How to stop birds from building nests in my tractor?

BarnyardEngineering

Well-known Member

Location

Rochester, NY

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

What is making birds INSIST on building nests in my IH 1586? Back in the spring I found a fresh nest on top of the valve cover. Mud was still wet. Later I found another fresh nest on top of the right battery under the cab floor. Destroyed that one, but less than 24 hours later they built another nest and had laid 2 eggs in it. The 2 eggs became 4, and the 4 eggs became 4 little mutant aliens.

FINALLY, today, the nest is empty, so I tore it out and destroyed it. EVICTED!

Now, how to keep them from coming back? I've read that robins will lay a second brood once the first has left the nest.

They are interested in the tractor, not the location. They find it if I move it. They rebuild if I destroy. It's like waterfront property in hurricane territory.

 

C

centash

Well-known Member

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

Leave it run? Lol. You may be able to apply some bird rid to flat surfaces. This
product is used to prevent birds from roosting on rafters etc. In sheds

Ben

 

K

Kansas4010

Well-known Member

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

Had the same problem with a stock trailer.
My niece found on the internet cheap
perfume drives them away. She didn't tell
me about it until after she tried it. I
couldn't figure out why my trailer smelled
so purty until she burst out laughing. I
found this cheap knock off from Walmart
works the best. Any time I see the start
of a nest I squirt some on and that's it.
Seems to work for me.

 

M

Michael Soldan

Well-known Member

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

Throw a tarp over the engine when not in use

 

O

old

Well-known Member

Location

Camdenton Missouri

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

Large rubber snake or some such will maybe do that

 

D

David Snipes

Member

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

I wonder if they are attracted to red? I have several green & orange tractors & one gray one, they never have had a nest in them. A friend
of mine has a red swather and he has had one nest in his.

 

OP

OP

BarnyardEngineering

Well-known Member

Location

Rochester, NY

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

Funny. We have all red tractors. So far it's only THIS tractor and THIS year...

 

J

jal-SD

Well-known Member

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

Net wrap stapled from ceiling down to each rafter works as a great deterrent to sparrows in machine sheds. PIA to install, but once done solves sparrow problem permanently in my experience.

 

F

Fred47M

Member

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

Or a fake owl, keeps Bluejays from stealing the cats food for a long while till they get wise. I think it was about 7.99 at farm store.

 

D

Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

I've yet to see a robin nest inside a closed up barn. That is where I keep the 1586. I have brushes on the bottom of the doors. Not even the sparrows get inside.

 

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

I had to cover a friends briggs engine with
hardware cloth to keep the mice form making a
nest on top of engine and chewing on spark plug
wire.

You may have to cover engine with chicken wire.

 

5

504

Well-known Member

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

I would try moth balls,pretty strong smell and cheap at the dollar stores.

 

S

SVcummins

Well-known Member

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

They crap on anything I have thats black .

 

S

ss55

Well-known Member

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

Mud nests sounds like swallows. Wasp spray on the area they are trying to build nests.

 

S

Stephen Newell

Well-known Member

• Jun 25, 2021

• #1

Rubber snakes work pretty good.

 

560Dennis

Well-known Member

Location

Madison,Ohio

• Jun 26, 2021

• #1

Blue tarp , dont cost much , use something to keep from tearing tarp over sharp stuff .

 

N

NEKS

Well-known Member

• Jun 26, 2021

• #1

Son lives in town. Had a black car that he parked along curb. The only black car in the whole block
and it was just covered in crap. Well two houses down had a big vacant lot behind and trees. The
crows would nest in them trees and that black car must of been in there flight pass.

 

M

muleman51

Member

• Jun 26, 2021

• #1

Mice are terrible for coming back. When I repaired grain dryers there were some we rewired every year. No matter how much poison you put out or tried sealing them up it would happen. Maybe if you chained a cat there you could stop the rascules.

 

B

Bill(Wis)

Well-known Member

• Jun 26, 2021

• #1

Call Morton Buildings, Inc. Order their Deluxe machine shed in whatever size. Deluxe model has vented soffits and vented ridge.
You'll have no moisture buildup in that kind of design and, as long as you keep the doors closed, complete bird and bat-proofing.