Elbow vent question for Bo 9 gourds

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Birdiegirl
Posts: 362
Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 7:03 pm
Location: Scott County Kentucky
Martin Colony History: Two poles: 2 T-14s and 8 gourds
2021- 1 pair, 5 fledged
2022- 11 pair, 36 fledged
2023- 20 pair, 78 fledged
2024- 32 pair, 109 fledged
2025- 34 pair, 117 fledged
2026-

Hi Martin Friends,

Wow- it's been a couple months since I've logged on- so happy to read all the scout reports from the southern states! Can't wait to see 'ours' return too!

In preparation for martin arrival around mid-March, we're doing some upgrades to our housing. Along with a T-14 and two barns, we have eight Bo 9 gourds, which we retrofitted with spinning black vents on top of the gourds. They did great for a couple years but started to leak at the end of the 2025 season. I need to repair them and from reading here have learned that many of you have success with elbow vents.

As far as placement goes, have any of you used elbow vents on the top of a gourd? I'm thinking that since heat rises, it makes the most sense to install them on top rather than on the side of the gourd. That would also allow us to utilize/cover the same hole where we'll remove the spinny vents. We're fortunate to have a son obsessed with a 3D printer, so I suspect he can make anything we need. :lol:

Thoughts? Appreciate any insight or advice.

Laura
Laura
PMCA member
MY FYN 79
Posts: 163
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 8:58 pm
Location: Chilton Wisconsin
Martin Colony History: 2019 - Sighting
2020 - Pair investigating
2021 - Got 2 eggs. HOSPs poked holes in them. Commence HOSP reduction
2022 - Off to a good start, tree swallows took over and Martins left
2023 - Off to a good start, Martin population dwindled and they eventually left
2024 - New standalone pole and gourd rack. 1 nest, 4 eggs, none hatched
2025 - 9 nests, 37 eggs, 23 hatched, 19 fledged!

Hi Laura,

Lots of different options for venting. One thing I do like about the S&K gourds vs. other brands are the cooling caps they offer. They are a little pricey, but I believe they work well and by design are as water tight as if you didn’t have the cooling cap on. If your son can 3d print, maybe he could create his own version also?
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Birdiegirl
Posts: 362
Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 7:03 pm
Location: Scott County Kentucky
Martin Colony History: Two poles: 2 T-14s and 8 gourds
2021- 1 pair, 5 fledged
2022- 11 pair, 36 fledged
2023- 20 pair, 78 fledged
2024- 32 pair, 109 fledged
2025- 34 pair, 117 fledged
2026-

Hey there- thanks so much for the reply and suggestion! I saw the cooling caps on the S&K website, but haven't actually chatted with anyone that's used them. From the design they looked watertight, but I wasn't sure how effective they would be in releasing heat- so I'm pleased to know you've had luck with them. I forwarded the link to my son... maybe we'll have a similar version to try out this summer. Thanks again :)
Laura
PMCA member
killerv
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2020 9:40 am
Location: Central Ga

I have the cooling caps on mine, also added elbow vents to the cleanout covers.
Birdiegirl
Posts: 362
Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 7:03 pm
Location: Scott County Kentucky
Martin Colony History: Two poles: 2 T-14s and 8 gourds
2021- 1 pair, 5 fledged
2022- 11 pair, 36 fledged
2023- 20 pair, 78 fledged
2024- 32 pair, 109 fledged
2025- 34 pair, 117 fledged
2026-

I ordered the cooling caps and will give them a try this season. I'm curious how you added the vents to the clean out caps? The caps I have are the snap-on type, and I have to make absolutely sure they are on tight after nest checks... if not, they can blow off. I'm concerned that adding the elbow could make them harder to snap in place?
Laura
PMCA member
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