# Discouraging Barn Swallows



## lickcreek (Apr 7, 2006)

While I love Barn Swallows, I DON'T love the pair that are trying to build thier nest on my front porch. First they tried building on the light fixture by the front door. I took down my windchimes, as they even started their nest on top of them! Now they are trying to build at the top of one of the support posts. Our front porch is only 7.5 ft high, and they are building right above where you walk on to the porch. Our cielings are just too low for this.

Any suggestions as to how to discourage them from building here? DH and I scrape down the mud daily. Sometimes several times a day. This is the 3rd year in a row they have tried to move in on the porch. Eventually they move on somewhere else, but I would like to find a way to discourge them without battling for weeks every spring!


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## littlebitfarm (Mar 21, 2005)

I don't know how to discourage them from the porch, but I do make it easy for them to nest where I want them. I screw pieces of wood, about 6" X 10" to the bottom of the rafters in the barn. Makes a nice nesting platform. They have nested on every one of them and I get to choose what area the droppings will be in!

Kathie


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## watcher (Sep 4, 2006)

Ever tried giving the birds a shot with a water hose every time you catch them around? Or maybe put a few rubber snakes where they want to build? I don't know if either will work but worth a try.


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## Scrounger (Jan 6, 2007)

We have a nest of them right beside our from door. They built a nest right on the top of the window - about 7' off of the porch floor. Last year there were 7 babies hatched there. We haven't really had a "poop" problem, but enjoy them up close where we can see them. They have gotten used to us, but it is fun to watch them "swoop" the cats as they walk by....


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

I like the barn swallows due to the fact they eat so many bugs that we don't like having around. Really, it's not that long period of time..maybe less than 2 months out of a year?


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## Lindafisk (Nov 17, 2004)

We have those too, they are messy but neat to watch. The first babies just started flying yesterday! I wonder how many broods they can have in a year? We are new to this house and didn't have them at our old house. Instead of trying to stop them- which seems impossible- maybe you should try for damage control....can you place something under where they want to nest at and then just spray off the poop every day or so?


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## Lindafisk (Nov 17, 2004)

TedH71 said:


> I like the barn swallows due to the fact they eat so many bugs that we don't like having around. Really, it's not that long period of time..maybe less than 2 months out of a year?



It's different here in Texas! They are here for months! We moved here last June and they stayed (and had babies) till fall......this is May and they have already been here for several weeks, the first brood just started to fly . I am curious to see how many babies and how many months.....


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

I had a pair trying to nest on a light fixture by my patio door, I kept removing the partial nest every night and they'd build it back the following day - finally I gave up, and they raised 3 babies and left after the babies started flying. I think the rubber snake might be an idea - I never tried that, I just used a water hose to wash away their nest.


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## joyceb (Jan 1, 2008)

_Here's a repost of my reply to a similar post about birds behind shutters:_

We always had barn swallows nesting over our porch light - wouldn't have been a problem, except for the HUGE parasite load they carry - little creepy crawlers getting all over the screen door!

Dad always used a plastic barn owl in his garage, but we didn't have room for that right under the porch roof. So I found a terrific (and cheap) way to keep the birds from nesting there... A little plastic snake! Just draped it against the siding & over the light where it wouldn't melt. 3 years and no unwanted nesting!

You can drape one that nearly matches the color of the shutters over the edge and no birds will even try it. If they are already nesting, knock down the nest and they will try to come back for awhile, but won't build - they will just hang around until they see that snake is not going anywhere, then they will move on.

Little rubber snakes can be found for less than a dollar a piece in most any store that sells toys.

It works like a charm!

Joyceb


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## dunewalker (Mar 4, 2007)

Last year a gopher snake got the 3 baby swallows when they fell out of their nest under the eaves of my cabin. The parents didn't come back this year. I think the nests attract snakes, both gopher and rattlesnakes. The gopher snake climbed up the solar panels & tried to reach across to the nest but couldn't, so patiently waited below until they fell out a few days later on a hot day.


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## Christiaan (Mar 13, 2004)

We have two pairs that nest in the barn, last year one of them raised three sets of babies. I noticed two nights ago that there are a pair of swallows in the chicken house. No sign of nest building, they just sit up on a joist above the chickens.


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## lickcreek (Apr 7, 2006)

I don't mind barn swallows, in fact I do enjoy watching them "swoop" and appreciate their usefullness. In fact, when DH was a kid, they were out picking up hay bales that had been left in the field too long and when they started loading them they discovered that bees had nested in them! He said after battling the bees for a bit, here came the barn swallows. The wiped out the bees in no time, and they got to get the hay off the field. 

Yes, I appreciate them, just not on my small, low ceiling porch! The barn and outbuildings are fine, even the nest that was built last year along the upstairs bedroom window frame was fine with me.

I will try the plastic snake. Sounds like a winner! Thanks for the help, everyone!


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## BaronsMom (May 22, 2005)

Here's a resource with a drawing on how to help prevent swallows from nesting where you don't want them. From UNL

http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/SpringBird266.shtml

I do the "hang monofilament fishing line" from the eaves of my house where the swallows swoop in under the porch. They don't get tangled in the line, but they don't see it well and with their fast flight - don't like anything touching them. 

Space the line about 8" apart. Closer if you have too. And make strands as long as it takes to get to where the birds are flying in. I only have to make my strands dangle down about 2 ft long, but mom my mom has to make them about 4 ft long.

You can't see the fishing line from the road - works great. 

My mom tried the snake...the swallows just built their nest around it (was kind of funny).


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