I was wondering if it would be better to take down my new house and store it until January?
Is that what y'all do? or do you leave them out all year and just clean it before they arrive???
I imagine those of you with lots and lots of houses and gourds have to just leave everything as is until next year, right?
It is my first year in Florida and using a new aluminum house. Also worried about summer storms rocking my house to and fro until it comes down...
Should I take down house for off-season???
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Ed Svetich-WI
- Posts: 815
- Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 10:05 pm
- Location: Brooks, Wi (McGinnis Lake)
- Martin Colony History: 24 Super and Excluder Gourds on two gourd racks, all SREH. Full occupancy. My philosophy is to maximize fledge % with existing cavities rather than adding gourds to grow colony, thus providing opportunities for new colony expansion. Fledge over 100 nestlings yearly from 24 gourds. Band nestlings in cooperation with state university. 2019 Adendum: Reduced colony size to 12 gourds to focus on more intensive management regimen.
I take everything down, clean it, oil anything that might rust and store it out of the weather. My plastic gourds are close to 15 years old and look like new. If you have the room to store your housing out of the weather, it will last longer. These things are not inexpensive. Our weather extremes are at the opposite ends of the spectrum but heat and cold are both hard on anything left exposed to the elements.
Ed
Ed
Yeah, I'm with you...I think I'll leave it up another couple of weeks to make sure no more birds are around, (I haven't seen any for a couple of weeks now) then I'll store it in the garage until January.
I hear the time to set it back up here in Miami is around the first of the year, so I'll have it back up then, HOPING for tenants!!!
I only had it up for about a month, for I was moving from Texas and couldn't get a house bought and set up until then. But I did get a few visitors about three days after I had it up, on and off for about a week or two. So at least I know it had been discovered!!!
TT
I hear the time to set it back up here in Miami is around the first of the year, so I'll have it back up then, HOPING for tenants!!!
I only had it up for about a month, for I was moving from Texas and couldn't get a house bought and set up until then. But I did get a few visitors about three days after I had it up, on and off for about a week or two. So at least I know it had been discovered!!!
TT
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scottfreidhof
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:13 am
- Location: Kentucky/Morehead
Another good reason to take housing down at the end of the season is to prevent house sparrows and starlings from claiming it before the martins arrive.
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Thais G
- Posts: 93
- Joined: Mon May 05, 2014 6:37 pm
- Location: CT/Darien
- Martin Colony History: Started at unsuitable location in 2008. Many lessons learned since. Two tentative locations: Rogers International School and the "Fish Church" (downtown.) One pair in 2015; no fledglings though. No pairs 2016.
I thought keeping housing up until they left back to Brazil was supposed to increase your chances on the following year? No? Just in case it may help for the following season, I only lower mine in September...
Best,
Thais
Best,
Thais
Thais Gherardi
Wannabe Landlord in Stamford, CT (2 tentative sites):
- Rogers International School (S&K barn since 2013; Alamo House installed 2016)
- "Fish Church"/downtown Stamford (Alamo House installed 2016)
Wannabe Landlord in Stamford, CT (2 tentative sites):
- Rogers International School (S&K barn since 2013; Alamo House installed 2016)
- "Fish Church"/downtown Stamford (Alamo House installed 2016)
I believe leaving it up for possible tenants next year is a good idea as long as there are Martins still around, but once they're gone then the idea of sparrows and starlings taking over makes sense too; so I will be taking it down and storing it for safekeeping possibly in mid to late July although as I had mentioned earlier, I have not seen any birds for a couple of weeks now.
Thank you all for your replies and suggestions; this being my first year in Florida makes me anxious as to what to do and not do so that it all works out and I can get a colony (or at least a couple of pairs) as soon as possible!
Thank you all for your replies and suggestions; this being my first year in Florida makes me anxious as to what to do and not do so that it all works out and I can get a colony (or at least a couple of pairs) as soon as possible!