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Your gourds are now ready to craft.
Cutting a 2-inch hole in the side of the gourd is easiest with a hole saw attachment for a power drill. A hole saw attachment could oe found at most hardware stores. Next, remove all the dried debris, seeds, etc. by scraping with a long metal spoon. Drill seven 5/16” drainage holes in the bottom and a set in the neck for hanging.
After getting to this point we want our gourds to last as long as possible. To achieve this the gourds must be painted, otherwise the sun and rain could cause them to crack open, spilling any occupants to the ground. A gourd will normally only last two or three years if left to weather naturally.
To get the longest life from, your gourds I recommend dipping them in a good water sealer and allowing the gourd to dry for at least 48 hours before painting. Follow directions on the water seal you choose for best results.
When the gourds have been dipped and allowed to dry, roughen the skin slightly to help the paint to adhere to the gourd. I think gourds painted with two coats of white, polyurethane, high gloss enamel does the best job. The white color allows birds to see the dark entrance hole from great heights. A dark color will absorb heat from the sun and the baby birds will likely die from the high temperature inside the house. Any good quality exterior paint will be adequate. Never paint the inside of a birdhouse because the odor from the paint may make the birds ill.
Use the set of holes drilled in the neck of your gourd to insert a wire hanger, or simply thread a wire through the holes and stretch the wire between two posts.
I suggest purchasing a telescoping martin pole and attaching a gourd rack to hang your gourds from, this seems to be the preferred method by most Purple Martin enthusiasts. Most birds wall want no other birdhouses nearby, however Purple Martins live in colonies and you should place at least eight to 12 gourds on each pole. Once martins find your site, your colony will grow each year.
Happy Birding!
Flint Hill bird watcher Jim Bywaters welcomes reader mail, responses, suggestions, PO. Box 8, Flint Hill, Va. 22627 or e-mail him at jbbjr@rmaonline.net.
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