A question for the master

[Maxthompson]

Ray,

On my way to work here in SC I have seen several Martin Gourd arrangements with bleach bottle used for houses. Will these work? What is the size of the hole for Martins?

Miss You,

Mike

[carpetman]

Mike,
They do make a plastic white gourd--called super gourd. I don't see why a bleach bottle would not work. The bleach bottle would be lighter and wave in the wind more. I have my book loaned out that gives exact dimension of the opening--but it is critical. In fact by making it smaller is one way I trap sparrows---the sparrow goes in but martin wont. I went and measured. 2" to 2 1/8" diameter and flatten the bottom. Im told they prefer it with flat bottom and starlings dont like it. The sparrow opening is 1 1/2" and martins wont enter that. Probably more info is available www.purplemartin.org . If you try it please post the results. Many times when you put up new housing you don't get birds the first year. So far I only have 10 pair or so this year,but more should be arriving.

[Maxthompson]

[quote="carpetman"]Mike,
Ray,

My wife works for a grocery store and when they have bleach on sale for 89 cents a gallon I can pour it on ant mounds and still be $10 ahead of the bird house people.

Glad to hear from you,

Mike]

[Ed Barrett]

If you leave a little of the bleach in each bottle you can have Albino Martins <G>

[carpetman]

Ed Barrett---The Albino martins dont live long. They die from malnutrition and besides that,they don't get enough to eat. Reason is mosquitoes can see them coming and get out of the way.

[shooter2]

Ed Barrett---The Albino martins dont live long. They die from malnutrition and besides that,they don't get enough to eat. Reason is mosquitoes can see them coming and get out of the way.

Hello Ray. Good to see you back. Missed your sense of humor. :lol:

[carpetman]

Thanks shooter2. Sense of humor? Don't have such. I'm all business and serious. I quit school on first day when I learned they had recess,I went there to work and learn not play.

[Scrounger]

Carpetman's Purple Martin Houses

http://www.hunt101.com/img/267498.jpg (http://www.hunt101.com/?p=267498&c=500&z=1)

[carpetman]

Scrounger--Thanks for posting the picture. The house on left(which is not plumb)is one I made of steel for the Elks Lodge pool area. The Elk's Lodge was having difficulty and I was advised to get the house as the lodge might be closed down. I temporarily stuck it in ground planning to relocate it. Martins started nesting in it,so it's there to stay. Need to cement it in. Anyways that house has PVC running throught the middle that slides on the pipe. Has two smaller pieces of PVC for the rope to slide through--18 compartments. The next house is an aluminum Trio brand 12 compartment that I bought in the 80's. It has survived a tornado and a couple of hailstorms and I had to rebuild it. The next two houses are on the same pipe and raised and lowered with a boat winch. The one on left is made of cedar. The roof section and each story is removable. It is 12 compartments and I could add stories to it if needed(won't happen). The other house is also steel and is 24 compartment. Not in the picture is an 8 gourd unit. The tree in foreground is a pecan tree. The trees behind fence are mesquites. The old boat is a 1954 Arkansas Traveller. The barn houses my atv and riding lawnmower. My next door neighbor gave me that barn and in turn I have mowed his lawn for past several years. I had to move it from his yard on other side of fence.

[carpetman]

Forgot to mention--On the fence are two sparrow traps. I run them year long. All of the martin houses have perches. Thats for two reasons. One is for the martins. The other is that sparrows will lite on them and be in posistion where I can shoot them without shooting my martin houses. If you cant raise and lower a martin house straight up and down to tear out sparrow nests you will soon have a sparrow house.