Location, Location, Location -
It is very important to choose the right location for your housing. One of the main reasons landlords fail to attract Martins is incorrect placement of housing. Martin housing should be in the largest open space about 30 to 120 feet from human housing. There should be no trees within 40 feet - preferably 60 feet - of Martin housing.

Southern Landlords -
Martins are less fussy and will tolerate trees as close as 25 feet.

Housing should be Accessible -
Landlords, who have the best success, own Purple Martin housing that raises and lowers - vertically - and have easy access to nesting compartments.

Conduct Weekly Nest Checks -
Many landlords are reluctant to lower housing for fear of abandonment. Purple Martins will not abandon their nest due to raising or lowering housing. Purple Martins will abandon a site that is overrun with house sparrows, starlings, or you may have experienced a predator attack and check your nest for mites, if found replace the nest. ALL of the CUE racks raise and lower to conduct easy nest checks!

By doing weekly nest checks, you can monitor the activity of your Martins, look for signs of any problems, and hopefully catch them before a serious problem arises.