How to rid huge barn of birds?

[fidowanttobe]

I'm serious. These work very well. Batteries last about a month or can be plugged in, I put them out early spring to keep barn swallows from making mud nests on my concrete building at work. Very large commercial building, 2 on each outside wall early in the spring and no nests. Otherwise I have a major battle.

Balcony Gard Ultrasonic Bird Repeller 110V

The Balcony Gard is an electronic device that emits a high and low pitched frequency that repels many types of birds and rodents without the use of chemicals or poisons.

www.solutionsstores.com

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I can't thank everyone enough for all the fantastic ideas. We just got back, I went through the barn, it was cleaned yesterday & today you'd never know it. Upstairs in loft birds were dive bombing me the whole time.
There are two open places where soffit is open under eaves and open end vents.

 

[masseyrider]

Personally I've never understood the "let nature take over" attitude. I've lived in the country all my life and you have to take control otherwise the nuisance plants, poison ivy, honeysuckle, sumac, wild grape, weeds, etc. takes over. Same with animals, ground hogs under buildings, mice, coyote, deer, etc. We had foxes, cute watching them play until neighbors chickens all over our pastures, deer destroying fruit trees, flowers, etc. Getting rid of them now we're starting to see turkey, quail & rabbits.
Cats take care of rats & mice. If you want destruction just let nature take over your property.
This big barn had been cleaned then within a few days loft, stalls & floors covered in bird crap. Here it is:
"Bird droppings can carry various pathogens, including bacteria and fungi, that can cause illnesses like psittacosis, histoplasmosis, and cryptococcosis. These pathogens can be inhaled when dry bird droppings are disturbed, becoming airborne."
Other people can welcome letting nature take over but I'm not one.

Nature did just fine for billions of years before crotchety old guys thought they needed to take over.

 

[ning]

Nature did just fine for billions of years before crotchety old guys thought they needed to take over.

I pull poison oak (nobody likes it) & scotch broom (invasive, flammable); I remove tree branches that are below 6' or so (fire ladder fuels); I manage blackberries (invasive but delicious) in specific areas and pull the rest; I wait for wildflowers to bloom and seed before mowing and trimming.

It's a nice place, but occasionally looks a bit ragged. Without any crotchety old guy action though, it would rapidly be completely overgrown with brush and then fairly regularly burned to the ground.

 

[tacticalturnip]

Nature did just fine for billions of years before crotchety old guys thought they needed to take over.

It sure did, through the use of forest fires. That kept a lot real clean though history. Occasional local and extinction level flushing of life comes down from the heavens.

Yeah, nature can do fine for nature, it doesn't do well for the artificial creations we inhabit. Homes, vehicles, etc, nature loves to break down and destroy it all, and us, frankly.

But hey, **** our friend here for wanting to get rid of some birds.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Nature did just fine for billions of years before crotchety old guys thought they needed to take over.

Right. We should all live naked in the woods.
Bosoms everywhere.

 

[ning]

Right. We should all live naked in the woods.
Bosoms everywhere.

Crotchety old man bosoms
and it doesn't get much better from there either

 

[tacticalturnip]

Right. We should all live naked in the woods.
Bosoms everywhere.

That sounds fun until reality sets in.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Why do I read these replies with a mouthful of Pepsi. I'm a glutton for punishment.
And as usual, topic from bird poop to old man bosoms! View attachment 3544030

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

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[MossRoad]

I've been around them occasionally and personally, I find the random distress calls unsettling. But perhaps one gets used to it with time. I will say that the Bird Gards did keep the areas clear of birds.

All the best,

Peter

We had bird distress calls on the roof of my last employer.... they were covered in pigeon poop.

 

[MossRoad]

It's a long-long story and not our barn...yet.
Thanks so much for replies and it helps in my consideration of whether at our age we want taking on that project. I can post pictures and here's one showing part of inside. It is a "yuge" barn that's had lots of money put in it already. View attachment 3540001

Nice looking barn!

Not much you can legally do at this time of year if the nests have eggs or chicks, you can't touch them. Once the chicks are gone, you can spray the nests with high pressure water and they'll dissolve. Seal up the building and keep the doors closed is about all you can do after that. Maybe some owl dummies that you move around to keep them guessing. But if you don't seal it up, they'll return every year.

I run into this at my current job a few times a year.
- If you see a bird building a nest, you can take it down.
- If the nest has no eggs, you can take it down.
- If it has no eggs or chicks you can take it down.

Once there're eggs or chicks, (active nest) you can't legally touch it.

Too bad as barn swallows eats TONS of bugs and are very beneficial. It's always great to see them as long as they live somewhere else.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (16 U.S.C. 703-712) implements four international conservation treaties that the U.S.

www.fws.gov

 

[MossRoad]

Once they have built nests they're going to want to stay until the chick fledge. The time to exclude them is before they nest. Or you can remove nests as they build them.

BTW swallows are federally protected. It looks like it's ok to discourage them and even to remove nests but not if they have eggs or young. This page has a lot of good info in general and useful tips on removing/discouraging them: Nuisance swallows | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Like he said.

 

[MossRoad]

.View attachment 3544031

Stromboli?

 

[tacticalturnip]

.View attachment 3544031

I didn't realize I had so much in common with ol' Jack.

 

[masseyrider]

We had bird distress calls on the roof of my last employer.... they were covered in pigeon poop.

When I farmed I had dessert grapes the birds loved to destroy/eat.
I found the distress calls did little after a a couple days. Even if you moved them around like recommended.
The propane cannons had them heading for the hills the first day.
By the second day their panic level dropped somewhat.
By the start of the second week they were sitting on top of the cannon. When it went off they flew up a few feet and settled back down on their roost.
Birds are not birdbrains like we call them. They catch on quick.
Unlike many people.

 

[masseyrider]

I didn't realize I had so much in common with ol' Jack.

Yeah, I like a good sub/sandwich also.

 

[Tinhack]

Seal up the building and keep the doors closed is about all you can do after that.

Did you see the doors? Those "gates" are an open invitations for birds. A good start to closing it up is to put real doors on it. Looks like a horse barn. I'm guessing the stalls have openings to the outside as well.

 

[MossRoad]

If you want to keep birds out, you have to seal the building. No way around it.

I worked at the local airport for 6 years. Birds in the hangars were no good. So we kept the doors shut. If we could keep birds out of multiple huge hangars, it should be doable for a barn that has no animals in it.... seal it up or live with the birds.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Stromboli?

No...Nicholson