Purple Martin Forum

Which house did you get? Some of them already have 6x9” compartments. With the crescents and lack of porches they are very safe. There is no need to expand these. If you have the 6x6” then you expand by shutting off the room it backs up to. So basically if you have a 12 room house you’ll end up with...

Tunnels are just going to add that much more weather and predator protection so it really is just up to you. I like tunnels but this year I added a new rack and have some gourds without tunnels but they all are sreh. Also put it up and play the dawnsong as soon as martins reach your area. Many have ...

At those temps he’s feeding just fine. Probably over the waterways. You’ll know there in trouble when they don’t want to fly and will land on the ground even.

You’re only within a few days so I think either is acceptable but I believe most people count it when they either are circling the housing or touch down. I’m south of you and still waiting..... and waiting... I haven’t even heard one yet.

SCleland,

All good advice above. Please keep us updated with your progress and I wish you the best of luck!

In theory the neighbors colony should max itself out unless they are adding additional housing each year. Those extra birds have to nest somewhere. I would provide the same housing they are using at first even if a smaller size house (enlarge compartments if necessary) and hang a few gourds undernea...

Mike that is great to hear I am in Grant and still waiting for that familiar sound. I also provide boxes for wood ducks and bats. I am about to put up a second bat house we have over 600 free tails in our current box it’s only 12 feet off the ground took 3 years to be used. Would love to do somethin...

I am south of Cocoa and I agree around the second week of January. No doubt there here but showing interest in housing already? I doubt it

I notice so many people try to introduce others to being a landlord and want to recommend the best. Very few people will be interested in purchasing hundreds of dollars worth of "bird houses". Just showing the costs of most gourd racks will turn people off except for avid bird lovers. IMO these budg...

434D19AA-6B4B-4B6C-A24B-63C8B0984190.jpeg I have one with the 9x9 compartments 8 total plus two attic rooms. I capped the attic holes for this season but have never had any heat problems in FL. The roof could be easily painted white. I also have troyer and S&k gourds all with tunnels and the little...

Those S&K tunnels are well made and work well. The martins love them.

I have not done this exact mod but I have done several. I would recommend LEXEL white or clear adhesive/sealer. You can get it at Lowes or amazon. I can't find it at homedepot. I have used it to modify troyer horizontals to clingers with custom porches, and super gourds adding custom porches. It wor...

I think it is worth a shot. You may want to try a budget setup to see how the martins like the site before committing to a more expensive setup. Getting the starlings and hosp under control would be my first priority as they will simply run off most looking martins.

Where do you see troyers with excluder? Troyers come in round or conley II. The PMCA excluder gourds come with excluder entrance. The excluder II is very starling resistant. I have Conley II entrances and no starlings but the excluder II is more starling resistant IMO.

That is incredible I wish it could be saved somehow.

https://www.pinellascounty.org/PublicWo ... ontrol.pdf

Here is a study on stomach contents hope this helps

You can’t move anything now it could completely stop the parents from recognizing their nest. Best to wait until next season. Their behavior is simply keeping the remaining babies safe and when they fledge they’ll likely not return to sleep either but that’s ok. Towards the end of my season the few ...

That is a very expensive nice house. I have never had one but I’m sure you could drill more holes near the tops of the compartments under the eaves. Or even adding some chimneys in the upper compartments with pvc pipe and a 90 on the end to keep rain out. I guess anything to let the hot air rise and...

I have had mites kill entire nests. If this is the case they should be really obvious crawling all over the nests. I have never heard of or seen the other insects you described near my martins.