Competition is another reason Purple Martins may not return as the sites have been claimed by others and then aggressively chase the martins away. Tearing out nests may prevent the competition from housing in the purple martin birdhouse. Resistant entry holes or plugging with paper cups or door stops and possibly putting up other housing will assist with keeping the competition out. You should check the birdhouse regularly.

Purple Martins like primarily to white houses. Dimensions should be at least 6x6 with the holes at least 1 inch above the floor and 2 1/8in diameter. You will want to have easy access to your home for site control and cleaning out any unwanted nests. To replace any active housing it is recommended to place the new Purple Martin birdhouse close to the current housing for at least one season.

Weather variations effect insect availability causing the martins to starve as insects are the primary source of food for these birds. Some weather extremes can produce insect numbers causing nest parasites. Never use pesticides in your homes. To get ride of the nest parasites, you may need to replace the infected nest.

By following these simple tips and being proactive. You will increase your abilities to keep and/or bring the desired Purple Martins to your site. You may also want to learn more about migrating maps for the Purple Martins to find out when you should expect to have the martins migrating to your specific area.