The fall and winter months offer a time to clean and care for your martin houses and make sure they are ready for the spring season next year. Purple Martin home maintenance is usually not too difficult. It consists of making small repairs to your Purple Martin homes, checking your mounting hardware and possibly adding accessories to make your site ideal for Purple Martin colonies.
Many Purple Martin hobbyists remove their homes from the poles for winter storage. This protects the unit from harsher weather and keeps other birds from overtaking the nests. 
After taking down the home for the winter, remove all the nesting material and clean each compartment of the purple martin home thoroughly with a mild detergent. This prevents any parasites or disease from contaminating the home over the winter months. Place the house in your garage or basement for winter storage.Â
If you choose not to store the home, make sure that you add door stops to the unit to keep house sparrows and European starlings from overtaking the nests. Next, do a thorough check of your mounting hardware. Martin house poles that are faulty and not maintained can be a safety risk for the birds, you and your kids.Â
If you have a telescoping purple martin pole, check that all parts are present and the locking mechanism is seated properly. Clean any rusted areas with a sander. If your purple martin pole system includes a pulley, or other rope mechanism, oil the pulley. Replace the rope if necessary (frayed etc..).Â
Inspect the concrete or soil surrounding the pole for foundation issues. Ensure that the pole is study. Make sure that your predator guard is seated properly on the pole and hasn’t been damaged by squirrels or raccoons.Â
Fall and winter is an excellent time to maintain your martin house and equipment. By removing or closing the home for winter, access is denied to house sparrows or starlings, and gives you an opportunity to check for safety and health issues with the equipment.