Which direction should a purple martin birdhouse face?
The good news is that purple martins aren’t picky when it comes to direction; north, south, east, and west are all fine, as long as it’s consistent. 6.
How high should a purple martin house be off the ground?
12-20 ft
Martin houses should be placed in an open location, at least 40 ft. from trees or buildings. Martins prefer to have clear access to houses from all sides, and like to have perching sites like utility wires nearby, but not attached to the nest box. The height of the housing can be anywhere from 12-20 ft.
How far off the ground does a martin house need to be?
The ideal height is 10 to 14 feet but it can be much higher if desired. And make certain before purchasing a martin house it can be located in an area at least 40 feet from tall objects such as trees or buildings.
What color attract purple martins?
Although martins have been known to nest in houses and gourds painted other colors, white housing seems to attract them best. First of all, housing painted white reflects the heat of the sun best, so martins choosing white housing lose fewer nestlings to heat stress.
How do I attract purple martins to my yard?
In addition to providing appropriate houses for purple martins, supplying proper nesting materials can help encourage them to take up residence. A nearby pile of small twigs, grass clippings, and leaves is perfect, and a muddy area is also useful as these birds use mud as a binder to hold their nests together.
How do you attract martins to a Martin house?
Build a Purple Martin House They will also work to repel other species from nesting in these areas as well. And, install your martin housing colony on birdhouse poles to get them up off the ground and away from ground predators. This also applies to gourd houses as well which are great to attract martins as well.
How high should a martin house pole be?
A purple martin house must be mounted on a pole or post at least 10 feet high. Don’t attach it to a tree, because cats and raccoons could easily climb to the nests, and purple martins won’t move in. Proper martin houses are on poles that can be raised and lowered vertically for inspection.
Do purple martins need a perch?
More Tips for Attracting Purple Martins Add supplemental perches above and below purple martin houses to give birds a safe spot to roost and preen. These perches should be thin and narrow enough that they cannot be used by larger predators.
How do I attract purple martins to my property?
Do purple martins eat wasps?
Other flying insects, such as bees, wasps, beetles, mayflies and flying ants make up the majority of their diet. Purple Martins are highly vulnerable to extended periods of cold and rainy weather that can temporarily reduce the supply of their insect food.
Can snakes climb a greased pole?
Snakes can climb smooth poles, even greased ones. Snakes are more of a common problem in the southern states but some snake problems may occur all across North America.
Can a black snake climb a metal pole?
They have very strong bodies and YES, they can climb a slippery steel pole without any trouble at all, (even with grease on them) as many martin landlords have found out the hard way. They climb by restricting their bodies around the pole and then simply hitching their bodies up the pole to get to the house.
When should I open my purple martin house?
Don’t put your martin house up until four to six weeks after the first purple martins arrive. Or if it’s already in place, keep the holes plugged until then, to exclude starlings and sparrows. You are trying to attract young purple martins.
Who makes purple martin houses?
Coates (now owned by BirdsChoice) is well known for their line of WatersEdge Purple Martin Houses. Designed for the WatersEdge line of Aluminum housi
Is the Purple Martin pole Bend proof?
NO Purple Martin pole is “Bend Proof”. All Purple Martin housing should be lowered in cases of impending severe weather to prevent wind damage. Don’t be misled by lower prices on other sites.
What is a heavy duty pole made of?
This HD (Heavy Duty) pole is made of strong 16 gauge galvanized steel tubing fully extends to over 12 ft above ground. Base section is 2.197” diameter.