CountryByNet.com Forums :: Purple Martins

tbolt, Try Google. I have seen lots of plans and instuctions on locating martin houses although after studying up on them I was less interested and did not build any. It seems that some university studies found no evidence to indicate that purple martins eat mosquitos. Lots of video taken of martins landing on perches outside their "appartments" but not a single mosquito was observed n their beaks when they wre feeding their young.

Apparently dragon flies are their prefered food. The down side to the misplaced idea that martins eat mosquitos is that they eat dragon flies which DO EAT MOSQUITOS. The net result of martin houses is an incrrease in the mosquito population which in these days of concern for West Nile virus and other mosquito carried disease makes the misinformation of martin house vendors a little suspect, honesty and morality wise.

Anyway, bats are the best mosquito getters on two wings.

Martins are beautiful birds and I wouldn't mind having them around but bats are a much better investment as regards mosquito control and martins are counter prioductive, mosquito wise.

Pat

"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"

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