Search found 629 matches
- Sat Sep 21, 2019 11:01 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: What size aluminum square pole to use?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2706
Re: What size aluminum square pole to use?
Bigger the better. I bought the 3 inch pole and winch. If you can afford it buy it. I think it would survive most storms but I play it safe and lower all my houses 3 0r 4 feet before storms. I've had poles bent and don't want togo thru that again. I have 2 trio m12k houses on it. Martins seem to lik...
- Fri Sep 13, 2019 10:04 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: New landlord
- Replies: 35
- Views: 10848
Re: New landlord
Steve, I put the bed and breakfast up in the spring when the martins start showing up, around the middle of march. I have eggshell, oyster shell, meal worms, and pine straw all in a 10x21 inch black seed tray with slots in the bottom for drainage. I microwave the chicken egg shells for around a minu...
- Tue Sep 03, 2019 8:09 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Barn Owls
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3402
Re: Barn Owls
I've been fighting owls for 6-7 years. They are trying to wipe me out. I hate owls. If you attract any, you are playing with fire. They will in time find the martins and kill them. It's very stressful.
Dave
Dave
- Thu Aug 29, 2019 3:28 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Aromatic cedar
- Replies: 0
- Views: 2587
Aromatic cedar
I have some of this and was wondering if it is as durable as red cedar. I want to replace the rotting porches on my North Star that are plywood with this aromatic cedar. Anybody know?
Dave
Dave
- Mon Aug 26, 2019 9:11 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: How Great Horned And Barred Owls Find Purple Martin Colonies
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3376
Re: How Great Horned And Barred Owls Find Purple Martin Colonies
Steve, I have motion detector lights on my poles. They did nothing to the barred owls but gave them more light to hunt.
Dave
Dave
- Sat Aug 24, 2019 9:16 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Lifting cable
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2692
Re: Lifting cable
I use 3/16 inch cable on my T-14 house which is over a hundred pounds. No problem at all.
Dave
Dave
- Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:29 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Owl Predation
- Replies: 17
- Views: 6898
Re: Owl Predation
I never saw my owls reach into the openings and grab birds. The seven or eight inches between the porches and wire was ok for that. My owls would hang on the wire flapping their wings and making a commotion causing martins to freak out and try to escape. That's when the owls would grab. My new cages...
- Wed Aug 21, 2019 10:36 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Owl Predation
- Replies: 17
- Views: 6898
Re: Owl Predation
I guess I'm going to try to make my cages larger around my houses. I'm hoping to have around 12inches of space between porch and fence. I'm thinking about using goat and sheep welded wire which is a 4x4 inch mesh to try and keep the weight to a minimum. I've only used 2x4 inch wire. Has anybody used...
- Sun Aug 18, 2019 2:51 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Owl Predation
- Replies: 17
- Views: 6898
Re: Owl Predation
Thankyou all for the feedback. All my seven houses have 2x4 inch wire that is about 4-7 inches away from the front of the porches except the T14. I wrapped the wire around the T14 owl guards so that is only a couple inches off the porches. I've seen owls fly head on and crash into the doors and grab...
- Wed Aug 14, 2019 4:22 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Bad Storm = Bad Damage
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2083
Re: Bad Storm = Bad Damage
Kyler, sorry to hear and see this. I've been thru bent trio poles in the past several times. I eventually bought new poles for my castle and minicastle and placed pipe or conduit inside them. They became pretty heavy duty. I did that six or seven years ago and haven't had any problems. But I still t...
- Sat Aug 10, 2019 6:25 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Owl Predation
- Replies: 17
- Views: 6898
Re: Owl Predation
Yes, they are barred owls, a male and a female. I have flood lights in my back yard that I turn on every night and I have motion detected lights on top of my poles. Never seen anything but owls. They attack between 9:30 pm to 5:00 am about every night. You are right Gray Fox, if they would just stay...
- Wed Aug 07, 2019 7:49 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Pole for T-14
- Replies: 11
- Views: 4386
Re: Pole for T-14
Dave, that's the post I built in 05 for my T14. Again, it's in the Troyer plan book. The secret in laminating is that the treated lumber that's being used is dry. Also use a good waterproof glue like Titebond III or Gorilla Glue. And use lots of it on all sides. I think I stored the wood in the gara...
- Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:32 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Owl Predation
- Replies: 17
- Views: 6898
Owl Predation
It has been a long stressful seventeenth season, maybe my last. The barred owl predation has been bad. I've counted at least 25 piles of feathers below the colony. I wonder how many were defeathered somewhere else? I had caged everything up about nine years ago. It seemed to work well for awhile but...
- Tue Aug 06, 2019 7:46 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Pole for T-14
- Replies: 11
- Views: 4386
Re: Pole for T-14
I built the laminated post that was in the Troyer's T-14 plan booklet. That was in 05. Still in use today. Straight as an arrow.
Dave
Dave
- Wed Jul 24, 2019 9:31 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Tulsa Roost
- Replies: 2
- Views: 2955
Tulsa Roost
Any info. on this? Where is it located this year?
Dave
Dave
- Wed Jul 03, 2019 7:46 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Adjustable Excluder Entrances
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1043
Re: Adjustable Excluder Entrances
Kyler, excluders from Nature House work well for me. They slide thru them nicely. Occasionally not often, would have to enlarge the excluder or a crescent for those birds that had odd growths 0n there bodies. One year a asy female had a large bump on her breast and was having a hard time going thru ...
- Wed Jul 03, 2019 12:58 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Cutting My Own Trio Entrances
- Replies: 12
- Views: 2841
Re: Cutting My Own Trio Entrances
I've been using the Nature House crescent and excluder doors for years and haven't had any trouble with starlings that I can remember. I have a castle and a minicastle and 2 M12K's, all using those two openings at the 1/2 inch above the porch level. I do use the 3/8 inch wing entrapment protectors o...
- Sat Apr 13, 2019 9:03 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Crescent doors
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1850
Re: Crescent doors
You can buy from PMCA Trio doors that are crescent or excluder openings. Replace the round openings for the crescent openings. No work involved.
Dave
Dave
- Mon Mar 25, 2019 7:48 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Hawk
- Replies: 56
- Views: 11746
Re: Hawk
Brent, I use heavy duty galvanized wire and install vertical on every perching station on top of each house. They are about 8-10 inches long and spread out across the perches to keep hawks and owls from landing. At least it's more difficult for a larger bird to land. The martins can still use the pe...
- Sun Mar 24, 2019 8:57 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Didn't understand wing entrapment until...
- Replies: 13
- Views: 2442
Re: Didn't understand wing entrapment until...
We should not forget wing entrapment on a inner hole like when somebody expands their house from 12 to 6 units by cutting a hole into the next compartment. My trio castle that I bought years ago came with inside holes that were 2 inch round. The house came with caps that could be placed into the hol...