Nest Checks

[joeincan]

Exactly what should I be doing on my nest checks. I am reading about blow flys, mites. I have just been lowering the house raising the door, and looking at the babys. I do it in about a minute. Should I be inspecting closer? They seem to be doing fine. They are now 2 weeks old. PMCA says to look every 5 days. The PMs are used to me now, and don't squawk any more so I could look more often.

[robndebby]

When we take our gourds and houses down, we look at the health of the babies, make sure there are no sick ones, check for mites or other insects that can destroy Martin babies, make sure we have no dead Martins, and for signs that predators may have attempted an attack by nesting material being torn up, etc. We usually look once a week unless we see problems. Sounds as if you are raising healthy babies. Good luck and happy martinening!

[Laverne]

Hi Joe.

The following is from Martin FAQ (button at top of Forum). This should answer your questions.

21. Why are "nest checks" important and how often should I conduct them? Landlords should lower their housing or gourd racks frequently (every 5-7 days) to examine the interior of the cavities [Note: if your housing/gourds can?t be lowered, this must be remedied before martins arrive, or at the very least, prior to the next season]. The primary reason for checking nests is to monitor the welfare of the nestlings. Steps can be taken to correct problems that would otherwise lead to breeding failure and possible colony site abandonment. Blood-sucking nest parasites (harmless to humans) are very common and can become a problem if they appear in large numbers. Blow fly larvae can weaken or kill nestlings. Nest mites or fleas can become so numerous as to cause nestlings to jump from the nest before they can fly. For more information on nest parasites, see

http://www.purplemartin.org/update/Parasites.html

(The first time you see a parasite-infested martin nests, you will become an instant convert to doing nest replacements! See the next FAQ).

Second, since most predators of Purple Martins are nocturnal (owls, raccoons, and snakes), you won't know if predators are foiling your predator guards unless you monitor the housing on a regular basis to see if nestlings are dead or missing. Some predators leave absolutely no external clues (blood, mud, etc...) when they prey on martin nestlings. For more information, see Update issue 4(1) "Why You Should Conduct Weekly Nest Checks"

http://www.purplemartin.org/update/Nestcheck.html

Be sure to read the articles from the links that are posted for your convenience. They are very informative.

Enjoy your season!