How to Convert Purple Martin House to a Bluebird House

Purple martins are large North American swallows that have striking purple and black coloration. Bird enthusiasts welcome these social birds into their gardens and encourage breeding behaviors by setting up birdhouses. A common birdhouse for purple martins is a hollowed-out gourd. If you are not having luck attracting martins to your garden, you can easily clean and convert the house to attract bluebirds.

Purple martin birdhouse
Sandpaper
Mild cleaning solution
Wire hanger
Electric drill

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the martin house from its present location. Ensure that the house is not currently inhabited by any martin residents.
- 2
  Bend your wire hanger to create a hook. Using the hanger, gently prod the inside of the gourd to break up any existing nests. Once the nests are broken up, shake the gourd to let the debris fall out of the entry hole.
- 3
  Using your mild cleaning solution, cleanse the inside and outside of the birdhouse. Pour the cleaning solution inside the house and move the gourd to ensure that the solution has completely coated the inside of the gourd. Using clean water, carefully rinse away all of the cleaning solution.
- 4
  Let the gourd thoroughly air dry after cleaning. Using your sandpaper, gently sand the entry hole to ensure there are no rough spots on which the birds could get hurt when entering the house. If your birdhouse is not already equipped with drainage holes, use your drill to create three to five 1/4-inch drainage holes at the bottom of the gourd.
- 5
  Hang the birdhouse. You may want to relocate the birdhouse to encourage bluebirds to nest. If you are installing more then one bluebird house, put at least 100 yards between the houses. Install the house with the entrance hole facing east or north to avoid having the sun overheat the box during the summer.

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