Purple Martin Forum

Hi,
I have 10 eggs again in one nest. I would think it has to be the subbies.

Alce,
It's still not to late and perhaps the Subbies will take notice to your site. Site fidelity is a strong thing as the Martins just keep comming back year after year. Good Luck.

Hi Alice,
What is your Martin house made of ? What brand or product? Martin Houses should be made of wood and plastic Gourds should be insulated here, do you provide an elevated feeding station filled with Oyster shells or egg shells?

Hi Alice,
I have two T-14's and gourds underneath here in Leduc and they are building nests and laying eggs like crazy. I was wandering if you have to many trees? are you near water? What kind of house are you providing? I have not noticed Subbies yet so you may still have time.
Rob.

How did you feed the crickets, by hand? Sevin will work if you do a nest change. I know nothing of poultry spray.

How about just pre building nests or providing nest material on a platform and around your houses? The Martin's don't care. Just silly. Don't buy everything that their selling and I can guess who told you that mallarky.

thank's Flyin' I could not give that advice.

What kind of gourds ? can you buy a trap for them? What have you done in the past?

Good read Curtis, what kind of poles are using? I found the 4x"s warped badly in a couple years? I have the one pole on my one T-14 warped now but the other is straight and older than the other. I am using industrial strength winches that they use on drilling rig lighting towers now, no chance of fa...

Please I would welcome anyone that has one of those to comment on theirs. Probs and plus's. I bet you the T-14 is in great shape.

Pile of garbage if Buskas builds it. Go Cedar T-14's , or Gourd 's. BO-11 plus insulated. Buskas told me he built the house himself for me and it imploded after a winch failure. Not one stitch of glue on that house as BOB said there was. I rebuilt that house and after getting a T-14, I burnt that pi...

Sounds like a nice Martin house, have any pictures? Obviously not a North Star.

Yes moisture is a factor or so I have been told. Try and keep your nests as dry as possible but with that said, would you want to live in a house that filled up with water everytime it rained?

True enough Archer. The thing is I could not find the reason all the nestling were dying until I pulled one styrofoam pad out and it was covered in Blow fly larvae underneath and none on top. That house was bad from the get go and eventually got rid of it. I truly believe in Sevin and cleaning the n...

I used them the first year and had Blow fly investation. I did not catch it quick enough and when I did the Blow flies were hiding under all of the styrofoam in the infected nests. I lost half of that house. I threw away all the styrofoam and only use nest trays with hay and Sevin now. I have not ha...

DON'T DO IT! Did you get my message? Please! You will kill your birds. I know Please don't take that advice. I lost half my colony from that with blow flies! If you need real advice I am here. I am happy to show you the colony @ my site in my the backyard in town and save you so many problems. Been ...

The Martin's love the gourds again this year and the T-14's. The Martin's are making nest's and the first eggs are in an BO-11 gourd! infact the only eggs are in the Gourd so far! (3). I was told Martin's would not nest in them here and now I am considering getting a gourd rack as they are so succes...

Sticky traps make me so nervous and I avoid using them. The only time I will is if Sparrows have laid eggs, and even then I don't let the gourd out of my sight.

Emil,
I would also say sparrow's. I still wonder about Subbie's also? Possible House Wren, I had that issue a few years back.

Hi Alice, I am right in Leduc and the Subbies have been showing up for 2 weeks now. The Martin's are building their nests and laying now, but the subbies should keep comming in for a few more weeks. Keep playing the Dawn song and eliminate Sparrows they should show up eventually Martin decoys could ...