Martin housing should be erected in open areas at any height between 10 and 20 feet . Highest occupancy rates occur when housing is located at least 40 feet from trees or buildings that are taller than the martin housing. The farther the housing is placed from trees, the better.
How high should a martin house be mounted?
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.
What is the minimum height for a purple martin house?
The height of an installed purple martin house should be between 12–20 feet . The home should be placed at the upper end of that range if there are trees or bushes nearby, but if the area is very open then shorter homes will be just as suitable.
How do you attract purple martins to a new house?
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 high should a Martin box be off the ground?
Experts on purple martins suggest mounting martin houses on metal poles between 10 and 20 feet above the ground surface. To prevent the pole from falling, a taller pole—with two to three feet set into the ground—is required.
What direction should a martin house 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.
When should I put up my purple martin house?
Don’t put your martin house up until four to six weeks after the first purple martins arrive . Once purple martins have used a martin house, they will return to it year after year. All you have to do is clean it out in fall, protect it from starlings and sparrows, and perhaps repaint it white every few years.
Why have a purple martin house?
For hundreds of springs , people have had a relationship with purple martins. It began with early American Indians who hung hollowed-out gourds from tree limbs around their villages in order to attract the purple-colored swallows to nesting homes similar to those in tree cavities.
Where is the best location for a purple martin house?
One of the most important steps in attracting Purple Martins is choosing the right location for your martin housing. Martins prefer housing that is placed in open areas with clear flyways. Choose the center of the largest open spot available , about 30-120 feet from human housing and at least 40-60 feet from trees.
What color should a purple martin house be?
White is the preferred color for purple martin houses. White offers maximum reflection of sunlight, which keeps the interior of the house cool so the birds can flourish and raise their young.
Is it too late to attract purple martins?
NO! Anytime is a good time to install a martin house. Even if the birds have been around for awhile, they see the house and the chances are better for a good colony increase next year. If you put it up too late for the current season they will come back next year and pos- sibly nest.
What is the difference between a purple martin and a barn swallow?
Adult (American)
Adult Barn Swallows have longer and more deeply forked tails than Purple Martins . They also have peachy or creamy underparts, whereas female Purple Martins have dingy underparts.
Can sparrows and purple martins coexist?
Male sparrows are extremely territorial . ... Using it’s strong beak, a sparrow will even kill an adult martin unable to escape its house. A colony of purple martins will gradually disappear if sparrows nest near or in their houses.
Do purple martins eat wasps?
A: According to experts, purple martins eat only flying insects , and they take them only on the wing, not off the ground. Martins eat beetles, flies, dragonflies, mayflies, bees, stink bugs, cicadas, flying ants, damselflies, butterflies, moths, grasshoppers and wasps.
Are purple martins good for mosquito control?
A: I’m sorry but the ability of purple martins to control mosquitoes is a myth . According to the American Ornithologists’ Union, a researcher analyzed more than two hundred stomachs of martins collected from February to September throughout the United States and Canada. He reported no mosquitoes in any of the stomachs.
