Attracting Martings and Swallows

[DrRod]

Greetings,

The post on summer mowing made me think -- does anyone have a good method for attacting martins or swallows? We used to have swallow around but haven't for years. Aside from looking nice they would be a great help with our insect population.

Thanks,

Rod

 

[thcri]

Martins are ok, and just ok. But I hate swallows even though I think they are part of the Martin family. I hate the way they build nests, I hate the way they dive at you constantly. I just don't care for them. I will take the insects before I would take the swallows.

Just me I guess.


murph

 

[SPIKER]

Martins like OPEN spaces large grass areas for high speed flying & hunting as well as access to water ponds that they can skim across eating bugs & drinking water. nest houses should be out away from other structures or above them by 10+ feet. as for swallows, they are fun bird and usually more friendly but also much more messy as they like to build nests under eves of barns, poarchs roofs sheds ect... then proceed to make droppings over every thing with in 30' of the nest. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

MarkM

 

[Nasty135]

DrRod, If you put up a martin house" they will come" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I hear it must be taken down and cleaned every year /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[kenmac]

I also wonder how to attrract martins .I purchased a martin house with pole approx. 2 years ago. Still no martins! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[billbill1]

DrRod, we have had purple martins for the past 18 years and really enjoy having them around. I have heard that if you have trouble attracting them that you can smear mud on the bottom half of the holes. This makes them think that the house has been occupied before. (they use mud to build the nest) We moved to a new home 5 years ago and brought 3 of our martin houses with us, we got martins the first year and every year since. Good luck, they're great to have around in the summer. Ours move in around the 1st of April and migrate back south about this time each year.

 

[EddieWalker]

I had a few that came to my pond in the evenings. Fun to watch them skim the water and fly around.

Then I had a power line brought into my place that went past my pond. Now I have dozens of them spending the day sitting on the wires.

I have no idea where they came from or where the nests are. I've never put a house out or tried to attract them. But they sure like the power lines overlooking the pond!!!

Eddie

 

[Michigan_Mike]

Depends on which type of swallow you have around.
Tree swallows will nest in the same type of "house" as Bluebirds. We have two nest boxes about 30 feet from each other. Bluebirds nest in one, and tree swallows in the other.
We haven't had Barn Swallows or Martins nesting near us, so I can't help you there.
When I mow the lawn, I always have a flock of swallows, both tree and barn, following me around. I think they link the bugs that the mower kicks up. At times they look like they are diving at me, but the only time they get close is when the bugs do.

 

[MikeFromVA]

Purple Martins are kind of trick to get - a good site for info is www.purplemartin.org - but beware - there are some real fanatics there.

I love the barn and tree swallows who divebomb me as I'm mowing. The barnswallows live in the barns nearby and the tree swallows live in the purple maritin house I put up /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif (only one family of TS live in a 14 family PM house). It seems that the trick is to get the TS to nest near the PM house site and then put up the PM house once the TS has eggs. Also, you need to do it according to the schedule on the web site (late May/ early June here in Northern Virginia).

The great thing is that once you get some to move in, they come back every year and bring some friends (so I hear)

 

[riptides]

I am in the process of de-attracting barn swallows. I consider them to be a serious pest and dangerous to have around when working.

If your really interested in this type of bird, may I suggest an area or building that you do not frequent on a daily basis.

In our barns, one in particular these birds have managed to build over ten nests this year, raised at least 2 broods, per nest, 4-5 offspring per brood. The dropping are everywhere, and when you mow or walk the air assault begins. Don't try and work on a ladder, either.

Don't get me wrong, I like birds, just not this many located where they are now. Be carefull how you attract them.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif