Placing Your Purple Martin House In The Correct Location
First off, remember that your purple martins are not humans. Therefore, they do not want to be tucked under an awning of your house or placed underneath an overhang directly next to the house. They want a little room. Ideally, you should not place your purple martin house within 15 feet of your home or any trees. This will help with them feeling more secure and it seems to me that it is logical that they would be able to find your purple martin house a little easier if it is clearly visible.Secondly, you do not want to place your purple martin house in the middle of a forest. There are a couple of reasons for this, but one of them is for your own benefit. Part of having purple martin houses is being able to walk outside and see them flying around and hearing their chirping. It is a really enjoyable time of the year for bird enthusiasts. If your purple martin house is too far away, you will not be able to enjoy them, and likewise, for many who have purple martins far away they do not do a very good job of maintaining their homes. This leads to many colonies dwindling to nothing, or never becoming established.
Lastly, always keep your predators in mind. Purple martins are very picky about where they nest due to the problems with predators. If you have trees overhanging towards the purple martin house, this may cause them to skip your house in favor of another one that looks more like a safe place for them. Make sure trees are trimmed 10 ̣€“ 15 feet away from the purple martin house. Also, ensure that brush at the bottom of the poles is kept low. They want a clear opportunity to be able to escape if a predator does come in to attack. They are smart enough to realize whether your purple martin house offers this opportunity or not.