Hi everyone,
Over the past few summers, a lot of swallows have nested at our current house.
They are really cute, the aerial displays are breathtaking, and they are supposed to bring good luck!
But...
Long story short: What options are there to prevent these little flyers from nesting under our open eaves? I know of:
Does anyone have any other effective ideas? The option with boards under the nests to limit the mess is out because of the eco-activist issue. I’m done arguing about whether a nest fell on its own or not.
Best regards,
Andreas
Over the past few summers, a lot of swallows have nested at our current house.
They are really cute, the aerial displays are breathtaking, and they are supposed to bring good luck!
But...
- Unfortunately, they make a huge mess. It's indescribably dirty, both on the house wall itself and especially on the ground. And when our little daughter keeps crawling through their droppings, the fun really stops!
- The house wall is deteriorating due to constant fertilizing (droppings).
- And the most annoying part: we have a few so-called “hardcore eco-fanatic block wardens” here (sorry, there’s no better way to describe them), who keep slipping annoying notes into our mailbox about how swallows are protected by wildlife laws (I know that myself) and how great they are, etc. One of these people lives in the neighborhood and, tellingly, has no open eaves but has them fully enclosed to prevent any nesting! We were even reported (of course anonymously!) for supposedly removing swallow nests. We didn’t – the birds started building on the north side and then moved to the east side. On the north side, the building remnants of the nests were still hanging... It was quite a frustrating argument with the city and only ended after we threatened to file a defamation lawsuit.
- Some nests still fall down on their own from time to time (about 2 of the 6-7 nests every year in our case). And then you always risk having the same discussions again.
Long story short: What options are there to prevent these little flyers from nesting under our open eaves? I know of:
- These stainless steel spikes, which look quite aggressive
- Full nets, which also look rather unattractive and I would be worried about birds getting caught in them
- Lines stretched under the rafters, either fishing line or stainless steel wire. The fishing line would probably have to be replaced every few years. Nylon line is not really UV stable.
- Boards positioned at about a 50-degree angle to the house wall. This changes the sharp 70-degree angle between wall and roof into two blunt angles of around 120-130 degrees.
Does anyone have any other effective ideas? The option with boards under the nests to limit the mess is out because of the eco-activist issue. I’m done arguing about whether a nest fell on its own or not.
Best regards,
Andreas
B
Bieber081520 Oct 2016 15:32We attached our house number (stainless steel) directly onto the plastered external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS). This is not a problem and should certainly also work with the mentioned tapes.
Hi,
thanks for the replies. In white, those stainless steel things were still acceptable. I guess I’ll have to look for them after all. Did you buy them in rolls/lengths and simply cut them to size?
I can’t attach a file right now; the forum seems to be having issues, so I’ll write it out here:
The "spike solutions" all seem to be bent about 20-30 degrees, so that when installed on the vertical wall under the roof, they angle toward the gutter.
If I screw them under my sarking board, won’t the spikes just point straight down? Is that a problem?
And what lengths of spikes did you use? Short would be preferable, but if they’re too short, they probably won’t prevent nesting anymore.
Best regards,
Andreas
thanks for the replies. In white, those stainless steel things were still acceptable. I guess I’ll have to look for them after all. Did you buy them in rolls/lengths and simply cut them to size?
I can’t attach a file right now; the forum seems to be having issues, so I’ll write it out here:
The "spike solutions" all seem to be bent about 20-30 degrees, so that when installed on the vertical wall under the roof, they angle toward the gutter.
If I screw them under my sarking board, won’t the spikes just point straight down? Is that a problem?
And what lengths of spikes did you use? Short would be preferable, but if they’re too short, they probably won’t prevent nesting anymore.
Best regards,
Andreas
G
Gartenfreund22 Oct 2016 05:07I would recommend installing a net.
If you use the right net and stretch it tightly, no bird can get caught in it.
There are bird protection nets or pond nets available in different colors. However, avoid the cheap ones, which are usually light green, as birds can actually get trapped in those. Instead, opt for something like this (see picture). These are available at many hardware stores or garden centers. I just checked the website of a hardware chain, and these cost about €6 for 20 m² (215 sq ft).
Alternatively, you could also use rabbit wire.
If you use the right net and stretch it tightly, no bird can get caught in it.
There are bird protection nets or pond nets available in different colors. However, avoid the cheap ones, which are usually light green, as birds can actually get trapped in those. Instead, opt for something like this (see picture). These are available at many hardware stores or garden centers. I just checked the website of a hardware chain, and these cost about €6 for 20 m² (215 sq ft).
Alternatively, you could also use rabbit wire.
Hello,
First of all, you need to be aware that swallow nests are protected and cannot be removed. Even nests that are only partially built must not be taken down. If you already have 'friends' (authorities), it can become quite expensive.
Anyway, in our housing development, some people have used chicken wire. It doesn’t look very nice, but it helps.
Regards, torsan
First of all, you need to be aware that swallow nests are protected and cannot be removed. Even nests that are only partially built must not be taken down. If you already have 'friends' (authorities), it can become quite expensive.
Anyway, in our housing development, some people have used chicken wire. It doesn’t look very nice, but it helps.
Regards, torsan