Troyer horizontal question and Trio grandpa question

[zekeandbelle]

hello all,
This is the second year I've had troyer horizontals and I was surprised to see how very wet and dirty the nests were in the bottom this year when I changed nests at 10 days and 20 days. Is there a way to prevent this from happening? Lots of muck and wet, wet pine needles in the bottom center. I also have trio grandpa houses that I really don't like, but the martins absolutely love and always pick first! Does anyone else have trouble with the doors not closing easily and then flipping open unpredictably? I really don't want to buy another trio, because then I have to make another owl/hawk cage to go over it, but this house's doors are soooo difficult to open and close during nest checks. Just wondering if I have a problem house or if this is a frequent issue with trios..... still have some babies to fledge, but already trying to plan for next year. thanks for any advice,

jan

[TheSmiths]

Sometimes water can come in through the hole that is used to hang the gourd. You can take a piece of tubing, pvc, etc. and cut it to fit inside the hole (this might require enlarging the hole depending on your setup) then use caulk or lexel to secure/seal it in place. PMCA also sells a "Gourd Leak Stopper" for the horizontal gourds if you'd rather purchase one.

We have an old Trio m12k with tight doors so I'm going to see if my spouse can loosen the nuts at the end of the season. (I tried once and had no luck). There is a brief discussion about door issueshere.

[Spiderman]

On the Troyer Horizontals, I think if you add 3/4" vents to the back of the Gourd your moisture problem will go away.

I found they would create condensation on the inside without some "flow thru" ventilation.

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Jan,
I agree with TheSmith's post and recommendations to fix your leaking Troyer Horizontal Gourds.
A common source of the wet nests in THGs is water leaking around the hanging hole. The plastic wears as the gourd hangs and swings on its hanging rod. It can happen with any plastic gourd but the wear seems to be more common with THGs because the tunnel extends out from the pivot point of the hanging rod. The center of gravity for the THG is not over the pivot point.
The stainless steel tube in the Gourd Leak Stopper sold by PMCA is excellent and will last beyond the life of the THG's plastic. If and when the THG needs replacing, then the stainless steel tube can be reused in the replacement THG. The instruction sheet for the Gourd Leak Stopper is concise and easy to follow.

Steve Kroenke wrote an excellent post with pictures, "Water Proofing The Troyer Horizontal Gourd Hanging Hole".
http://purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=28748
The article explains the problem and his solution with concise text and excellent pictures. Steve uses copper tubing but other members have used PVC tubing. Obviously these material will require more time and work than just ordering the ready to go Gourd Leak Stopper from PMCA.

If fixing these worn holes does not solve your problem, then other causes are condensation of water inside the gourd from inadequate ventilation or wicking of moisture from the drain holes in the bottom of the gourds.

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Spiderman's recommendation of ventilation in plastic gourds is important. I cannot imagine the misery of the heat and humidity which can occur in a plastic gourd especially in a hot and humid climate like Texas. Today's forecast for Gladewater, TX is 104 degrees F with 44% humidity making the heat index 108 degrees F. The heat and humidity in an non-ventilated plastic gourd would be unbearable. No wonder some martin nestlings jump prematurely.
As another example, today's Muskegon, MI's forecast is 80 degrees F with 69% humidity. Although the temperature is not as high, the humidity could be a problem.

[Dave Reynolds]

hello all,
This is the second year I've had troyer horizontals and I was surprised to see how very wet and dirty the nests were in the bottom this year when I changed nests at 10 days and 20 days. Is there a way to prevent this from happening? Lots of muck and wet, wet pine needles in the bottom center. I also have trio grandpa houses that I really don't like, but the martins absolutely love and always pick first! Does anyone else have trouble with the doors not closing easily and then flipping open unpredictably? I really don't want to buy another trio, because then I have to make another owl/hawk cage to go over it, but this house's doors are soooo difficult to open and close during nest checks. Just wondering if I have a problem house or if this is a frequent issue with trios..... still have some babies to fledge, but already trying to plan for next year. thanks for any advice,

jan

.....

I had one of my doors on my Trio that keep popping open.. I found the floor was best and this allow the door clip to not hold the door shut.. I’m a golfer and my houses are on the Golf Course, I had a few golf Tees in my pocket.. I just slipped a golf Tee under part of the door clip and it held the clip up against the door so it would not open.. When I did my nest checks, I just pull the Tee out and opened the door.. Hope this helps..

Dave

[zekeandbelle]

Hello again,
Thanks so much! I had no idea the hanging hole was an issue! I'll be ordering the tubes from pmca. I do switch to the vented caps sold by troyers once it gets hot outside (michigan), and there are hatchlings in the gourds, but I'm also thinking the bottom drain holes must be wicking some moisture. I'll order the tubes tomorrow... And the link to the info on doors was very, very helpful... thanks again to all you experts for your help..You always know everything! :-) I'll work on the trio (I enlarged compartments a few years ago), problems as soon as the season ends... Still have the last two babies to fledge!