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What do you want to use?I have three different kinds of houses at my site, wooden houses, plastic and natural gourds and I can honestly say this. The martins seem to prefer the large, white natural gourds first and then they select the other two types of houses second. But this is in my area, martins in your area may prefer something different. And as for aluminum houses that seem to have problem...
Which is better for martins, gourds or houses?This is a question that has been debated for years by purple martin lovers and it still isn't answered today, so let me just say this.
What about perches? If I add them to my gourds, will it help me attract martins?No. Do not add any kind of perches to any of your gourds. This will only help the pest birds and predators get a foot hold on taking over that gourd. Perches under entrance holes are the results of humans thinking they are doing the birds a good turn when in reality, they are actually harming their tenants. Pest birds such as Sparrows and Starlings use these perches to tra...
When should I cut my gourds from the vine?This is the most important lesson in growing gourds. You should not cut your gourds from their vines until the vines have died on their own, or until you are expecting a killing frost. Gourds need a long growing season and if they are cut from their vines too early they will rot. Even if your gourds have quit growing they should be left on the vines in order to allow their...
How do I clean my gourds?There are two main methods to clean gourds: green scraping and scrubbing. Green scraping is a risky method because it allows the water to escape from the gourd at a much more rapid pace and you will run a risk of losing all gourds which were not completly mature. This method is not recommended unless you have lots of gourds to spare becuase you will most certainly lose mor...
Where can I get house plans?I've been asked a number of times for plans by people interested in building purple martin houses. Depending on the style of housing you're looking for, there are a number of different sources for plans. First, if you are interested in building them a rack for gourds such as you see here, then you'll find that information here: If the gourds appeal to you and you think you...
Why is so much literature being written about enlarging the compartment sizes of houses?A lot of study has gone into this subject and it's now a proven fact that martins prefer the larger cavities, say 6" x 6" x 12". A long time ago, some aluminum house manufacturers decided that the size of a martins' nest should be 6" x 6" square. How they derived at this number isn't exactly known because the parent birds are around 8" long, but it probably had something t...
Why are my gourds covered in mildew?This is just a normal part of the drying process for gourds. It does not mean that your gourds are rotting. You may just leave the mildew on the gourd and when it is dry the mildew will eventually go away. Or you may wash the mildew away in a mild solution of bleach water each time that it forms.
How big should the entrance hole be for martins?According to most specification sheets available on this subject, the entrance hole for purple martins can be anywhere from 1 3/4" to 2 1/4" in diameter. Most commercial houses are sold with the 2 1/8" holes in them. If you're building your own, then the decision for the entrance hole is yours. Because of the recent increase and infestation of European Starlings, it is now...
What type of landscape attracts purple martins?Purple martins won't accept housing enclosed or obstructed by trees and the best location is at least 40 to 60 feet away from trees of equal height. Apartment houses should be situated 10 to 15 feet above the ground in open airspace, at least 30 feet from your own dwelling. Some species of swallows are quite partial to martin housing, as are house sparrows. Adult birds hav... |
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