# Bye bye barn swallows forever UPDATE/ NET PIC PG 3



## Marty (Jun 27, 2013)

I'm not a bird hater so don't jump all over me but darn it, these barn swallows have got to go. I have found lice on my horses, bird crap all over them, bird crap all over the stalls, in the feeders, in the water and I am on my last nerve. I have come to the conclusion, that if you have barn swallows, your horses have lice and you probably do too, or even bed bugs that they carry. Sorry, but I draw the line at that stuff. I came out last night to find them roosting along the electrical wires that run the length of my barn. There must have been a hundred of them and they are going to leave!

I have done everything in the past, hung up pie plates, CD disks, fake snakes, a fake barn owl and let me tell you, after a while they are on to it and all that is non-effective. But I found something that is actually going to work from testimony of friends:

BIRD NETTING. It also may be called Bird B Gone and can be found in the dollar stores, Walmart, or Lowes or Home Depot for around $7.00. I'm going after mine asap and this little pesky birdies are going to be evicted.

This has been a public service announcement


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## LittleRibbie (Jun 27, 2013)

wont bay leaves work!!! LOL


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## MountainWoman (Jun 27, 2013)

That's a lot of swallows. I have two this year (first year ever) and they are in my loft and swoop in and out and haven't caused any trouble but if I had 100 birds pooping all over my horses feed and water and giving my horses lice, I'd be aggravated too. Hope the netting works for you.


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## bevann (Jun 27, 2013)

I'm with you Marty.I must have hundreds on them.To me the poop is not as bad as the MITES they carry.Form the previous 2 years I have had so many bites to my upper torso and even my feet.Couldn't figure out what is was then after an internet search I looked at my bites and did a match.Then 1 day I saw 1 of the little beggers crawling on me.They even came in the house on me and got into my sofa and computer chair.Another internet search and off to the hardware store to get some killer spray.After several sprays I got them out of the house.Knocking down nests gets rid of them but it causes the mites to fly and land on humans.Karl can knock them down and they don't seem to affect him the way they do me.this year we resorted to bird netting on some doors and keeping the big back door shut.Just be sure to get the netting with really small holes or they will fly right through it.I have become a bird hater.they are so nasty.We never seem to get good birds-only the ones that cause problems.They nest in any vehicle near the barn.2 yrs ago we had a major fire in the tractor due to a nest built where we couldn't see it and near the engine.Cost several thousand dollars to repair and loss of tractor when we really needed it.


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## Riverrose28 (Jun 27, 2013)

We had one pair build a nest on the side of a board in our broodmare stall. We have a natural predator, a black snake got in the nest ate the eggs and off went the swallows.


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## Tab (Jun 27, 2013)

Can you use those needle type strips? Bird proofing strips? I need to get some myself. I used to have my horses in a relatively bird free barn, my barn now is a very wide open x-dairy barn and it is bird central. All winter too with the wrens/sputsies. I understand your pain COMPLETELY!


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## Jean_B (Jun 27, 2013)

Wish I could remember the name of the product we used to use at the pest control company where I worked...one large customer had a major problem with swallows getting into a large factory. So they would fog the exterior about the time the birds were heading back to roost - it smelled like bubble gum and had no ill effect on people, but it would make the birds think they were choking and would leave, not come back for several weeks.


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## wildoak (Jun 27, 2013)

Please tell me something works against these pests! We have been happily co-existing with a family of them for several years, but this season they have taken over! All through my barn, on my back porch, over the kitchen door, messing on my truck where I park it.... I have a lot of space to cover, how do you use the netting?

Jan


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## atotton (Jun 27, 2013)

I hope it works and you are rid of the pesky beggers.


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## Marty (Jun 28, 2013)

Walmart has it in the garden section. I'm heading that way in the am. They said it was 16 feet wide and I forgot how wide the other way. But I plan on staple gunning it along the top and letting it hang down about half way or so. Its probably not necessary to be that long but I can always shorten it up and I want to go full power at first to be sure they know they are evicted.. Also another friend told me you can bring the loose part out to a 45 degree angle if there is something there to attach it to like a post. Actually I do have two posts right there that are holding up my sun deck to the loft. I'm going to test drive it all ways and take pics and show you when its done.

The fun part is going to be getting them out of the barn in the first place. Today I was like a crazy person trying to chase them out with a broom in one hand and my fly spray in the other. That didn't work so I resorted to running up and down in the barn trying to spray them out with the hose and all that did was make me get the stalls stupid soaking wet after I just put in clean bedding.......for them to crap on that is.





I really hate that it sounds like I'm a terrible bird hater but honestly, I'm on my last nerve and really worried I brought cooties in with me. As I was bathing one of the fillies today, I swear to pete she had to have one hundred lice in her tail. I could not see it at all during a regular tail grooming but once I got her tail wet, they showed up like you cannot imagine. I pretty much have lost my mind. I'm having to de-worm them all again, treat with lice duster, and strip stalls and buy all new bedding and disinfect my grooming tools and wash halters not to mention unscrew the feeders I have bolted down!. You have no idea how much pain I am in but its safe to say I am a woman on the edge.


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## Vansplic (Jun 28, 2013)

Available to a limited number of per-approved outside barns. can provide portfolio in med. flat rate box. Has taken out sm rodents to crows and everything in between. Does have standards and require certain amenities.

Rockin' P's Hitch a Glitch!







please forgive me... I started off here in the nutty nursery....


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## little lady (Jun 28, 2013)

One word...CATS. My barns are open and I do have one barn swallow nest in each and it is all I have had in 13 years of the barns being there. No other birds nest in my barns. My barn posse keeps the birds, mice and whatever else under control.


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## Field-of-Dreams (Jun 28, 2013)

Cats. We have two adults and four kittens and NO birds.

We have a mobile population of kitties here. Some stray in and and stay, some stray back out again. Unfortunately, we do lose some, too. We just lost mama kitty a few weeks ago, probably coyotes. But we have no birds or rodents at all!


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## Reble (Jun 28, 2013)

Sorry Marty know how you feel but lucky we only have one nesty in ours this year..
Tried to find something to help you and look what I found tooo funny but this is what I found..
I would never of thought it is illegal to get rid of their nests that is just tooo much ....
Most other products are not effective. Scare devices, sticky substances, traps and electronics have little to no effect on these common pests. Also, keep in mind, the barn swallow is *federally protected*.
You can not use lethal means to control them, and once their nests are fully built (approximately 48 hours), the nest can not legally be knocked down. -
See more at: http://www.facilitiesmagazine.com/utah/bird-pest-control/barn-swallows-nesting-can-be-prevented#sthash.3KAKyRwM.dpuf
So Hush is the word I guess. that is just too too funny.. sorry found it ridiculus..


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## fourluckyhorseshoes (Jun 28, 2013)

Marty--would you please post pictures of what the netting looks like when its set up?


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## Miniv (Jun 28, 2013)

Fortunately we only get two pairs every year and they nest in the over hangs of our garage and shop.....They don't live up to their name of BARN swallows. I like them because they are insect eaters.

I DON'T like the starlings who DO invade the barn.

BTW, the mites from birds are species specific.


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## Marty (Jun 29, 2013)

Yes I am well aware they are protected. I'm not going to kill them. Heck, I couldn't even step on an ant. I even have bird houses about the property for all kinds of birds and I do feed them at winter. I make that peanut butter and bird seed thing so they don't starve to death but they are no where near the barn. Maybe I should make them a sign with an arrow maybe......bird houses that a way!

I did get the netting today. About $6.50 at Walmart. I got the last one. Wonder why? Its black. I wish they had a white one but oh well.....can't color code somethings. Yes I will be posting pictures soon as its up. I'll post an update so watch for it ok?

On a sad note, my 18 year old barn kitty Willow passed away last night. She was never much of a ratter and I doubt she ever killed a thing in her life but her presence was enough to keep stuff away. Her health was failing very rapidly and she preferred to stay in the hay barn which is why I probably have so many birds now in the main barn. Rest in Peace Willow.


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## chandab (Jun 29, 2013)

So sorry you lost your kitty. Good luck with evicting the birds.


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## Jean_B (Jun 29, 2013)

Just thought of this. Talk to Ashley - they have a coatamunde (spelling???) that roams the rafters and takes out all bird nests.


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## Marty (Jun 29, 2013)

The bird net is up. So here's the thing: its a bit of a pain to handle because let's face it,its a stupid net.it was 14' X 14' so I cut it in half giving me two pieces, one for each doorway to the barn. I already had nails hanging up in place in the door way for Christmas lights, so it was relatively easy to just hang the net from them. The nails are about 12" space between them. But then the wind kicked in a tiny bit and blew it back and forth so I had to nail the sides a little bit. I watched a whole lot of birds fly into it as I worked on it and not a one got stuck in any way shape or form. No claws, no wings, nothing. They flew into it and took right off. Persistant though......and kept trying.

So here's another thing: I need my horses to be able to walk in and out of the barn so I couldn't put it down full lengh so I folded it up half way so they could easily fit under it and then darn some of the birds figured it out and snuck under it. So that's my present situation I have to work on. But I'm still jumping for joy because this time I usually have about 50 birds in the barn and right now there are only two that snuck in so I think this is working for me.

I stood back and took pictures of it but you couldn't see a thing, so I put my Rover up against it for a contrast.


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## Marty (Jun 29, 2013)

Also: location of the net in Walmart is in the garden area but not in the outside garden shop. It was inside on the aisle with other types of netting, next to the rolls of that stuff you put on the ground to stop the weeds from growing. Forgot what you call it. This is not on a roll, its folded up flat in clear plastic and says its to protect your garden from pests etc. and says its environmentally safe


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## BSharpRanch (Jun 29, 2013)

Here's an idea, add a strip of ribbon in the center and then add magnets. Teach the horses to push on the solid lines to seperate the halves. Percectly clear like mud huh?

Okay, I'll try again. Hang the netting full length. Cut up the center as high as you need it. Sew gross grain ribbon on each side of the cut area. Add a magnet on each side every foot. These will attract each side. Teach the horses to push the netting at the ribbon area. The "door" will return to normal together position.


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## Debby - LB (Jun 29, 2013)

oh no no no...no way would that work! The horses would not only EAT the magnets but pull the net down too.






Marty I'm so sorry your cat passed away that's such a shame.





The birds, hopefully the net will help you. I guess you could do like my grand pa would do, he'd spray the nests down and they'd stay out of the barn once there was no place to nest. Also had barn cats and that did help. Jean what the heck is a Codamunde...roams the rafters? like a snake or weasel or something? Vansplic love you kitty pictures!


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## Marty (Jun 29, 2013)

No way do you want to cut the net up the middle. You'd ruin the net.Then you'll have 4 sides waving in the breeze instead of two and the birds will come right in easy.Needs to be left solid. I just added a couple of nails on each side to keep it from blowing around.

They built nests in my light fixtures. Took some doing to get them down in one piece and we brought them outside. A couple fell apart but there were no eggs in them. I was spraying the ones that were along the rafters and all I did was make my stalls wet and wreck my bedding. Debby, this past week they were building new nests every night. I couldn't keep up with it.I was knocking them down as they were building them. Felt terrible but it was terrible.


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## bevann (Jun 30, 2013)

with the extreme heat we have been having I've had to open my big back barn door.Now I have 3 large nests built in 1 day(wish I could hire the little beggers to work here) giving them a few more days to build and down come the nests.Last year I had fly strips hung up and some of them got caught in those.Tried to get them off since they weren't dead, but it didn't work.they just had to die on there.This year I am not so nice.My bites from earlier in the season are just beginning to heal up.I have netting over a small door.I just have to pull it to 1 side when I am putting horses in or out.


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## Supercilious (Jun 30, 2013)

They have rolls of the poultry netting at Tractor Supply Co, same as the bird netting 5 ft tall x 100 pt rolls for $19.99. I bought 2 rolls of it.

http://www.tractorsupply.com//ProductDisplay?cm_vc=-10005&urlRequestType=Base&productId=101490&catalogId=10051&categoryId=&errorViewName=ProductDisplayErrorView&urlLangId=&langId=-1&top_category=&parent_category_rn=&storeId=10151


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## Reble (Jun 30, 2013)

So sorry to hear about your cat Marty, hope the net works for you..
They sure can be a pest.. not something you can enjoy in that kind of numbers..


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## vickie gee (Jun 30, 2013)

The sticky fly traps catch birds...maybe put up a few really close together and close to a nest?


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## Marty (Jul 1, 2013)

Another update: After having the netting up for just a couple of days it has greatly reduced the amount of birds. I'm down to only 2 or 4 at any given time. The smart ones sneak under when i have it only half way down the doorway for horse access.


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## chandab (Jul 1, 2013)

Debby - LB said:


> oh no no no...no way would that work! The horses would not only EAT the magnets but pull the net down too.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I just did a google search on Coatimundi, here's one of the first sites I came across: http://www.vanishingspecies.net/animals/details.php/000029/

I had heard of them, but didn't really know what they are.


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