Construct Manmade Nests

Construct manmade nests in the compartments. A great attraction device when luring in martins to nest for the first time is to provide a nest in the compartments waiting for them to take possession. Martins are like people when it comes to housing accommodations. Would you rather move into a home with nothing in it, or a home already furnished with the finest furniture and appliances for free?? I highly recommend building a nest pad approximately 1-1/2" thick of materials that martins would NATURALLY use to construct a nest (not cedar shavings) such as dry pine needles, dry leaves, small pieces of pine bark, or short twigs. And to really make this "nest" attractive, smear a little wet mud to the BOTTOM OUTSIDE edge of the entrance hole, and put liquid mud into a paper cup and pour some INTO the INSIDE of the entrance hole to replicate the mud "dam" that martins will build in the fronts of their nest. Others have testified here on the forum that this has done the trick for them.

-- From Kent Justus