With a slightly older colony now, my birds came back earlier and started nesting earlier. Unfortunately, the weather was sooooo wet this year- followed by a stretch of blazing hot temps. Humidity was the name of the game.
This year's wins:
A first ever full house! 34of 34 apartments occupied, and 117 young fledged. Hubby seems to sense there may be a third pole coming
.A longer season- the first birds arrived in mid March, almost two weeks ahead of past years.
Snake netting saved the day. We caught a 5' long black rat snake with several nests yet to fledge. HA- gotcha! I did untangle and release him unharmed, but without a belly full of chicks.
Temps were mild- so no need to offer crickets. I tried a couple times and they just looked amused. My freezer is stocked for next year just in case.
Lessons learned:
I need to do nest checks more frequently during the egg-laying period. I work during the week, so weekends are my best opportunity to lower the housing. Even with the prognosticator, a week is sometimes just too long to get accurate data. I'll do better next year PMCA folks!
In my limited years of data collection, hatch rate seemed down. Maybe the cooler and very wet temps were to blame, but I had a couple nests with 5-6 eggs and none hatched.
Those black, spinny gourd vents that have worked so well the past- well, they worked until they didn't. They had trouble with all the blowing rain this year. I ended up with wet nests in the gourds. I will be replacing those before nest year, and based on the collective knowledge here, I will recap the tops and install an elbow design side vent.
Sometimes weird stuff just happens. I posted about it- but one nest had three young dead in the nests with no disturbance. The nest on the same porch had two dead adults inside with no obvious injuries or disease. Forum advice tells my SY may be to blame. Dang SY.
Ideas for 2025:
I plan to retire the barns for next season and replace with another T-14. I know they won't like it, but the plastic tabs are breaking, the lift up doors just aren't as secure as they once were, and it's harder to do efficient nest checks with no nest trays.
Finally- though I didn't post much- I was checking when I could! I love reading how everyone's colonies are doing. And I want to offer the same parting comment as I did last year...... for those still waiting for that first bird. Don't give up. DON'T GIVE UP! This forum is the best- whether searching the archives or posting a new question- I learn something every time I'm on here. Kind, helpful landlords with great ideas and sincere encouragement and full of DIY ingenuity. Most of all- no judgement for drinking the purple kool-aid, we're all in the club.
.. I feel your happiness... 
my personal preference will be to increase nest checks during hatching, id like to intercede if eggs become capped, but again I need more time! I catch them when I do and call it a win.