Martin Gourd Birdhouse Cleaning Tips

Here are some great tips you can follow to clean your martin gourd birdhouses (or any of your birdhouses) at the end of each season.

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As the winter turns to spring and the geese once again begin flying north in those beautiful V formations you hear flying overhead, it is time to check your nestboxes once again. Even if you cleaned your birdhouses out in the fall, after all the nesting activity was over, you need to check them all and make sure they are once again ready for the return of all of your cavity nesting birds.

You may find that your birdhouses were used by some bird species during cold winters to stay warm at night. You may even find evidence that mice were using some of your nestboxes for homes. No matter what birds or animals took advantage of the warmth of your birdhouses during the winter, there are important considerations you need to know when you begin cleaning out those nestboxes in the spring.

Position yourself to avoid inhaling any dust from the nestbox and wear gloves while cleaning out the boxes. I use a putty knife to remove any old birds nests or wasps nests and put them into a plastic bag with a tie or a zip lock bag in case there are any parasites in the nestbox material. Dispose of old nest materials in the trash. Do not dispose of the old nesting materials close to the birdhouse as this may attract predators.

Once you have scraped out the nestbox and made sure all of the drain and vent holes are open, you can disinfect birdhouses by spraying them with a 10% bleach solution (one part bleach, nine parts water). If you decide to disinfect your birdhouses, leave them open for 24 hours to allow them to dry before closing them back up. I recommend disinfecting your nestboxes if you have evidence of parasites in any specific boxes. Many times you can simply scrape the insides of the birdhouses and wash them out with a sharp stream of water.

Just as I’m sure you like a clean house, your bird friends enjoy a clean birdhouse when they arrive in the springtime to bring all of their beautiful color and song to your backyard. Make them welcome by keeping your birdhouses clean before they arrive in the spring and, if you have nesting birds that produce more than one brood per season, clean out the nestboxes after each brood.

Let’s get ready for a great birding season by cleaning out your birdhouses now and enjoying all of your feathered friends and their offspring for years to come. Happy birding!

Author: Larry A Jordan

Larry Jordan has been bird watching for many years and building birdhouses for over 26 years. For quality bird products including bird feeders, bird houses, binoculars, scopes, birding field guides, CDs and DVDs and much more, go to Birds In My Yard for some great deals.

If you want to learn how to build your own birdhouses go to Build Your Own Birdhouse Plans and while you’re there, sign up for my newsletter to receive a free mini-course on how to attract birds to your yard! Plus you can go to my resources page for free plan downloads and a link to my Blog.

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Purple Martin Gourd Houses

In addition to the joy of having the birds, this is a reason many people construct artificial nesting houses to attract martins to their home for natural insect control. One type of nesting structure is a gourd house.

The Purple Martin Gourd: A Relationship Between Man and Bird

Whatever happened, it was discovered by man that a large gourd with a hole in it could entice the Purple Martins to nest in it. thus was born, the Purple Martin Gourd.

Purple Martin Houses

Then I turned my attention to the purple martin gourd houses. I had no idea the Amish were professional gourd bird house makers. Their website contains detailed instructions for creating your own gourd purple martin house.

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Birdhouse Gourd Seeds And Growing Gourds

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It is everyone’s duty to do all they can to save the environment, the planet is our home and we need to do everything possible to preserve our resources and the animals living on the planet. However, there is no reason who you should not make lots of money in the process.

Sometimes it is hard for the birds to find enough material to build a home. You can provide great green housing and make money at the same time. In the spring of the year, when everyone is getting their garden ready for planting, you will need to purchase some seeds for gourds. Follow the instructions and plant the seeds.

It will be necessary to water, weed and cultivate your gourd plants. It is only a matter of time when the gourds begin to form. There are many different types of gourds, for instance crookneck gourds are great for making birdhouses and hanging them in the trees. There are other types that can be used to attach to posts.

When your gourd is mature and you can cut it from the plant and set it aside. There are two ways to make a birdhouse from a gourd, you can set it aside and allow it to dry before you make a whole in it. The other method allows you to cut a whole in the gourd and scrape out some of the insides, which can be put out for the birds to eat. However, this material may not last as long as a dried gourd. Making a birdhouse is a great way to do your part and make lots of money.

Author: Lucas Collingsworth

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Kids Can Grow a Gourd Garden This Summer

Parents don’t need a green thumb to have fun growing gourds with their children. Here’s an outdoor activity the whole family can enjoy.

Saving Biedhouse Gourd Seeds

If it was a gourd you grew, what it dry before it was left to freeze? Maybe you live in a zone that doesn’t freeze. That wouldn’t be a concern then. Freezing the gourds before the seeds dry will cause poor germination.

The Growing of Gourds and More Gourds

I planted gourd seed into each "hill" of well mixed soil using the five-finger method. Extend your fingers and thumb so they are about 1/2 inch apart and press five holes into the dirt. Drop one gourd seed into each hole and cover.

Birdhouse Gourd Seeds

I planted five of the Bird House Gourd seeds just to the right of the remaining trellis. I have enjoyed reading about the gourds being made into Martin houses.

Gourd Seeds Wings And Warts

You will get all sorts of colors and shapes with this seed collection. It is all the more fun when you don’t know exactly what will come up. Plant these in full sun in early spring.

Gourd Water Drums, Rattles, and Rainsticks

Kids can make gourd rattles from birdhouse gourds, marakas, dippers, or even small ornamentals. Sometimes, the gourd seeds inside make enough noise on their own.

GOURDS SPROUT KINDA SORTA

The packages for the gourd seeds said they would sprout in 5-10 days. The first batch I put individual seeds in about 2 inches of soil. The second patch I put two seeds each in four inches of soil.

Getting Back to the Basics!

Tayah asked me, sincerely, to plant the gourd seeds with her. I explained that it was far too chilly to plant gourd seeds in January, but if the seeds survived without molding until March we would plant the seeds in our garden.

How to Plant Gourds This Spring

From soaking gourd seeds to setting up a garden and planting young vines, here’s what musicians need to know to get the seeds for their musical instruments in the ground.

Grow Birdhouse Gourds

The yellow-flowering gourds (Cucurbit spp.) are the thin-skinned and used as colorful decorations. You can purchase birdhouse gourd seeds from local nurseries or seed catalogs.

Miracle of Growing Seeds

It doesn’t matter if it is a very tiny little black speck of a seed, or the larger pumpkin, squash or gourd seeds. To me each one that sprouts is a miracle.

The Easy Step in Designing Gourd Bird House

Later, you will need to drill the hole into the gourd. Once that is complete, you have to clean out the inside of the gourd. It is very essential to wear a mask when into gourds.

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Attract More Birds With BirdHouse Gourds 

Bird house gourds are fun way to attract and enjoy many different types of small birds. Here’s an interesting article reviewing bird house gourds.

Gourd birdhouses are a great way to replace natural habitat for many native songbirds. Many of these types of birds prefer to build their nests in the cavities of trees. In areas where trees are lost due to urban development and logging there are far fewer places for these birds to nest.

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Birds actually will prefer to nest in a gourd over a manufactured birdhouse. The inside of the gourd, if some of the dried material and seeds are left, provides some nesting material and is much more natural than a plastic or resin type birdhouse.

Gourds can make very decorative birdhouses. They can be left natural by just cleaning off the loose skin and sanding the outside to make a very attractive rustic type birdhouse. On the other hand, gourds are very easy to decorate in just about any way that suits your fancy. Many artists love to work with gourds and designs can be handpainted on them, or by using woodburning tools, many beautiful decorations can be added to the gourds.

Birdhouse gourds are really very easy to grow and a lot of fun to decorate. Just one plant can produce 10 to 20 gourds in a nice variety of sizes and shapes. Keep in mind, though, that these are big gourds and grow on a fairly large vine, so you will need to have some space to grow them successfully. They grow quite well up a fence or arbor which would save some ground space.

Gourds are harvested in the fall after the vines have died down. They need to be stored in a dry area and left to finish drying and curing. This usually takes several months and you can tell when they are ready by shaking the gourd. If you can hear dry seeds rattling inside, they are cured and ready to be made into a birdhouse.

For more information on how to finish and decorate your gourds, visit http://www.myprairiegardenhome.com/.

For some unusual, decorated gourd birdhouses visit http://www.darlsprairiecreations.com/.

Author: Darlene Anderson

Darlene Anderson has been gardening and watching birds for many years. She grows birdhouse gourds and makes unique birdhouses on her prairie farm.

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Grow Birdhouse Gourds

While you’re planting food and flowers in your garden, why not plant a garden craft, as well? Birdhouse Gourds or Bottle Gourds (Lagenaria siceraria) are one of the thick-skinned gourds that are mainly grown for crafts or decoration.

Bird Lovers 101: A Good House Idea!

I found out that a House Wren is nesting in the gourd. It has a very creative idea for its bird house! It is built by fine sticks, piled on each other. There is also a hollow in the pile, where its eggs and chicks will be.

Birdhouse And Bowl Gourds

This natural birdhouse can last up to 30 years. Learn our easy technique for making birdhouses out of gourds. Purple martins will be flocking to your backyard.

Confessions Of A Compulsive Crafter

I found a few dried gourds last fall at a thrift shop and one of those happened to be a birdhouse gourd. When dried, birdhouse gourds are tough like thin plywood, and are commonly used for birdhouses and other craftiness.

About Drying Bird House Gourds

There is need to be very patient when it concerns drying bird house gourds because this process is a time consuming affair for which there are no shortcuts. It is necessary to ensure that drying bird house gourds is taken seriously.

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