Your Purple Martins NEED predator protection!

[@larryl6626]

Excellent Video! Thanks for summarizing predator protection options. I just lost 13 (nestlings + eggs) and the snake was still in the cavity when I did a nest check. Martins were very active prior to my regular nest check. I had a bird net around the pole, but no predator guard. The bird net was wrapped too tightly around the pole. I have had martins for 23 years and this is the first snake attack. I was researching predator guards when I came across your video.

[@purplemartinfanatics6600]

Unfortunately it's hard to get people to realize that they need a guard. There are stories like yours posted every season. The disheartening part is people who have been fortunate to not have predator attacks, often advocate that predator guards aren't needed. As you found out, they aren't needed, until they are.

[@s.j.francis3245]

Thanks so much for sharing this valuable video! WE have predator guards for all our PM and BB houses and poles. I always believe in the adage: there is always a first time. Why take a chance?

[@arlettatoland8756]

Thank you for sharing with me, I need to protect from snakes!

[@marissaawesome2422]

Yep a VA girl like myself...It is NON STOP with snakes..It gets soooo undefeated feeling. Extremely heart breaking.

[@11ccom]

I use automotive grease on the bottom 3 foot of my 60 plex unit to keep pis ants and others from climbing up the pole. The tube grease gun type of grease.

[@BackyardBertha]

Great vid! Learned a lot about predator guarding too. Great sharing. New friend here.

[@abeal49]

I put my trail cam out by my pond and got video of raccoons swimming across it to climb on a raft. We don't have black rat snacks this far west Because of my concern about ground nest predators (ducks, geese, turkeys, pheasants etc) I have given up and just feed the raccoons cheap cat kibble during the nesting season. During hunting season the neighbors shoot or trap them

[@purplemartinfanatics6600]

WOW!

[@marissaawesome2422]

Hello... Quick question..How do I keep my gourds from swinging so much from the drain wind. No trees around to break the wind any. They swing so much that babies would probably slide or fall out..

[@purplemartinfanatics6600]

Troyer makes a product called a "No Rocker" (I think that's the name) It keeps the gourds from rocking very much.

[@marybeatty-brooks3272]

Have you any experience with using a slinky around a pole? I’ve read that snakes aren’t able to climb around a slinky.

[@purplemartinfanatics6600]

Yes, that's been tried. It's not an effective method.

[@marybeatty-brooks3272]

Yes, I just saw that part of the video. I wonder why. I have two on a metal pole with a cone guard and they move quite a lot when disturbed. Well, I’ll be watching the rest of this video.

[@marissaawesome2422]

54:02 that's a country girl right there..

[@DianneWoods-l4q]

Do cone baffles work

[@purplemartinfanatics6600]

The commercially produced ones usually aren't large enough. It takes a big guard to defeat a 5'-6' snake

[@kenhastings215]

Has anyone tried electric fence/wire on the poles to shock the predator

[@martylesnick2032]

AMONIA?

[@purplemartinfanatics6600]

Doesn't work. That's an "Old Wives Tale" so are Moth Balls, and other "passive" techniques

[@bobabbitt4755]

What about nets? 11:16

[@purplemartinfanatics6600]

Nets are recommended as back up for cylinder guards. Cylinder guards can be bypassed by large snakes

[@leahmccullough8430]

Mine did not work. First year land lord. I’m so sad. 😢

[@purplemartinfanatics6600]

That's sad. What kind of guard do you have? If you use net, and it's not tight against the pole, the snake can crawl between the pole and the net.

[@leahmccullough8430]

@@purplemartinfanatics6600 I had netting and a metal circular long pole guard. Not sure about netting. It was there but turns out I had it in the wrong location. Below instead of above guard. Newbie mistake.