Sam,
I have 130 cavities this season: 104 natural gourds and Super Gourds; 26 aluminum compartments. Next year, I will probably have around 200 cavities. I haven?t decided on the composition of these cavities yet.
The gourd racks/houses in the distance are my neighbor?s colony site. His housing is about 100 yards north of me. He has a combination of T-14s, natural gourds and Super Gourds. I believe he has about 195 available cavities. There is an open space between our sites so that martins can easily fly back and forth.
At the close of this martin season, I will present a comprehensive report.
Steve
More Photos Of My New Martin Colony
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Guest
Steve, how have your neighbors responded to your large colony? Do they seem to accept it? Do they have any problems with it? (bird droppings, noise, asthetics, etc.)
Have you had any people just pull off of the road to look at your colony?
Have you had any people just pull off of the road to look at your colony?
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Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Sam,
I live way out in the country where there are no homeowners? associations! Bob is my only neighbor to the north. Nobody lives to the west or east, just open pasture and woodlots. To the south, the nearest neighbors are about a quarter of a mile away. This is pure country where nearly everybody drives pick-up trucks?my kind of location. Lots of farmland and large old homesteads. So I don?t have any problems with neighbors complaining about martin noise or poop.
Folks do occasionally stop by and look or inquire about my martin colony when they see me in the yard. My colony faces our road and there is some traffic on it. I am always glad to ?proselytize? for the martins and show folks my colony! I also put a good word in for the PMCA and encourage folks to contact this organization.
Steve
I live way out in the country where there are no homeowners? associations! Bob is my only neighbor to the north. Nobody lives to the west or east, just open pasture and woodlots. To the south, the nearest neighbors are about a quarter of a mile away. This is pure country where nearly everybody drives pick-up trucks?my kind of location. Lots of farmland and large old homesteads. So I don?t have any problems with neighbors complaining about martin noise or poop.
Folks do occasionally stop by and look or inquire about my martin colony when they see me in the yard. My colony faces our road and there is some traffic on it. I am always glad to ?proselytize? for the martins and show folks my colony! I also put a good word in for the PMCA and encourage folks to contact this organization.
Steve
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Guest
When you were in Tallahassee, who had the largest Purple Martin colony besides yourself ofcourse?
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Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Sam,
I am sure there were some large colonies in the Tallahassee area. The biggest one that I observed was just a few miles down the road from my previous homesite. This colony had about 100 pairs of martins. However, it was destroyed over a three year period by barred owls, Cooper's hawks and rat snakes. It never recovered. I had 74 pairs of martins in 2004 and that colony was decimated by Cooper's hawks during the height of the nesting season in May and June.
Steve
I am sure there were some large colonies in the Tallahassee area. The biggest one that I observed was just a few miles down the road from my previous homesite. This colony had about 100 pairs of martins. However, it was destroyed over a three year period by barred owls, Cooper's hawks and rat snakes. It never recovered. I had 74 pairs of martins in 2004 and that colony was decimated by Cooper's hawks during the height of the nesting season in May and June.
Steve
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CurtWelling
- Posts: 185
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Versailles, KY
Steve,
I see you use only netting for your poles. Can you tell me what type of netting you use and where you get it. Also, how do you attach it. I want to change to the netting next year. Does netting deter racoons? I thought it was primarily for snakes.
The problem I have with the stovepipe type guards is that they are too much trouble to get out of the way when I lower the racks. I'd like to be able to lower the rack way down so I don't need a ladder to reach the upper cavities.
I see you use only netting for your poles. Can you tell me what type of netting you use and where you get it. Also, how do you attach it. I want to change to the netting next year. Does netting deter racoons? I thought it was primarily for snakes.
The problem I have with the stovepipe type guards is that they are too much trouble to get out of the way when I lower the racks. I'd like to be able to lower the rack way down so I don't need a ladder to reach the upper cavities.
Curt Welling
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Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Hey Curt,
For this first martin season in Louisiana, I only used the netting to deter rat snakes. However, the netting will not stop a determined raccoon though he/she would probably get their nails entangled some in the mesh while trying to climb over it. We have a large coyote population out here and you should hear them howling in the night! Coyotes are natural predators of raccoons/opossums. However, I may install 6 or 8 inch diameter PVC pipe guards on the bottoms of my martin housing poles beginning next season as an added deterrent for both rat snakes and raccoons. The net traps will be still be used and placed above the PVC pipe guards. I also placed net traps around the bottom of my housing poles. At my previous home in Tallahassee, Florida, I caught rat snakes in these bottom traps as well as ones located higher up.
I ordered my netting off the Internet, but it is very expensive bought that way. The reason I did it was because I was unable to find ? inch mesh size bird netting at home improvement stores like Home Depot or Lowes or at garden centers. You can usually get the ? inch size at these stores. I like to use a combination of mesh to capture nearly all diameter size rat snakes. Small, thin rat snakes can sometimes weave through the ? inch mesh. The ? inch mesh will catch most large rat snakes.
I will send you a link (via a private message) to the business where I buy my bird netting off the Internet. This is quality netting and you can get both ? and ? mesh sizes. Be sure to get the light variety because the thin mesh will catch the rat snake scales much better than the thick stuff.
It is easy to attach to the poles and I have an article in the Fall 2003 Purple Martin Update, Vol. 12(4) that describes how I make and install the net traps. Basically what you do is just create a fluffy wreath of netting that completely encircles the pole. The snake will then weave through it and get caught. You can also just let the netting hang down like a messy skirt. The key is to present the rat snake with numerous mesh squares that he will have to weave through. The more he weaves and turns the more he gets entangled.
Here is an excerpt from one of my articles on rat snake predation that describes the net trap:
The Net Trap
No snake barrier is totally fool proof and some really big and determined rat snakes may defeat all the guards previously discussed. I have never underestimated these snakes in their quest for warm blooded prey, particularly a birdhouse or gourd cluster full of purple martins.
However, there is a barrier that may work when all others fail. It is called the net trap, a device that just doesn?t stop a rat snake but catches the snake. If you go to a garden center, home improvement store or even Walmart, you should be able to find something called bird netting. This is the plastic netting that you use to protect your fruit trees and plants from hungry birds. It is made of thin material and comes in various mesh sizes. If you can?t find the bird netting locally, you can search the Internet and find a number of companies that sell this product.
Okay, what is a snake net trap and how do you build and install it? And of course you want to know how this thing works, but more on that later. Snake net traps come in different configurations and are usually bunched up wads of bird netting that circle like a wreath the pole of a martin house or gourd rack. These traps can be attached above a standard snake guard to serve as a final barrier or these traps can be used alone. But if you use it alone, then there may still be a risk of raccoon predation. You can even place these traps at the base of the poles or stuff the netting inside various other snake guards. Since these traps actually catch snakes, think of the snake net trap as your insurance policy in case your regular guard should fail.
There are a number of very simple ways to construct a net trap from bird netting and attach it to martin housing poles. You need the bird netting, a pair of scissors, a measuring device, some pliable wire and a wire cutter. Since there are both thick and thin rat snakes, depending on age, it is best if possible to use a combination of mesh sizes in your net trap. Mesh squares of ? and ? inch would give a good range of coverage. So if you were going to use a combination of mesh sizes, then you would have at least two packages of bird netting to work with.
Here is one way how I construct my net traps and I only use bunched up wads of netting that completely circle the martin housing pole like a fluffy wreath. First, I create a simple support wire base for the pole where the netting will be wrapped and attached to form the trap. Cut two pieces of pliable wire (I use No. 10 or 12 plastic coated copper wire.) about two and half feet long. Wrap one around the pole at about three or four feet above the ground or just above your standard snake guard baffle. Then twist it tightly against the pole so that two pieces of wire protrude out about six or more inches in a V shape. Do the same with the other wire on the opposite side on the pole. Bend each end upward so that about two and half or more inches are parallel with the pole. So you have four wire prongs protruding out in different directions with the ends curved upward.
Now cut out a piece of netting about two feet wide and around six feet in length. If using a mesh combination, then you would have two pieces. I still use two pieces of netting if only using one mesh size to create a thicker net trap wad. Then fold the netting like you would a sheet to create about a one foot wide piece to make it easier to wrap. Start wrapping the netting around the wire support base while inserting the mesh from time to time into the upright wire prongs. Do this over and over again until you have completely encircled the pole and created the net trap. Then bend over the ends of the wire prongs to help hold the netting in place. Fluff up the netting and reinsert it into the prongs as necessary. Make sure no gaps exist in the netting that could allow a snake to slide under and bypass the mesh. Think of this as a bunched up fluff of netting that sticks out to the side, up and down all around the pole.
I'm sure you can use other ways to attach the netting to the martin house or gourd rack pole. It is a simple system. You could wrap the netting around the pole first and then use thin pliable wire to twist tie the trap securely or even tape it. Or you could bunch up of your sheet of netting first, insert the wire through it and then twist tie the trap to the pole. The main objective is to create a wall of netting that completely encircles the pole like a wreath.
Now, how in the world does this thing work? How does such a trap ensnare a snake? Snakes crawl and weave themselves through vegetation. Snakes also can deflate their bodies to squeeze through smaller areas. Then their bodies inflate again back to their normal size. And snakes have scales, somewhat like a fish.
When any snake is confronted with the bunched up netting on a martin housing pole, he starts to weave himself through it just like he would do if slithering through grass, vines or other vegetation. As he weaves through the mesh, his body responds to the netting by deflating and inflating. In short order, he gets hopelessly entangled in the mesh as his scales are caught in the net. This is similar to gill nets that are used to catch fish. And then you have him. Small snakes may be caught in their middle area while larger snakes may only get a short distance and be ensnared just a few inches below their heads. There is no escape, as the snake can?t back out of the netting with his scales trapped in the fine mesh. It is almost a perfect snake catching system and the vast majority of snakes will be caught.
But even the best things in life have a price. Now comes the hard part and if you are not willing to do this, then you should not use the net trap as the ultimate barrier. You have to remove the living, squirming and sometimes angry rat snake from the net! However, not all rat snakes are that aggressive, particularly ones that have been caught in the netting for a good while and these snakes may be rather passive. But, big rat snakes can bite and bite hard. They have drawn blood from my hands and arms. So you must not have a snake phobia and be willing to take them out of the netting UNHARMED. You can?t just pull him out as his scales are firmly ensnared. You have to cut him out gently. I grab the snake by the back of his head and then use a pair of scissors to cut the netting from his body. This action may destroy part of the net trap, but they are so easy to build and cheap that you can replace them quickly.
The net trap can be used as the LAST hurdle for any rat snake that manages to defeat your normal guard. And you MUST monitor such a trap daily. Most rat snakes hunt during the night or late evening or early morning. You should check any martin housing poles frequently to see if any snakes have been caught. Do NOT let snakes remain in these traps and be exposed to the hot sun for long, as the snakes will die. The purpose of the trap is NOT to kill the snake, but to ensnare him temporarily and prevent predation on your martins.
I hope this information has been helpful to you.
Steve
For this first martin season in Louisiana, I only used the netting to deter rat snakes. However, the netting will not stop a determined raccoon though he/she would probably get their nails entangled some in the mesh while trying to climb over it. We have a large coyote population out here and you should hear them howling in the night! Coyotes are natural predators of raccoons/opossums. However, I may install 6 or 8 inch diameter PVC pipe guards on the bottoms of my martin housing poles beginning next season as an added deterrent for both rat snakes and raccoons. The net traps will be still be used and placed above the PVC pipe guards. I also placed net traps around the bottom of my housing poles. At my previous home in Tallahassee, Florida, I caught rat snakes in these bottom traps as well as ones located higher up.
I ordered my netting off the Internet, but it is very expensive bought that way. The reason I did it was because I was unable to find ? inch mesh size bird netting at home improvement stores like Home Depot or Lowes or at garden centers. You can usually get the ? inch size at these stores. I like to use a combination of mesh to capture nearly all diameter size rat snakes. Small, thin rat snakes can sometimes weave through the ? inch mesh. The ? inch mesh will catch most large rat snakes.
I will send you a link (via a private message) to the business where I buy my bird netting off the Internet. This is quality netting and you can get both ? and ? mesh sizes. Be sure to get the light variety because the thin mesh will catch the rat snake scales much better than the thick stuff.
It is easy to attach to the poles and I have an article in the Fall 2003 Purple Martin Update, Vol. 12(4) that describes how I make and install the net traps. Basically what you do is just create a fluffy wreath of netting that completely encircles the pole. The snake will then weave through it and get caught. You can also just let the netting hang down like a messy skirt. The key is to present the rat snake with numerous mesh squares that he will have to weave through. The more he weaves and turns the more he gets entangled.
Here is an excerpt from one of my articles on rat snake predation that describes the net trap:
The Net Trap
No snake barrier is totally fool proof and some really big and determined rat snakes may defeat all the guards previously discussed. I have never underestimated these snakes in their quest for warm blooded prey, particularly a birdhouse or gourd cluster full of purple martins.
However, there is a barrier that may work when all others fail. It is called the net trap, a device that just doesn?t stop a rat snake but catches the snake. If you go to a garden center, home improvement store or even Walmart, you should be able to find something called bird netting. This is the plastic netting that you use to protect your fruit trees and plants from hungry birds. It is made of thin material and comes in various mesh sizes. If you can?t find the bird netting locally, you can search the Internet and find a number of companies that sell this product.
Okay, what is a snake net trap and how do you build and install it? And of course you want to know how this thing works, but more on that later. Snake net traps come in different configurations and are usually bunched up wads of bird netting that circle like a wreath the pole of a martin house or gourd rack. These traps can be attached above a standard snake guard to serve as a final barrier or these traps can be used alone. But if you use it alone, then there may still be a risk of raccoon predation. You can even place these traps at the base of the poles or stuff the netting inside various other snake guards. Since these traps actually catch snakes, think of the snake net trap as your insurance policy in case your regular guard should fail.
There are a number of very simple ways to construct a net trap from bird netting and attach it to martin housing poles. You need the bird netting, a pair of scissors, a measuring device, some pliable wire and a wire cutter. Since there are both thick and thin rat snakes, depending on age, it is best if possible to use a combination of mesh sizes in your net trap. Mesh squares of ? and ? inch would give a good range of coverage. So if you were going to use a combination of mesh sizes, then you would have at least two packages of bird netting to work with.
Here is one way how I construct my net traps and I only use bunched up wads of netting that completely circle the martin housing pole like a fluffy wreath. First, I create a simple support wire base for the pole where the netting will be wrapped and attached to form the trap. Cut two pieces of pliable wire (I use No. 10 or 12 plastic coated copper wire.) about two and half feet long. Wrap one around the pole at about three or four feet above the ground or just above your standard snake guard baffle. Then twist it tightly against the pole so that two pieces of wire protrude out about six or more inches in a V shape. Do the same with the other wire on the opposite side on the pole. Bend each end upward so that about two and half or more inches are parallel with the pole. So you have four wire prongs protruding out in different directions with the ends curved upward.
Now cut out a piece of netting about two feet wide and around six feet in length. If using a mesh combination, then you would have two pieces. I still use two pieces of netting if only using one mesh size to create a thicker net trap wad. Then fold the netting like you would a sheet to create about a one foot wide piece to make it easier to wrap. Start wrapping the netting around the wire support base while inserting the mesh from time to time into the upright wire prongs. Do this over and over again until you have completely encircled the pole and created the net trap. Then bend over the ends of the wire prongs to help hold the netting in place. Fluff up the netting and reinsert it into the prongs as necessary. Make sure no gaps exist in the netting that could allow a snake to slide under and bypass the mesh. Think of this as a bunched up fluff of netting that sticks out to the side, up and down all around the pole.
I'm sure you can use other ways to attach the netting to the martin house or gourd rack pole. It is a simple system. You could wrap the netting around the pole first and then use thin pliable wire to twist tie the trap securely or even tape it. Or you could bunch up of your sheet of netting first, insert the wire through it and then twist tie the trap to the pole. The main objective is to create a wall of netting that completely encircles the pole like a wreath.
Now, how in the world does this thing work? How does such a trap ensnare a snake? Snakes crawl and weave themselves through vegetation. Snakes also can deflate their bodies to squeeze through smaller areas. Then their bodies inflate again back to their normal size. And snakes have scales, somewhat like a fish.
When any snake is confronted with the bunched up netting on a martin housing pole, he starts to weave himself through it just like he would do if slithering through grass, vines or other vegetation. As he weaves through the mesh, his body responds to the netting by deflating and inflating. In short order, he gets hopelessly entangled in the mesh as his scales are caught in the net. This is similar to gill nets that are used to catch fish. And then you have him. Small snakes may be caught in their middle area while larger snakes may only get a short distance and be ensnared just a few inches below their heads. There is no escape, as the snake can?t back out of the netting with his scales trapped in the fine mesh. It is almost a perfect snake catching system and the vast majority of snakes will be caught.
But even the best things in life have a price. Now comes the hard part and if you are not willing to do this, then you should not use the net trap as the ultimate barrier. You have to remove the living, squirming and sometimes angry rat snake from the net! However, not all rat snakes are that aggressive, particularly ones that have been caught in the netting for a good while and these snakes may be rather passive. But, big rat snakes can bite and bite hard. They have drawn blood from my hands and arms. So you must not have a snake phobia and be willing to take them out of the netting UNHARMED. You can?t just pull him out as his scales are firmly ensnared. You have to cut him out gently. I grab the snake by the back of his head and then use a pair of scissors to cut the netting from his body. This action may destroy part of the net trap, but they are so easy to build and cheap that you can replace them quickly.
The net trap can be used as the LAST hurdle for any rat snake that manages to defeat your normal guard. And you MUST monitor such a trap daily. Most rat snakes hunt during the night or late evening or early morning. You should check any martin housing poles frequently to see if any snakes have been caught. Do NOT let snakes remain in these traps and be exposed to the hot sun for long, as the snakes will die. The purpose of the trap is NOT to kill the snake, but to ensnare him temporarily and prevent predation on your martins.
I hope this information has been helpful to you.
Steve