Arriving Soon...Time to Clean Purple Martin Houses
Make sure you write, "clean the purple martin house" on your task list and then actually do it! It won't be long before scouts show up looking for suitable housing. Two years ago, scouts showed up on Valentines Day in College Station, TX. Last year they were a week later perhaps because of the colder winter. Either way, it is time to knock out this annual task.
I plan for the kids do this chore this coming weekend. I get out of the work and they have investment in the conservation of a very cool bird. Now that it is good parenting!
For the past several years, my yard has served as the nesting grounds for a dozen purple martins. Our family enjoys seeing martins go through the process of raising their broods. It is tough to determine, but it looks as if they are able to re-nest twice and sometimes thrice.
My wife says the martins wake up far too early and visit among themselves much to loudly, especially on weekends made for sleeping a bit longer. I tell her they are planning the day, which ends with many insects ingested during their aerial acrobatic show. I point out that there will be fewer insects to cause her grief and she is okay with that for about 7 days when they wake her once more.
Weigh the options yourself. Clean out the purple martin house now, or swat more insects later!