Purple Martins

Tony M · Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Posts: 1084 Location: McKinney,TEXAS

My PM scouts arrived a couple of days ago. My house was power washed last week and put up high to welcome them. If you haven't done so yet, please get started right away.
Next chore, dealing with the sparrows.
Tony M

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Tricky Grama · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:06 am Post subject:

Tony-

What do you do to deal w/sparrows? We have our Martin house on a telescoping pole, so we can take it down & rip out the sparrow nests. We'll do this if there's eggs, too, but not if the eggs have hatched. Just can't do it! We just give up then.

Patty

Tony M · Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Posts: 1084 Location: McKinney,TEXAS

I have a sparrow trap but you have to be able to deal with the birds after you trap them. Given what you said above, this may not be an option for you.
Tony M

Pirate · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:14 am Post subject: Too Late?

Is it too late to put up a PM house?

Tricky Grama · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 8:31 am Post subject:

I'm for sure not the expert, but I read that the 'regulars'-PMs that come back year after year-come to the same houses, or try to. Their offspring from the last season sometimes come later. They need all new houses, I guess. So I think you still have a chance.

Patty

Tony M · Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Posts: 1084 Location: McKinney,TEXAS

No, it is not too late. The scouts began arriving a few weeks ago but the nesting pairs will be arriving over the next month or so.
Please do your research before buying and installing a PM house. There is a lot to learn and there are no guarantees. If you do things correctly they will eventually come.
Please consult this website throughly. http://purplemartin.org/
Tony M

Pirate · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 4:56 pm Post subject: Thanks

Thank you very much, Tony M, for guiding me to purplemartin.org. Without it, I would have made several mistakes that would have kept the PM away.

Tony M · Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Posts: 1084 Location: McKinney,TEXAS

Thanks so much for your considerate reply. I have had PM's for years and have raised hundreds of babies. I will be happy to help further if you need it.
Tony M

Donna Hunyor · Joined: 29 Apr 2004 Posts: 19 Location: Waco,TX

If you read the Purple Martin Forum, the debate has been hot and heavy about the use (or not) of putting Sevin in the nests, (just 1/2 tsp in the very front and tap so it goes to the bottom) spraying or wiping liquid Sevin on the walls before the nesting begins, changing out the nests at 10 days and then 20 days and then today a posting about evidently a commercial product that "real birders" use but he didn't publicly post the name of it. I asked why not the use of D-E and was told it is too dangerous for the babies to breathe. I said this was something to ask the Dirt Doctor about. Any suggestions or ideas on how to deter or kill them once you have them?

Tricky Grama · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:21 am Post subject:

We watched a pair hatch & feed their youngins & when the babies tried to fly we could see they were infected w/mites. After all left the nest & we cleaned it out, we used an orange oil solution to kill the mites. I'm assuming this would be ok.

Patty

Donna Hunyor · Joined: 29 Apr 2004 Posts: 19 Location: Waco,TX

I wondered about using orange oil, but wouldn't do it without some feedback. I sprayed my houses with hydrogen peroxide but I still want to know what is safe to put into the houses or nests while the babies are nesting (for next year.) If others are painting liquid Sevin in the houses, would it work and be okay to paint the insides of the houses with orange oil? And can someone say if it is true to not use D-E?

Tricky Grama · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:19 am Post subject:

I don't think DE would hurt if it was not excessive. Would NOT use sevin.

Patty