Changing from round to excluder entrances

[Kyler]

I have been helping my grandpa with his colony and he has had a really bad probelm with starlings. So this year we changed the round ones to excluder entrances. Now the martin wont even land on the house? Please someone tell me what we can do?

[James Strickland FL]

Kyler I changed over a few years ago and went through the same thing. You can leave the round hole for a little while and let the martins get use to being home and you can change out a little later. Once the Martins pick a place to nest nothing will stop them except predators. Also when you do change out they will have to learn and they will/ It will wreck your nervous at first.

[Anthony Neira]

Kyler, James is spot on! I had "Home Made" OVAL Openings on extra Blank doors for my Trios, like those on the older Nature Line Gourds. When I switched to Excluders, I had the same problem, but my PMs were having a hard time squeezing in & out of the excluder, so I GENTLY took a VERY Fine metal file, & made the smallest of curves "UP" on the Straight upper line of the opening & Did the same to the tops of the "PIPS", AGAIN, A VERY SMALL (1/8") filing down of the PIPs, and also to the INNER sides of them, BUT with still a SMOOTH curved top ! REMEMBER, IF you do this, KEEP the HEIGHT of the opening the same !! DO NOT MAKE IT TALLER!! Now my PMs ZIP in & out, but you can still see a "SNUG" Fit !

[Kyler]

Thanks a lot! I took off the excluders and put on all of the round holes back on and now the martins are flying around and landing on the house and going in and out. I think tomorrow I'm going to lower it and put like 3 excluder doors on and see what they do.

Kyler,

[sheila&dwayne]

Don't give up. The martin's have seen enough sreh in their travels that they will be ok with them. Every house we put up has the sreh's installed with no issues. Martins move right in........good luck.

[Kyler]

Okay well with that. I think tomorrow I might take 2 or 3 compartments and put excluders on. Thanks a lot!