Purple Martin Forum

Does it bother the martins if I would lower (straight drop down on pulley system) to clear out the sparrow nests?

So I have 2 or 3 of a 8 apt. house with martins in them. Unfortunately there are also a few with sparows in them. The house moves up & down with a rope and goes directly up & down a center post. Would it disturb the martins if I lower it to remove the sparow nests? Or am I just better off to...

Hate to be repetitive but you can't even see across the lake (1 mi.) it's snowing so hard

Several years back I had the owl problem also. Put up a rather heavy 2" X 4" metal "screen". An owl hit that thing and did real damage and scared the matins away. Couldn't believe it.

flying-low: It was just a thought I had as dropping the house was becoming a real ordeal! Still working by the way. I bought one of those cheap plastic houses along with a pole. Just haven't put it up yet!

I've been dispatching them for years but to no avail! Getting tired of dropping the house to clear out the nests and it is a rather heavy ordeal. I went to a local tennis facility and the guy gave me some over sized style tennis balls he said they train the kids with. I put one in each of the 8 comp...

I built a cantilevered pole with 2 pieces of 3" alum. channel welded leg to leg to form a 3" sq. pole. For the mounting base I used the same 3" alum. channel 7' in length with 3' imbedded in conc. and 4' above grade. With legs out had them welded with 2 strap type of alum. pieces mayb...

Do you think maybe placing a tennis ball in the nesting box area would deter these damn birds? Thanks

Have had a heavy wood house up 16 years. Used to get them every year until 5 years ago. Owl at night attached in early spring. They abandoned and haven't even able to get them back since! Sparrows nest early and it's its a real pain to drop the rig I have to clean out the areas. Get a visitor now an...

Looking for one that can be lowered and raised up & down on a pole. Dam sparrows always raise havoc. I want a quality heavy duty one with maybe 8 nesting areas. Thank you

Well as usual it was 70 degrees yesterday and it's now 30 degrees and it snowed today Normally put "the house" up April 15th. Keep your fingers crossed!

OK-This is the first day I've seen the usual influx of birds flying around like they should be! Still haven't spotted a Martin

Hey folks-It ain"t getting any better out there! Snow/sleet and cold. Really has to be effecting the Martins

Really bad weather here in Delavan, Wi. Intend to put up house mid week if it stops snowing!!??

If you have water near by very possibly a mink.

Delavan here. Haven't seen a one No sparrows either!?

Really don't know where the "old" forum went but, glad to have found this one. Been "martining" for 12 years or so up here in Delavan, Wi. Had a hawk hit 5 years ago. Birds left. Next year put my house up with a home made hawk protector up and got most of them back. Following yea...