plastic gourd problems in Minnesota

[Louise Chambers]

Thanks for this update, Kelly - sounds like you turned the tunnel into a deep porch, instead. A photo would be great when you can get to it. I know Minnesota summers can be very hot and humid, and cool down a lot at night.

On PMCA's facebook group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/Prognes ... 387264096/ ) a landlord is sharing methods he worked out to prevent water from entering through the drain holes, odd as that sounds - he found that during heavy rains, water was working up into the nest from below.

[KathyF]

Thanks, Kelley - looking forward to your pictures! Sounds like you put a lot of work into it!
This is our first year to have such heavy rains at this time of year, along with the humidity (this is WHY I moved away from Louisiana!!!), so I've been wondering what effect the humidity is having. I don't know if humidity is my problem though.....some of my nests were so wet, you could squeeze water out of them....seems like that would take a lot of humidity / condensation.
I've been wondering about that 'wicking' problem that Louise posted a link to also above. I could see where some of the detritus in the nests could act like a sponge and soak up the water that is running over the drain holes.
I'm going to try an experiment with the spline around the drain holes and see what happens as I'm very curious about this anyway.
I don't mind all the nest changes, but the concerning part was having nestlings down in the yard and not getting to them before the Cooper's did.

[John Miller]

Kathy I panicked over that FB posted and checked some of my gourds -- the super gourds and excluders all seemed dry (I start with a generous pine needle base); a couple of smaller S&K gourds were soaked and I changed nest material. I don't have any Troyer horizontals nearby that I can check -- those tend to leak at the top. Maybe the smaller gourds tend to soak up from the bottom more, not sure. This rain has been nuts -- hopefully we're drying. Some wet nests may be caused by long periods of non-feeding when it's raining, and the older babies are pooping in there still but it's not getting removed?

John

[Archer]

I had the same problem as Kelly, with poopy entrances. I removed the Troyer tunnel and built an easy to make tunnel, which has the entrance at the back of the tunnel, preventing the fledgling from turning around in the tunnel. We will see it that helps. Was hoping for my picture to show up, guess i'll have to go to school on that one.