Barn swallows

Cub n M in OR · Apr 25, 2009

Don't get me wrong, I like the heck out of the little boogers. But how do ya keep em from building their muddy nests on the front of the house? There are 3 barns, and a half dozen outbuildings on the place I'd be happy for them to nest on. I like havin em around to eat bugs, and like watching em fly around, just don't want em crapping on the front windows all summer. Been trying to discourage their building progress with a hose before they get goin, but...
Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Ben

leftyinSWIL · Apr 25, 2009

Try hanging a plastic owl near the nest

Anonymous-0 · Apr 25, 2009

High schoolers with Daisy BB rifles.

Nubian · Apr 25, 2009

Two words --

Rubber Snake

waltdavies · Apr 25, 2009

when I am working in a hay field they come in by the thousands to eat the bugs.

fixerupper · Apr 25, 2009

And when the young ones hatch the parents are snapping at your head from behind everytime you walk out the door. The rubber snake idea sounds interesting and humane. I finally had to shoot one last summer after knocking down the beginnings of a nest three times. They were nesting on top of the porch light. Jim

Billy NY · Apr 25, 2009

That and did you ever see one dive bomb a cat, they do that at our place, 1st time I've ever seen a bird harass a cat ! Insect eaters too, good to have around, but in some places they kinda make a nest, and they never stop showing up year after year.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 25, 2009

If they try building it on the house spray the area with furniture polish or something else with wax, the mud won't stick and eventually they will give up and move on, works for us on smooth wood siding

Mattlt · Apr 25, 2009

Probably an old wives tale, but I've been told that if the swallows build a nest in the building, it won't get struck by lightning that year.

xragman · Apr 25, 2009

Rubber snakes did NOT work on mine. Front poarch & carport. Hung a cd on string at each corner. They don't like the movement or light changes.Second year without the mud nests, so maybe this is working.

RayP(MI) · Apr 25, 2009

We had one enterprising set of swallows that used a paper wasp nest attached to a vinyl sided building as the base for their nest. It actually stuck there all summer. I like what the little guys do around the farmstead - EAT BUGS! Especially mosquitos. I don't like them building their nests inside buildings, and anointing the walls with their "marking." Also don't like being divebombed. Neither does family cat!

730 virgil · Apr 25, 2009

i like watching them and the cats swallows dive bombing the cats and the cats trying to catch them

ray sprague · Apr 25, 2009

washing there nest down with a hose has worked for me they dont like to have it removed hose it down a few times and they get the hint

John B. · Apr 25, 2009

Mattlt,

Do you mean an old wise tale??

Anonymous-0 · Apr 25, 2009

I hung a rubber snake. They incorporated it into the nest.

Paul

fixerupper · Apr 25, 2009

When I was a kid I saw one of our cats catch one. There's nothing fresher than a meal that's flown in. Jim

GeneMO · Apr 25, 2009

7 1/2 shot, name your gauge. Just kidding, I like them, although they do tick me off when they build every year in my breezeway.

Gene

2x4 · Apr 25, 2009

Did you ever see a Mockingbird dive-bomb a cat from behind it. Cat's sauntering along, tail in the air. Mocker dives, grabs the tail in its beak & lifts up. Hilarious! Talk about some movement.

Billy NY · Apr 26, 2009

Never saw one of those do that, though it's funny to see those swallows make a stand, they buzz past you to get to the cat.

Sean Feeney · Apr 26, 2009

Check Google I think he is right

Leon R · Apr 26, 2009

We had them on our house years ago and tried hosing them off, that didn't work. What worked was hanging a plastic owl from the point of the roof next to the nests. Once they left they haven't tried to come back. don't even have the owl there now.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 26, 2009

They fly around my head until I open the big barn doors.

Jim in LA · Apr 26, 2009

I had a problem with them last summer building a nest near the front door. Icouldn't get a rubber snake, so I used a piece of black rubber fuel hose and fastened it to one of the porch posts. It worked! They would come in to make their mess and see the "snake" and do a 180. A couple weeks ago they tied to come back and when they saw the hose, they left.

Billy NY · Apr 27, 2009

Yes, same thing after I cut a field, between swallows and bats, seems like they take their share of insects, especially mosquitos

barn E · Apr 29, 2009

Dish liquid. Smear on with brush. Dave

Barn swallows

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