Anybody know how to prevent swallows from roosting. We have a couple of buildings at our church were they've taken over. Apparently people don't like bird poop on stuff. I know about netting, but I was wondering if there were other methods.

Just knock the nests down when they start to build them. That was my grandmother's method (with a broom) when they started roosting on the front porch. Seemed to work, although it was a pretty continual battle.

rubber snakes have worked for me in the past

rubber snakes and / or owl decoy. both help.

http://www.pestproducts.com/birdx/BXbirdproof.htm

this might work if sprayed where they are building nests

Pressure wash before they get built or after the chicks have left the nest. When they have eggs in them, it is a violation of the Migrotry Brid Treaty Act to disturb the nest.

[This message has been edited by water turkey (edited 7/3/2009 1:40p).]

Our back porch is a haven for mud swallows. We have a rubber Owl hanging on each end of the porch. I think the Swallows salute the Owls when they come in for a landing.

Anybody heard the story that if the porch roof is painted blue that they will avoid it? Just wondering. I would try this if there were any possibility it would work.

Heard of this trick regarding the mud swallows a few weeks ago--just hang one of those plastic bags from the grocery/walmart store on a nail close to the nesting site and they will leave...seems as though it blowing and moving in the wind does the trick. Please note that I have not personally tried this, but someone told me it works. Pretty cheap if it does work.

you guys must like flys and mesquitoes. because that's what Barn swallows eat.

I have Purple Martins for that---besides, I havent had enough water to hatch ONE mosquito--wish I had a million of em !!

just in case you didnt know..... Purple Martins do not eat many mosquitos. You can google it or whatever and find several studies showing only a few mosquitoes were in their diet. Scientists found mostly moths.

Barn Swallows being closely related may be the same.... dunno. But I do know they have been safely living and crapping on our back porch for about 19 years and we have had snakes, owls, eagles, and hawks, and various kites with eyes, etc..... none of that stuff works for us.

Old farmers tale. Paint the underside of the porch roofs and eaves sky blue. This deters swallows, wasps, and bees from nesting because they don't want their nest site open to the sky.

Anybody hear of that or is it akin to clear plastic bags full of water keeping flys away?