Deterring Barn Swallows

[Tpondel]

They keep trying to build under a protected area of our deck.

I cut up some old water bottles leaving jagged edges. Hopefully this deters them.

 

[riptides]

It took me five years before i got them all out of my barn. A nesting pair tried again just the other day. You have to remove the nest everyday and make sure they have zero access. That may mean temp screening material until they get the message.

 

[Jrasband]

I just leave them to do there thing.They are incredible fliers that eat mosquitoes, gnats, and flies. They only stick around the barn for about a month out of the year while they raise there young. You can put a bucket under there nest to catch there fertilizer too.

 

[Tpondel]

I just leave them to do there thing.They are incredible fliers that eat mosquitoes, gnats, and flies. They only stick around the barn for about a month out of the year while they raise there young. You can put a bucket under there nest to catch there fertilizer too.

I have no issues with the birds, but they’re trying to build a nest where we walk out of the house and on to the deck.

We have a barn 75 feet away they’re welcome to use. Just not my house

 

[newbury]

I just leave them to do there thing.They are incredible fliers that eat mosquitoes, gnats, and flies. They only stick around the barn for about a month out of the year while they raise there young. You can put a bucket under there nest to catch there fertilizer too.

And collect guano!

 

[Torvy]

When I was a kid, the ones who nested in the wrong places tended to die of copper poisoning. Also, knock down the nests as soon as they go up.

Great birds to have around, but they are messy.

 

[oosik]

I have cliff swallows. Probably same as barn swallows - except where they nest. I get 6 to 8 nests up under the eves on the shady side of the house.

Yes - I do get swallow crap on the side of the house and a little on the Taco Wagon. Nothing that can't be washed off.

I have a LARGE group that nest in the bedrock cliffs down this side of my little lake. Estimate - 250 to 300 birds.

Neither those that nest on the house eves nor on the bedrock cliffs are ever bothered.

Swallow eat mosquitos. I seldom see a single mosquito as long as the swallows are here. It's a small price to pay.

 

[Willman]

On our family farm years ago we had many nests up on the ceiling beams of the tractor shed, they would come back year after year
My dad would tolerate them but still complained about the crap on the equipment

 

[5030]

When I was a kid, the ones who nested in the wrong places tended to die of copper poisoning. Also, knock down the nests as soon as they go up.

Great birds to have around, but they are messy.

Been my experience that ALL birds are messy. The beak to the butt is a straight shot...lol I encourage them to inhabit the shed nest to the barn. Keeps the bugs at bay, especially mosquito's.

 

[Willman]

Been my experience that ALL birds are messy. The beak to the butt is a straight shot...lol I encourage them to inhabit the shed nest to the barn. Keeps the bugs at bay, especially mosquito's.

They do eat a lot of bugs, when Im mowing my fields they are constantly swooping and diving all around the tractor having a good time

 

[CliffordK]

They don't really do much, although my mother had a horse that got really sick a few years ago. Perhaps Salmonella.

Anyway, after that birds nests were knocked out of the horse stalls, and hay was covered.

There are still places in the barn they can nest in peace.

 

[oosik]

I'm sure I would be singing a different tune if all the 250, or so, swallows decided to nest in the eves of my house. The house eves are a MUCH shorter trip than the rock cliffs on my lake. Especially when you have a beak full of mud. Those two groups get their mud from two different places - thankfully.

 

[rgr33]

I wish There were more swallows around here, I have houses all over the place for swallows and bluebirds.

Prolific insect eaters in the vineyards

 

[Cycledude]

The barn where I grew up had loads of barn swallows living under the eves, I would love to have them living under the eves of the barn where I live now. Even tried putting a nice board under the eves for a nice building spot but all I got was a couple Robbin’s nests.
Also put up a Purple Martin house and so far no luck there either, a few have come around looking but none have moved in.

 

[Tpondel]

View attachment 877820They keep trying to build under a protected area of our deck.

I cut up some old water bottles leaving jagged edges. Hopefully this deters them.

Update. This seems to be working. Saw two swallows fly under the roof yesterday, flopped around the corners a bit then flew off.

Plenty of other areas to nest. Just want them away from our entrances.