You have decided that you want to be a purple martin landlord.
What next? First you have to buy the house, and then you have to mount it.
You can buy the house from the internet or in person at a bird-centric store.
You may choose gourds or a more typical "house" shape.
If you choose gourds, you may want to go with an array of gourds that mounts on a pole.
A house can have as few as four or as many and 20-30 compartments.
Whichever type of house you choose, you are going to have to mount it.
First you need to dig a deep hole in the ground and fill it with cement into which you will secure the pole's ground socket.
Next, you attach the pole and the martin house.
This is not a trivial task, as martin houses - especially wooden ones, can be mighty heavy.
And you want to be able to lower the house do perform end-of-season clean-outs and sometimes nest checks.
Some poles are telescoping, which means that you must attach the martin house to the pole, and then extend the pole section by section to get the martin house to the top.
You also lower the martin house by lowering the pole section by section.
Other poles may come in one piece or may have sections that permanently attach together.
In these cases, you will need a way to raise and lower the house, since the pole will not telescope.
Although it is more difficult to install a martin house on top of a one-piece pole, having a way to raise and lower the house while knowing that the pole is secure is ultimately a better choice.
Houses can be raised and lowered using a rope and lanyard system or a winch system.
A rope and lanyard is essentially a 1 pulley system that lets you raise and lower the nest as slowly or as quickly as you can handle the weight.
A winch system moves the house up and down at a rate based on how quickly you turn the winch handle.
You can start out with a rope and lanyard system, and change it to a winch system later on.
In conclusion, deciding to be a purple martin landlord is easy.
Setting up the house initially is challenging.
What next? First you have to buy the house, and then you have to mount it.
You can buy the house from the internet or in person at a bird-centric store.
You may choose gourds or a more typical "house" shape.
If you choose gourds, you may want to go with an array of gourds that mounts on a pole.
A house can have as few as four or as many and 20-30 compartments.
Whichever type of house you choose, you are going to have to mount it.
First you need to dig a deep hole in the ground and fill it with cement into which you will secure the pole's ground socket.
Next, you attach the pole and the martin house.
This is not a trivial task, as martin houses - especially wooden ones, can be mighty heavy.
And you want to be able to lower the house do perform end-of-season clean-outs and sometimes nest checks.
Some poles are telescoping, which means that you must attach the martin house to the pole, and then extend the pole section by section to get the martin house to the top.
You also lower the martin house by lowering the pole section by section.
Other poles may come in one piece or may have sections that permanently attach together.
In these cases, you will need a way to raise and lower the house, since the pole will not telescope.
Although it is more difficult to install a martin house on top of a one-piece pole, having a way to raise and lower the house while knowing that the pole is secure is ultimately a better choice.
Houses can be raised and lowered using a rope and lanyard system or a winch system.
A rope and lanyard is essentially a 1 pulley system that lets you raise and lower the nest as slowly or as quickly as you can handle the weight.
A winch system moves the house up and down at a rate based on how quickly you turn the winch handle.
You can start out with a rope and lanyard system, and change it to a winch system later on.
In conclusion, deciding to be a purple martin landlord is easy.
Setting up the house initially is challenging.