After getting advice on this board a few weeks ago I tried raising the ladder after dark and stuffing the hole of HSP in gourd and trying to get them in am. The devils pulled my stuffing loose and escaped.
While doing that I heard another sparrow fly out of another gourd due to subtle movement I created. The martins did not make a peep.
New solution:Raise ladder, slide plastic bag over entrance and shove phillips head screwdriver up drain hole in bottom of gourd. Bam! HSP in bag and dead with a neck pop.
Problem: Seems to get the female. Once eggs are around I seem to only get females and I'm concerned the male will extract revenge on a martin nest.
Solution: could the makers of the tunnels make a sparrow hole tunnel to exclude martins and then I could use the normal tunnel traps without fear of accidentally harming a martin.
found a great way to get HSP, so simple, and question
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taxidermy lady
- Posts: 2988
- Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:21 am
- Location: IL/Ellis Grove
- Martin Colony History: Started trying to attract purple martins in 2012! It's finally happened in 2017! 5 years!!! ASY male and SY female came May 1st, fledged 5 babies!
Every martin house should be sold with a trap that accommodates the house!!! That would help a little. What I see in the area is they put a house up, that's it their done. 
Sharon from southern Illinois
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
I agree Sharon.
That is what I see happen too. People need to be educated about the problem with HS and what needs to be done in order to attract and maintain a martin colony. HS control is probably THE MOST important activity one can do to attract purple martins as well as other cavity nesting species.
That is what I see happen too. People need to be educated about the problem with HS and what needs to be done in order to attract and maintain a martin colony. HS control is probably THE MOST important activity one can do to attract purple martins as well as other cavity nesting species.
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2145
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2024, 82 pair with 350 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
The person who invents the fool proof sparrow entrance, easy to use and 100% accurate will be an instant millionaire.