Some Reasons People Fail to Attract Purple Martins

Research has shown that martin houses placed more than 120 feet from human housing has a lower chance of being occupied. Martins have learned the closer they nest to man, the safer they are from predators. Some martin predators are snakes, raccoons, hawks, crows, and owls. These tend to shy away from areas close to human housing.

The closer a martin nests to the watchful eyes of its human landlord, the greater chance the human will witness, and thus repel, attempted predator attacks. Martin housing should be placed in the center of the most open spot available, about 30-100 feet from human housing. If your house hasn't attracted nesting Martins and isn't placed within 100 feet of your house, try moving it closer.

White houses seem to attract martins best. Houses painted white reflect the heat of the sun best, so martins in white houses lose fewer babies to the heat stress. White highlights the darkness of the entrance holes best, making the cavities more conspicuous to searching martins. And finally, white is believed to best enhance the male martin's courtship display. Even redwood and cedar martin houses should be painted white. Trim can be any color. There are many people who failed to attract martins until they painted their housing white.

Housing attached to wires or placed to close to wires tend to be avoided by martins also. Martins instinctively know squirrels can crawl along these and gain access to the house. Never attach wires to a martin house, especially if they lead to trees, buildings, or to the ground.

You will need housing that allows for easy raising and lowering, and nest compartment access. You need to vertically lower their housing often, sometimes daily to evict nest-site competitors and check on martin babies. Housing mounted on stationary poles or poles that tilt down, are no longer practical, do to the introduction of the house sparrow and the European starling.

Martin housing should be mounted on poles that telescope up and down, or raise and lower with a pulley and winch systems. Don't be afraid to lower your houses often to check on your martins. You will actually raise more martins if you know exactly whats going on. Such disturbance will not cause martins to abandon their nests or their colony site.