Martins

[Alan W.]

While checking on my dads place, while hes in FL, I was looking at his martin condos he built. The pole is from the old Texaco station at the corner. The pipe was leftovers from a job I did. Hes booked up every year. I dont have any at my place, apparently its too wooded. Just curious ifn anybody else catered to the martins.

 

[fried1765]

While checking on my dads place, while hes in FL, I was looking at his martin condos he built. The pole is from the old Texaco station at the corner. The pipe was leftovers from a job I did. Hes booked up every year. I dont have any at my place, apparently its too wooded. Just curious ifn anybody else catered to the martins.

View attachment 592000

Excellent method of mosquito control!

 

[grnspot110]

Reminds me, I'll have to get mine up early this year, before my knee surgery!

 

[DrRod]

I got a metal martin apartment a few years ago and read up on proper technique.

First, get it up high on a metal post with something [disk, oil, etc.] to discourage climbing predators.
Second, it needs to be within 100 feet of water but 100 feet from any building.
Third, make sure its really clean, wash it well between seasons.
Fourth, martins are late nesters so wait until after Mothers Day to put it up. If you put it up earlier you will get other birds nesting ad the martins won't stay there.

I found that this works.

I've also heard that their love of mosquitos is a myth -- what they really eat are butterflies. I'm no scientist but I did see that they feed during the heat of the day and fly very high when doing so. Mosquitos are around at dusk and fly very low.

 

[oosik]

When the old homestead barn still stood I would get a few pair on Martins. However, major mosquito control comes via the hundred of pairs of cliff swallows. The nest in the vertical basaltic lava cliffs along both sides of my lake.


View attachment 592079

 

[Alan W.]

I got a metal martin apartment a few years ago and read up on proper technique.

First, get it up high on a metal post with something [disk, oil, etc.] to discourage climbing predators.
Second, it needs to be within 100 feet of water but 100 feet from any building.
Third, make sure its really clean, wash it well between seasons.
Fourth, martins are late nesters so wait until after Mothers Day to put it up. If you put it up earlier you will get other birds nesting ad the martins won't stay there.

I found that this works.

I've also heard that their love of mosquitos is a myth -- what they really eat are butterflies. I'm no scientist but I did see that they feed during the heat of the day and fly very high when doing so. Mosquitos are around at dusk and fly very low.

Cant see them but my back is up against one of two side by side metal buildings I guess they have gotten used to them. They are late nesters but a few scouts always come early.
Dad is constanly fighting the starlings and english sparrows. He used a shotgun on them but he said it damaged the bird houses too much. Then started using a .22 until I convinced him it was a bit crowded where he lived to be shooting a rifle. I gave him an accurate side lever air rifle which he still uses today.
Hope they aint eating butterfies cause dad caters to the monarchs, growing different varieties of milkweed. He has a ton of cocoons every year but the hatch is always poor.

 

[grnspot110]

I usually wait until the first Martins arrive (some call them scouts) before putting up the plastic gourds. Don't have much choice but to put them up early this season! I have two poles to set up at the back of our 1-1/2 acre yard.

 

[Gem99ultra]

>snip<
I've also heard that their love of mosquitos is a myth -- what they really eat are butterflies. I'm no scientist but I did see that they feed during the heat of the day and fly very high when doing so. Mosquitos are around at dusk and fly very low.>snip<

I disagree with the point about Purple Martins not eating mosquitoes... I've seen swarms of them in the past hovering over tall grass just grazing on mosquitoes. In fact, I'm not aware of anything that eradicates more mosquitoes other than bats.

We love having them both and especially having a no-mosquito environment