Birdfeeders

Once you have purple martins occupying your purple martin house, you should have them come back year after year, for they bond with their established nesting sites. Just be careful not to let any other bird nest in the house before martins have found it, for they probably will not occupy a house that has already been used. This means you need to check your purple martin house regularly and pull out any other nests before the martins arrive. The other great thing about attracting purple martins is that they like living near people. Place your purple martin house in the center of the most open spot available, 30-100 feet from your house. The farther from trees the better, but be sure there are no trees taller than than the purple martin house within at least 40 feet of it. This open space is a critical requirement for purple martins. Be sure to offer plenty of housing compartments in your purple martin house. It’s fine to start with a house that has 12 compartments, but 24 is ideal. It’s also a good idea to paint the house white.