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Your cart is empty.Heath Outdoors 2 piece purple martin gourds available in 8 pack 30008. Purple Martin Gourds, in the eastern portion of the country are totally dependent on man made housing. Originally, Native Americans discovered that, if they put up hollowed out gourds, martins would use them for nesting. How this was discovered nobody really knows for sure, but they soon noticed that these martins would drive away some pests and predators such as crows and hawks. they also discovered that the martins consumed large quantities of pesky flying insects thus; the more gourds they put up, the more martins came and the fewer insect were around. Before long the martins learned to move from the trees to the gourds and around humans.
Hélène Lemieux
Reviewed in Canada on February 4, 2025
O.k.
Jeff Baker
Reviewed in Canada on August 8, 2024
Pretty cheaply made they don’t fit together very well. I had to use clear duct tape to hold mine together would not buy again.
L English
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2024
My existing gourd nestbox had been commandeered by house sparrows so I purchased more for my tree swallows that appear every spring. As soon as I hung up one, the swallows appeared and stuck their heads inside to check it out! They like them 4-6’ off the ground in an area close to a street or field. If you don’t have a tree branch that’s the proper height, a shepherd’s hook will work. They like the opening facing the sun but not the prevailing wind. If they don’t show interest in one, try another place in the yard that’s not too close to another nestbox. I clean them with a Lysol solution in October and then hang them back up so the scouts will find them in early spring. Tree swallows are first to arrive and last to leave. They will eat stinging insects, aren’t afraid of you and put on acrobatic flying shows. All they need is this nestbox and clean water from you.
Rick
Reviewed in Canada on March 21, 2023
These plastic gourds are for Purple Martin nests. They are easy to assemble and are solid once put together.
Paule
Reviewed in Canada on March 12, 2022
j'ai commander le 4 pack, car j'avais lu des commentaire qui disait que l'assemblage était médiocre, Quand j'ai reçu mes gourdes j'étais très satisfaite , belle grandeur et très bon produit. très facile à monter. Il me reste plus que la neige fonde pour pouvoir les installé(j'ai très hâte) et espère que les hirondelles viennent y nicher, pour mon plus grand bonheur. Je recommande se produits à tous, car beau et très bien fait. Merci entièrement satisfaite
Customer
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2022
These four Heath gourds (Products 30004) could've been and should've been great, but... they seem more like prototypes than finished products. I admire Heath products, so this has been a rude surprise!The four martin gourds came in halves - front and back - but they mated poorly. It was clear they had deformed since manufacture. As all four had the identical problem, I believe the defect was first in design, and then progressed in storage - not in shipment in the cold of winter.The joint between the halves could be made tight on one side at the expense of the other side opening up. Other products might've used locking tabs around the joint, but these gourds must be opened for cleaning so locking tabs could be a problem. Similarly gluing wouldn't be a good idea. The obvious solution would be to add a screw on each side like the one atop the gourd; that would easily prevent any gap yet permit separating it for cleaning.I infer they're aware of the problem as their instruction manual reads: "During shipment, some distortion may occur. If gourd does not stay together you can reshape by heating with a portable hair dryer and holding together until cool." How many products have you received with THAT advice?Neither I nor my martins have a hair (feather?) dryer, but we'll borrow one (and I may update this after the experience).I can't exclude the possibility my gourds were exposed to unpredictable abuse prior to delivery, but I can say that added side screws would've precluded my problems and the need to hair dryers in the instructions.
Ronald Horst
Reviewed in Canada on May 17, 2021
Have not yet attracted any Blue Martins. Have been up since mid April. I am still hopeful, but I can't rate them accurately until they have run their course with the arrival season. It is for a new colony.
Jane Smith
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2020
This is my first year with Martins. I have a 3 yr old martin house but the sparrows were being horrible. I attached four gourds to the bottom of the house with wire and the sparrows abandoned the house that day. To me that is a win whether the martins decide to nest in them or only the house. I had 2 male martins and one female hanging around the martin house for 2 months and as soon as I added the gourds -about an hour later a second female showed up. I think it make it more attractive and it spooked the sparrows enough to finally leave. We may need to wait until next year to see if they like the gourds since they have already claimed the house. I have seen starlings and house finches swoop by to check them out but they have not stayed. They took a little wrestling and hair drying to get them together and you wont be able to open the to do checks on the chicks with these but it is an affordable gourd option and they should be easy to clean out at the end of the season. They are my starter gourds and we will see how they go
Customer
Reviewed in Canada on September 13, 2019
Easy to assemble, and take apart to clean. Had only house occupied this year but they were put up late.
Brad in BC
Reviewed in Canada on February 5, 2019
Dead of winter, so no birds to test. Very rigid and easy to assemble, or disassemble for cleaning. Changed from houses to gourds to protect birds from squirrels, and other predatory birds. Solid with ample drainage in bottom, impressed with rigidity of material. Walls are about 1/8 th. of an inch thick, solid against elements.
LindyLou123
Reviewed in Canada on May 26, 2018
awesome product....easy to put together & the Purple Martins have already found it!!!~~~
M. Fahle
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2014
These martin houses are thin, lightweight, two piece plastic that snap together easily. I used white electric tape to seal the seam around the gourd to help keep them sealed and together. I drilled the hole at the top larger to mount them and they installed easily and quickly. I snapped out the piece in the entry because the martins seemed to have a difficult time getting in with it in place. These houses are smaller yet they sway more easily in the wind than our larger, heavier gourds even though I used electrical tape on the mounting rods on each side to make a tight mounting fit. The birds seem not to mind.... It will be necessary to take these apart next spring to clean them out but it was easy to do that so it is not an issue (our older ones have a built-in screw lid for easy access). So if you want more martin house w/o paying much, these are excellent choices so far (they have been up for three weeks).
J. Hoerth
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2011
I just got these a few weeks back. They went together really easy and seem to be well built, and they are MADE IN THE USA!!! I bought a cheap plastic martin house 3 years ago and I get martin vistors every year that hang around for a few minutes to an hour or so but they never stay. My back yard should be a martin paradise since we have 2 lakes here on our property. I'm hoping these will get them to stay and form a starter colony this year. I'm thinking a drop of silicone caulk on the seam on each side of the gourd might be wise as it would guarantee them holding up to high winds. And silicone is easy to peel off or cut. I hope these hold up to the sun as most types of plastic take a beating. Anybody out there with experience as to their long term durabilty?
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