Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Temperature range for using Quickcrete?

I was wondering why I had some lower back issues this evening, then I remembered lifting bags of concrete into the truck at Home D into the truck this morning.

My digging bar has lain unused under the back porch since 2010, got it out this evening, it seems to have grown heavier during that time 🙂

I put up ten of these things back then in about as many Saturdays, I’m really glad I only have to do one this time around, it might take a while.

Hi Gary,

I believe I started in ‘97, got em the first year, leveled off at around thirty pairs now.

Purple martins are in decline around San Antonio, it’s a generational thing, the Greatest Generation and their Boomer offspring put up housing, after they passed on or moved the aluminum houses they left up, even if not taken down by later householders, are steadily falling apart.

Twelve maybe fifteen years back we located more than 200 Martin houses or gourds within a four mile radius, most of which were old and failing, about half of which hosted martins, most often 2or 3 pairs. I’d guess at least around 2/3,of those houses are gone now.

Cooper’s hawks are rapidly increasing here, that ain’t gonna help any either.

Exactly. You will have a tiny fraction of the concrete mass exposed to air temps. I’ll bet you ground temp is warm enough to not have a problem.

A local road had bike path railings set in concrete last year in November. It was around zero degrees. Regular mix and they just put concrete blankets on top for a week. Zero issues.

Ya, would forego the accelerant, I opt for warm water and some extra portland in the mix before I use chorides. Your temps are just fine as mentioned and would still cover with some type of barrier for insurance as it never hurts. All good advice here.....

A little more expensive than concrete.
Definitely more convenient.
Utility companies switched to this years ago.
(different formulation obviously, but still expanding poly foam)
I have only used for mailbox, worked fine.

Hi Birdwatcher,

Every year after my first year I had all full compartments. I have to say here in W. PA we have many landlords, lots of Amish. Birds Paradise is only 40 minutes away from my farm and I interact with them on a weekly basis. We have major late summer roosting areas (Presqule Isle in Erie, PA and Portage Lakes in Ohio) within 1 hour drives. In our area Purple Martins are in high concentrations if you have the correct setting (pond, no trees close by, open fields, and close by large lake). I am lucky I have the perfect scenario and I just love them. On a summer evening we have 20-30 cars cruise by to watch and listen to the birds.

If you are ever in PA or OH, please contact me, I will take you on a tour of the area and you will see hundreds of colonies both public and private. Very nice talking to you, take care and good luck with your Gemini Gourd Pole.

Gary

Tks Gary,

Whereas up in PA cold snaps in the spring are probably the major weather-related worry, heat and drought are our concerns down here. Our martins first show up in late Jan/early Feb and commence breeding second half of March/early April..

In a bad dry year fledging success approaches zero, 103 degree heat in late May doesn’t help the nestlings either.

I figure just about now, somewhere above the Brazilian rain forest, a few martins are starting to get the urge to return to that specific place on the urban West Side of distant San Antonio, TX 🙂

Good luck with your martins this year 😎

Thanks again everyone for the input 😎 I set the ground stake this morning.

I also discovered that while I thought I was getting old in my fifties, there ain’t any lingering doubts about that here in my sixties.

So I got it done this morning, and if I wake up without sciatica tomorrow morning it’s all good 🙂

Don’t let the old man in, Mike.