Popular Post Smallpatch Posted February 21, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 21, 2019 Some one mentioned maybe doing this to their poles. I originally built the tall pole for just one bird house but then I decided to add another house and a larger platform. So to offset the extra weight at the top I added the extra pipe on to the bottom of the swing away pole. You have to experiment with the right balance. To work right the top has to be just a little heavier than the bottom . I welded two flat pieces to the bottom of the both poles with holes lining up for a bolt to tie the bottom ends together when in position..To get the houses down, tie a rope on to the bottom of the swinging pole, remove the bolt and have one person pushing the pole out while you stand back holding the rope. Start pushing the pole out and hang on to the rope. To work right you should feel pressure but not enough to be uncomfortable doing it. There is a bolt welded to the pivot point sticking through a hole in the other pipe with a spacer welded in the middle ..I think I used a 5/8" bolt and nut. Now I have to trim some limbs on the two trees before it will come down far enough to get the houses all the way to the ground. These houses have been up 17 years and are of metal so only thing a person has to do is let them down and clean them. Wood houses don't last very long and are not worth anything outside... You can buy a little metal break from HF for the bending or like I did for a long time, use two 2 x4"s clamped together for a break. I do use a wood bottom of the houses and I do cup out the wood of each house so the eggs will stay in the middle of each house. Martins only use a very few big sticks so this helps.. The book I read said to bury the wood for a good time to be used to remove any odors that might be too stout for the birds. Martins like metal houses and they won't use one if it has any odors in the wood.. Close to water, up high and have clear falling areas for the young birds coming out of the houses... for their learning to fly....And I do keep the limbs cleared in the drop zone. Its also better to keep the houses covered so other birds can't use them then when the black males show up in the spring they will stay around for a week or so then un cover the houses. The males will leave and go back to where they spend the winter and get the females and here they come back.. They will use the same houses each year. Swallows will stay twice as long as Martins. Martins go south in the middle of summer where the swallows stay until in the early part of winter then leave. The swallows we have will not use bird houses of any kind.. They make their own nest under our dock roof and make all kinds of poop on the walk ways.. That's okay for the amount of insects they eat in my way of thinking is worth it.. All the books I have read says all it takes for people to attract Martins is lots of trees and a body of water close by. The trees will have insects. They like to be next to water. I have 8, 8 room metal houses and most don't have the cupple out wood floors. I got lazy there for a while. It is important to keep the houses covered or where the birds can't get in and only open them when the martins around.. or else sparrows and eastern starlings will take over.. and then the martins will fight the other birds all the way to the ground and still be fighting... Cal, Grandpadave52, Gunny and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Grandpadave52 Posted February 21, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 21, 2019 3 hours ago, Smallpatch said: You can buy a little metal break from HF Go H-F Cal, Gunny, FlGatorwood and 2 others 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpadave52 Posted February 21, 2019 Report Share Posted February 21, 2019 3 hours ago, Smallpatch said: The swallows we have will not use bird houses of any kind.. They make their own nest under our dock roof Are you talking about "Barn" Swallows Patch? they are pesky and persistent little birds, but agreed, the poop is worth having them around. I usually have 4 to 5 pairs each summer. They follow me around when I mow since I'm stirring up mosquitoes and other insects. I've nearly run into the fence more than once watching them swoop in and out...I've ducked many times too thinking they were going to hit me but their on-board flight systems is smarter than me. Martins are pretty finicky aren't they? Usually want the same besting box they had before and has to be cleaned each season? p_toad, FlGatorwood, Cal and 1 other 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morris Posted February 21, 2019 Report Share Posted February 21, 2019 Moved topic from Free For All Forum to Patio and Outdoors Forum. Grandpadave52 and Cal 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandyDan Posted February 22, 2019 Report Share Posted February 22, 2019 5 hours ago, Smallpatch said: I originally built the tall pole for just one bird house but then I decided to add another house and a larger platform. So to offset the extra weight at the top I added the extra pipe on to the bottom of the swing away pole. You have to experiment with the right balance. Or use it to catapult yourself into the lake. WHEEEEE!!!! That it a great idea for grtting the house up on top of a long pole. FlGatorwood, Grandpadave52 and Cal 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlGatorwood Posted March 11, 2019 Report Share Posted March 11, 2019 I saw a family who had gourds to house birds. They had a pulley at the top of the pole and there was a hook on top of the bar. He made something to keep the bar close to the pole and would simply pull on the rope to raise and lower all those gourds. Then he had a bird house with a place for the rope to be inside a channel of the house. The pole had the same setup. So he raised and lowers it when needed. Smart set up. Gunny, HARO50 and Grandpadave52 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpadave52 Posted March 11, 2019 Report Share Posted March 11, 2019 36 minutes ago, FlGatorwood said: I saw a family who had gourds to house birds. Wrens like those...sometimes Siskins will nest in them too but usually in shrubs. FlGatorwood and Gunny 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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