Things You'll Need
- White or light pastel paint
Instructions
Paint the martin house or gourd white or a light pastel color. Examine the martin housing and make sure that the entrance holes are 2 1/8 inches in diameter and located 1 inch from the compartment floors.
Measure the compartment heights, which should be 5 to 7 inches, with the compartment floor dimensions preferably measuring 7 by 12 inches. Clean out the housing completely of any other types of nesting materials used by other bird species if the housing was previously used.
Find an open spot free of trees and any other tall objects within a 60-foot diameter. Place the birdhouse pole in the center of the open area, with the pole height between 10 and 20 feet. Make sure to place the martin habitat 30 to 120 feet from human housing.
Check the martin housing weekly for any signs of predators such as owl feathers, martin feathers (a sign of attack) and missing eggs. Use pole guards and owl guards so that animals cannot climb the pole and owls will be deterred from attacking the purple martins.