How to keep the birds out of your barn???

[TomSeller]

I am on my second year using one of these. It doesnt have to be turned way loud. ... At first you might think its not working. The birds dont suddenly fly away, but they dont hang out anymore and dont nest. I guess the building becomes a hi anxiety location.

The unit combines predator and distress calls for a variety of birds. Also helps if youre a wild card threat [yell, throw stuf, blo air, etc] during a call sequence if you happen to be there when it goes off.
larry

I have nesting bald eagles, are they bothered?

 

[the old grind]

I hope the OP has lower ceilings than some of us with a lot of 'airspace' to police. (suppose I could build a ... 'catwalk' way up there, but I wonder what breed of cat prefers heights and tastes bad to coyotes?) btw, Letting soffits lose pieces causes half of my bird-borne grief. Shouldn't take much to tighten-up a few spots but ... uh, OSHA doesn't want me up that high without an observer ...

I saw bird netting at the farm store the other day & should have plenty of room to drape a roll or two high, low, whatever, in bits here & there. I'll report back if it works. OP, do try more than one thing. (back to throwing an old bed-sheet over the hood for now ...)

 

[Hiltz]

Poison popcorn. That's what the big box stores use.

 

[oosik]

I have barn swallows and their mud nests. They don't go inside the building - their nests are in the eves. I've learned to love them and look at the good side - all the bugs they eat.

Its sure a lot easier than trying to remove all the nests every couple weeks or so.

 

[JSanders10]

I have barn swallows and their mud nests. They don't go inside the building - their nests are in the eves. I've learned to love them and look at the good side - all the bugs they eat.

Swallows... best mosquito traps God ever made. We love to see them nesting around our lake house.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I had nesting ospreys at our place on the Virginia coast, the male bird flew constantly over one corner of the deck to get from a tree to their nest, and made an awful mess. I got an inflatable 6ft rattlesnake and it worked perfectly, he immediately started flying in a semi circular path to avoid flying over the snake. Even after the snake got blown away in a storm he never flew over that corner of the deck again.

 

[zzvyb6]

I have nesting bald eagles, are they bothered?

I happen to think these 'distress calls' attract the hawk and eagle predators. My Red Tail pairs hang out closer to the barn now and I now have a few owls hanging around ("Who hoots for you"). Swallows still visit the barn front entrance but I have put a few nest boxes out on the fences to give them govt. provided Section 8 housing. I'm still trying to attract Martins if anybody has any suggestions. I found a large 24 apartment Martin house at an estate sale recently and have it ready to hoist up. My 12 room co-op condos haven't gotten any takers in the last two years..

 

[SPYDERLK]

I have nesting bald eagles, are they bothered?

Yep! But only if you do the wild card threat part with true gusto.

 

[etcallhome]

I know a business owner that , ties old computer disks to the rafters using fishing lines. He has them hanging down about 12" from the rafters , no birds in site.

 

[Mark 42]

Cats. 2 or 3 of them. They don't have to come in the house, but it's good to keep them tame by petting them
and give them treats when they come to you - that way if you need to catch them (e.g. for vet visit) you can.

Hardware cloth or chicken wire at every opening except where the cats go in and out.