments. The sound system appeared to deter the barred owls from predating the fledglings that roosted in the open later in the season, but I was never sure about that. Perhaps the owls never became conditioned to find food in my colony and never visited later on.
What is happening at our colonies at my current residence probably can?t be legally stopped unless you can stay outside all night long and chase the great horned owls away. You could try realistic ?scare crows? and move them around, but I tried that, too, in the past and it didn?t work. Perhaps playing crow mobbing calls at night might have some deterrent effect! But great horned owls will eat crows at their roosts or rob their nests at night! The martin fledglings are roosting in the open on exposed gourd crossbars and house perches. The owls can easily see this tempting prey and just swoop in and grab the martins. External house guards and deep cavities have no impact on this predation behavior.
This morning I found more owl kills near Bob?s colony. I can usually identify a fresh kill as fire ants are clustered around the ends of the martin feathers where they were plucked from the bird?s body. The feather base may contain small fragments of martin skin/blood. The owls eat all the flesh it seems and only leave feathers.
The owls grab the martin fledglings off the gourd crossbars/house perches and take their victims to the ground, usually 25 to 75 feet from the housing. There the prey is plucked and eaten. There are piles of martin feathers scattered about on the open lawn, looking like predation scenes from the plains of Africa!
As long as the martin fledglings roost in the open, they will be victims of great horned owl predation.
Steve