Birds in barn

[arkydog]

I hope someone can help! The 30' X 40" wood barn that I'm restoring because the uprights are sinking from rot and termites. Hope to keep the tractor and implements in there. While in the process of restoration, the front and back sliding doors had to be taken down. With no doors, the birds have taken over building nests. I tried 3 rubber snakes and hanging string down 6" apart in the openings and the birds still fly in. Any suggestions?

Thanks

arkydog

 

[beenthere]

If you have cats, make the nesting areas accessible to the cats. Do this by placing 2x6 planks (or similar) around the barn, so the cats can "walk the plank" and get the birds at night while they perch and nest.

This worked real well in a large shed that had bird problems. It didn't take the cats long to figure out how to use the planks. The nesting problem was reduced to near nothing.

 

[MikeInIdaho]

You are unlikely to get nesting birds to leave without killing them. Most people wait until they are not nesting and block off suitable nest spots. Just installing the doors in a couple months would probably do the trick. There are also electronic repellers but they only prevent birds from building new nests, they won't cause nesting birds to abandon their eggs/young.

 

[Slamfire]

Sounds like a job for Mo-skeet-o. But one of them would probably cost more than the barn. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[EddieWalker]

I had a nest in a 2 inch PVC union. Three eggs hatched and all survived. Everyday i'd look in on them and watch mama bird try to sneek around me into the barn to feed them.

One day about two weeks ago, they were all gone.

 

[texbaylea]

My two big roll up doors, one 12' x 12' and the other 8' x 8' were invitations to birds until I took some of those CDs AOL was always sending out, put them back to back and hung them on string from the bottom of the doors. One set about every two feet. they would move in the wind and scare the birds off. Once they start a nest, you will have to destroy the nest to get them to leave.

 

[Soundguy]

While birds don't particularly bother me... mice and rats do. I used to loose quite a bit of feed to them. The answer was a good barn cat. You'll find that a good barn cat isn't expensive either.. in fact.. from what I've seen.. the cheaper a cat is.. the better a barn cat it is.

Since most of my 'pets' are stray's or humane society rescue's.. I'm pretty lucky. I've got two mutt dogs that were about to be put down at the H/S.. and I'm quite sure they would drag me out of a burning building.. or eat an intruder alive if they attacked me. Same with my scruffy barn cat... I call her the 'terminator'.. as every morning she has 'terminated' some form of wildlife and has it on display by the barn when i go out to feed the livestock.

Soundguy

 

[arkydog]

Thank you for the replies.

been there- there would be either flying cat hair or dog hair and I wouldn't want to see that. thanks. (see reply below)

mike in Idaho- It might be a lot longer than 2-3 months since I might be going in for back surgery in a couple of weeks. I will try keeping the nest knocked down and hope that will make it better. thanks

Slamfire- I don't know what Mo-skeet-o is. I'm on some really good pain medicine for my back. Never did drugs when I was younger, but after being on this pain drug, now I wish I would have done them! Ha Ha ! thanks.

EddieWalker- There are about 8 nest in the barn and you get bombarded when you come near. From a distance its neat to watch the birds fly in and out.

texbaylea- I'm trying the string 3" apart today over the openings and if that doesn't work, I' try the CD's. thanks

soundguy- If some of the other remedies don't work, I just might try a cat. Since it sometimes gets down close to 0 degrees in the winter, what do you do for the cat since in the house is not an option?

thanks

arkydog

 

[Laminarman]

Those little tiny bird shot loaded in a .22 case works well in either a pistol or long gun, and won't hurt the barn any.

 

[beenthere]

Not sure what "flying dog or cat hair" has to do with the bird problem, but a cat will take the birds out of your barn if they have a route to get to them. The cat can walk the plank and the dog will not, so it saves on cat hair. Cats can be outside in the barn at 0 degrees, no problem (but that time of year, the birds are not nesting either). With your back, sounds like that is the most immediate problem, and hope you get better soon.

I was also going to suggest Fed shot shell (better than bird shot works) in 22 cal for pistol or rifle. It works real well.

Our humane society will not allow a cat or dog to leave until:
* they find out what the owner plans to get the cat for (barn cat is not an option).
* you come to the shelter and the animal demonstrates a likeness for you (at least two trips, if not more).