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Mosquito Hunters
Purple Martins
Throughout most of North America, during the summer months, Purple Martins are a common sight. They feed on mosquitoes and other insects while flying. Purple Martin Scouts arrive in
late March and will congregate in large groups until late August and early September. Then they depart for
wintering grounds in South America. Once they have established a nest the will return each year to that same location, providing they survive the migration and winter months. They will return and raise their young and about 10% of their young will return to the same place they were hatched.
The Purple Martin only feeds during the day, unfortunately most mosquitoes come out at night. Despite this fact a single Purple Martin will consume up to 2,000 flying insects a day making them a valuable ally against flying pests in the summer months.
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Attract Purple Martins to Your Yard with a Purple Martin House.:
Purple Martin Houses
This photograph is of a Purple Martin Colony, made of about 2 dozen nests. There are many styles of houses that you can build or purchase. The style is not as important as the positioning of the house. They must be placed on a pole or pipe 12 to 18 feet high in an open area away from
trees, this keeps them safe from predators. Have your house ready by the middle of March and clean out the old nests in late September then block the holes for fall and winter to keep other birds from nesting in them. Purple Martins usually lay four or five eggs, their incubation is about two weeks, and the young Martins first flight is about four weeks. Purple Martins build only one nest per year, unless the first attempt is an early failure.
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