Does anyone know of a tried and true solution for getting rid of some pesky birds. We just moved in last Thursday and found the nest under the porch roof just above the door. My son knocked the nest down and now 3 days later I see that the birds have started to build another nest. I think they are some type of swallow. I really wouldn't mind them being anywhere else but this is just above the front door and we don't really want to have to dodge poo-poo all the time. Thanks!
Get a kid's plastic snake toy (one that looks a little real) and stick it on the ledge where they built the nest... Usually works!
You might also buy a nesting box and put it up somewhere nearby so they have an alternative without having to leave what they probably now consider to be "home".
I think my parents used to tack up some fishing line in a criss-crossy fashion in the corners to deter the birdies. Not sure about the flat surfaces though.
I think you can get one of those plastic owls with the bobble head too! Cute huh?! But I have heard that the rubber snakes work also. Good luck!
Dollar Tree (121 & Custer in McKinney) has fake snakes w/ forked tongues. They are on an end-cap at the back of the store. For $1, it may be worth a try to stick one up there.
We have swallows too and they are in a bad location for us. My son repeatedly scares them off. After a few years they don't come back but once in awhile we get an ancestor or something that comes back to haunt that spot and again, I get the kids out there to scare them off, knock down the nests (before eggs) and it deters them :) In the last 7-8 years the issues have dwindled, but expect to have them attempt to come back for a few years at least.
We bought a giant OWL at Home Depot ($12), and our pesky porch birds have not been back since. The Owl is kind of ugly, but it works great!
If you don't mind having them nest their, which by the way I think is kind of a neat thing!, then you could try hanging a small wicker basket where you would like them. Be sure and put there "nest stuff" from the old spot in the new basket. My friends had this same problem and did this and now the birds just build their nest in the basket. Good luck!
A friend of mine had them under her cedar arbor, nesting behind her outdoor speakers, and right above their nice patio couch. They took some of their son's Playmobil guys and perched them up on the speaker and overnight the birds were gone!
I am a Realtor and we see all kinds of things. I had a buyer almost have a heart attack as she looked up and saw a plastic snake perched on a ledge. The plastic snake seems to work, the more realistic the better. A good long term fix is to take the same metal covering for gutters and put in over the edge, so they can no longer build. We are seeing with houses being vacant longer, all kinds of critters are moving in. Once you "take over" they go about thier way and find another place. Good Luck!
The plastic snakes don't work forever. They ignore the snake after a while once they realize its not a threat. You can try putting fish net over that area to block them out.
I have a friend who lives in Arizona and she told me that there they paint the ceilings of their porches pale blue. This keeps away pest from building homes on the porch because they confuse the color with the sky.
We had these darling birds as well. Notice I said "had". We were probably on the mean side though to get rid of them. We had to use a waterhose everyday to destroy what they would rebuild every single day. They get used to nesting in one place and they come back every year! We finally washed them down enough that they left and haven't come back. We did not harm the birds, just their nest with NO eggs in it. You might even try putting a rubber snake up there if you have a little ledge. I'm sure they won't like that! Good Luck!
Brenda
Had the same problem...and they still come back year after year. I finally hung some soda cans up by some string and thumb tacks. Wa-lla! The keep the birds from resting there...or even coming near anymore.
L
I hear that the blue paint works very well!
Absolutely! Hang some rubber snakes under the porch and your problem will be cured. Your neighbors may think you are a witch docto or something, but it works like magic! :)Let them hang straight down for a while, and then you can put them horizontally so that visitors can't see them. Hope this helps! Heather
The sky or pale blue paint works. We live out in the country and have birds all over the place. Just paint the ceiling of your porches and they will nest elsewhere. Plus you don't have to harm them or have any snakes or owls to greet your guest.
This isn't going to help a lot since I can't remember the name, but seems like I heard of a spray you could put on where they were building the nest and they didn't like it & would move on.
Tha is funny I just went throught the same thing.i have a 10 month old son and I took one of his shirts that i dont like and hung it from the eves of the house right about the same place where they built their nest.It worked like a charm they havent come back either.It worked like a scarcrow I guess.