Owl attacks at night

[Stacy B.]

It's been a while since I've been on the forum. I'm still in the martin landlord business, just been busy.
I've had it pretty easy until now, only issues I've run into are losing fledglings jumping too early due to mite infestations(sevin changed their formula from carbyl to bifenthrin, I won't use it anymore), and 1 snake. That's it. Oh, and the hard freeze of February 2020? Or 2021 was it? I lost 45 martins in total back then.
But, now I've got an owl problem. He's knocked a gourd right off my rack before the martins started nesting several weeks ago. Then I caught the owl perched on top of my house the other morning waiting on martins to leave the gourds.
I hear him every night when I let my dog outside. He's close, I'm certain he's stalking my colony of 28 nests, and now I'm worried if I don't convince Mr. Owl to move on I will loose my colony. Too much predation pressure might cause my colony to find a safer place to call home. That saddens me, as my colony rebounded very quickly after the freeze wiped out all of my adult martins, including my founding pair.
I'm back up to mostly adults with a few juveniles mixed in.
I'm not certain that Mr owl has been successful, although I assume he has, since it's been a few weeks and he's still around.
I just ordered a few of those night guards with the blinking red lights, they are sold as predator guards. Not sure they will work, but we'll see.
Does anyone know if these products actually work? Or if anyone has any input, or suggestions, I would love to hear them. I'm really frustrated with this one.

[Spiderman]

Unfortunately building a cage around your housing from wire with 2”X4” holes is the only way to stop the great horned or hoot owl from taking your Martins.

i bought a 100’ roll of 5’ wire and added it to the housing with an open space of a foot between the cage and the gourds and he can’t touch the gourds. Nobody sleeps on the wire, they fly through the wire and land on their porch. After years the owl has finally moved on.

I had dealt with them for years and tried radios, lights but the owl wasn’t deterred. You can buy a game camera from Academy for $40.00 and watch the owl come night after night. In my case he would land on the porch and best the gourds with his wings until he was successful.

[Dave Duit]

I used 4x4 inch mesh sized goat fencing. Martins enter and exit with ease; but the owl cannot breach the 4x4 mesh.

[Spiderman]

If you search through Google a barred owl nest box uses a 3&1/2” entrance.

[Bird Brain]

I've had it pretty easy until now, only issues I've run into are losing fledglings jumping too early due to mite infestations(sevin changed their formula from carbyl to bifenthrin, I won't use it anymore),

So what do you use for mites now if you don't use sevin?

[Phil01]

The replacement for the old Sevin with carbaryl I’ve seen people using can be gotten on Amazon. SOUTHERN AG Carbaryl 5% Dust.
I still have some of the old Sevin but will be trying that once I run out.
Phil

[Spiderman]

If you search on Google you can still buy the 5% Sevin dust, for now.

[Dave Duit]

Barred owl breach 3 1/2 inch mesh. Great Horned owl I use 4 x 4 inch mesh.