pesky birds

[jenkins7]

I have what I thikn are barn swallows. They are a small bird that basically darts but builds a mud nest and seem to live in pairs. They are continually trying to build nests on my porches and barns. How canm I get rid of them. I've tried rubber snakes, owls, etc with no luck.

[carhoods]

Keep tearing down the nest before they lay their eggs. If you dont do this through the nesting season you will have them and their young coming back to your nesting site year after year

[Dchall_San_Antonio]

What do they eat? Are you sure you want to get rid of them?

[Tony M]

99% chance they are barn swallows, which are voracious insect eaters. This is one way Mother Nature tries to keep things in balance, are you sure you want to fight Mother Nature? Where do you live?
I have them all over my place; I put a piece of cardboard down on the porch to catch the droppings and mud. Beyond that, you get a first class seat at the spectacle of nature. Do you have children or grandchildren that would benefit from watching them?
Tony M

[Robert D Bard]

It may not be as big a problem today as it was when I was a kid but anytime you have birds in a barn you have to worry what they bring home to build their nests. Cigarettes - burning ones are always a worry. Purple Martins with houses for them are sure a lot better choice.
I don't want my stored hay to catch fire.
Robert D Bard

[Olde_Magnolia]

There is another little bird that you might not like making a mess around your porches; it's a Phoebe another great insect getter. Here is one sure thing that will keep them and the mud martins from building where you don't want them . Check out your nearest livestock and farm store and ask if they have any Bird Be Gone. It comes in a tube and you put it in a caulking gun and place a small amount where they are trying to build; gets on their feet and drives them crazy! I've also heard about painting the ceiling of your porch sky blue but don't put much stock in that. If they are building on a ledge, rip you a 1X at an angle and place it where the ledge is so that they won't have a flat surface to build on.

[qmj]

I cannot imagine anyone not wanting barn swallows. We had them for years at our previous house and impatiently watched for them to return each March, because from that time until their migration in late summer, we had no mosquitoes at all. After their migration, the mosquitoes returned. At our new house, we have made sure to have ledges on our front and back porches and hope they will find them and build. They become quite tame and are fascinating to watch. They only use mud to build their nests, so the idea of them burning down anything is a non-issue. Please rethink your objections.
QMJ

[Robert D Bard]

a burning cigarette is still a burning cigarette and barns have been lost in the past.
Robert D Bard