These are pictures of my attempt at adding snake netting to the Chuck Abare predator guard.
This is a link to the site of where you can build your own guard : http://chuckspurplemartinpage.com/predgard.htm
What I like about this guard is you can do nest checks without the pvc pipe or snake netting getting in your way because the whole guard is removable.
I used large wire nuts and 1 inch drywall screws to keep the wire from spinning around in the cedar and also used wire ties and wire nuts to hold the netting on.
I bought the wire from Lowe's in the fencing section and bent it to look like an umbrella.
This is a picture of the guard on my MPP.
Last edited by M.Stephens on Sat Apr 02, 2011 1:10 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Yes Jeff , In the last photo if you look closely I just used wire coated with plastic , similar to bread wrapper but allot longer. I save this stuff that you usually find holding kids play trucks or toys together in the new boxes.
All I have to do is unwrap the wire, unhook the latch and undo the velcro on the bottom and"VOILA" the guard comes off easy!
EDIT: I now use a piece of the fencing wire cut about 6 " and bent into a "C" to fasten or unfasten the netting. It is easier to remove than the plastic coated wire.
Last edited by M.Stephens on Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Wow. MS thanks for the direction. I think I have more money than brains and not sure if I could make this or not. Looks pretty daunting. Id love to pay someone to make it for me.
Ron some think the umbrella style may let snakes climb over. They have to get up the pvc first to do that! All one has to do is ball up some more under the umbrella and attach that too it.
There are so many creative people on this Forum. I don't know what I would have done without all of you and your help during our recent snake visit. We had the pole guard that was purchased when we got our Lonestar house, and did our own "creation" to take of any snake that comes near that pole. I was amazed that this 5 foot long yellow rat snake, who had been on the porch after finishing off one compartment including the mother and 6 newborns, had curled itself up in the compartment next door, and was dining as I was getting the pole down. We hoped that we saved 3 of the newborns that remained, but the next morning I checked, and they had died. They were hatched that day, and I don't know if they were a casualty of Mr. Snake or perhaps the parents never returned, and they were just too young to survive without something from the parents. These two compartments have been vacant since the attack, but the others are very active, and SY nests are being built. Not sure where these rat snakes have been hiding, as we'd never seen them before in our yard. In the past week, we've had three of them, and they generally seem to be lurking under some hedges shared with our neighbor. As we we setting up the netting, another rat snake appeared, although this one was a little shorter than the one who ate the babies. We learn something every year with these Martins, and I thought that house sparrows were nasty. Knock on wood, they have stayed away this year.
Martin Colony History: Erected 1st house in 1997. Birds were checking it out before Mike got down from the ladder. Six cavities had a little colony 1st year. Grown to 88 cavities all gourds with near 100% occupancy. Most important factor for success is rain = bugs.
There's another possibility. That snake may have eaten the parents; or at least the female. Often, the female will guard her young (as we have seen in many photos and descriptions from landlords during nestchecks). This mother may have been killed and eaten first, leaving no one to care for those babies. I'm so glad you were able to stop the snake before more Purple Martins were lost. You saved your colony!! Good job!!
I used Malcom's example as seen in this thread to add snake netting to the EZ off guard on my Trendsetter pole last year. I use long zip ties to resecure the side of the netting corresponding to the latch/opening side of the guard. So far, so good, and I think this system will work fine as long as enough nettting it bunched up on the undersides. I'll eventually switch over to an electric fence charger attached to all guards in the future.
Jeff Robinson wrote:I used Malcom's example as seen in this thread to add snake netting to the EZ off guard on my Trendsetter pole last year. I use long zip ties to resecure the side of the netting corresponding to the latch/opening side of the guard. So far, so good, and I think this system will work fine as long as enough nettting it bunched up on the undersides. I'll eventually switch over to an electric fence charger attached to all guards in the future.
Malcolm, I knew that thread was out there somewhere. Just offering to anybody who thinks it's too difficult - it's really not. It is a good option where there's not a lot of space to add netting below or just above the winch.
