Easy to Hang: SuperGourds
can easily be hung underneath an existing martin house, from a gourd
rack, or strung on a line between two poles. One set of 1/4" hanging
holes (side-to-side) are pre-drilled and will accept a hanging wire; a
set of front-to-back holes can easily be drilled by the purchaser if so
desired. There are drill guides in the neck of the gourd. When hanging on any of the gourd racks we offer, the customer will need to enlarge the hanging-holes using a 13/32" drill bit.
Designed to Benefit Purple Martins: Landlords
that use gourds know that they are highly attractive to martins (but
are the least attractive of all martin housing to House Sparrows or
starlings), reduce the risk of owl predation, have high occupancy rates,
plus reduce the incidence of fallouts and premature fledging. Now, busy
landlords can offer their martins all the advantages of
properly-prepared gourds, without investing the time and effort required
to grow natural gourds, then add access doors and canopies, or repaint
them every year or so.
Landlord Friendly: SuperGourds
are ready to hang right out of the box - there's no assembly required. A
landlord only needs hanging wire if not using any of the many Gourd
Racks we offer. SuperGourds are low-to-no maintenance martin housing;
no sanding or painting, and nothing to add except stick-on numbers.
Everything a person needs to be a better landlord is already there.
Balance the cost of a SuperGourd against the years of low-maintenance
use you'll get and the advantages for the martins. Then compare the
occupancy rate and cost to other types of housing that have, at best,
50% occupancy, or that require annual repainting.
Easy Parasite Control: Nest
parasites can decrease nesting success in Purple Martins by 50%. In a
SuperGourd, any parasite problem can be remedied simply and safely with a
nest replacement. The access port and smooth interior make this easy.
The access port also makes it easy to regularly add Diatomaceous Earth,
further lowering parasite numbers. SuperGourds have no seams, joints, or
crevices in which parasites can hide, breed, or overwinter. No other
type of martin housing can claim this advantage.
Gourd Interiors: SuperGourds have plenty of room for three to six martin young to grow.
Pine Needles: We recommend placing a few handfuls of pine needles in the gourds before the martins return.
Nest Changes: Easy to perform nest changes thanks in part to our heavy-duty, UV-protected screw-on cap. We recommend two nest changes when the young are between 5 to 10 days old and 15 to 20 days old.
Porches: Purple Martins love to perch so adding the SuperGourd Porch will make the gourd even more attractive
. Porches are sold separately. Adding Porches to Round-holed SuperGourds DOES NOT make them crescent-holed.
The Round-holed SuperGourd is available in many price saving quantities.