Swallows

Understanding & Controlling Swallows

🐦 Swallows: Charming in Flight, Troublesome on Your Building

Swallows, with their graceful aerial acrobatics, are a delight to watch in open skies. However, when they choose urban and suburban structures for nesting, they can become a significant concern for property owners.​

Why Are Swallows a Problem?

Swallows are migratory birds that often return to the same nesting sites year after year. They build mud nests under eaves, overhangs, and ledges of buildings. While these nests are architectural marvels, they can lead to several issues:​

their nests deface and damage outer walls and eaves of commercial and residential buildings. Swallow nests are both health hazards and unsightly. Because swallows can often live in colonies the resulting droppings from large swallow populations end up smeared on buildings and collect on the ground. The nests are also havens for fleas, mites, and parasites that often work their way into buildings especially if swallows move on to other locations. Occupants are left with serious health risks. It’s also important to remove swallow nests because the muddy nests and droppings result in permanent stains on the building. 

  • Structural Damage: The accumulation of mud nests can stain and deteriorate building facades. Over time, the weight and moisture can damage stucco, siding, and paint.​

  • Health Risks: Swallow droppings can harbor diseases such as histoplasmosis and salmonella, posing health risks to humans. The droppings can also attract insects and other pests.​

  • Safety Concerns: The presence of nests near entrances or walkways can lead to slip-and-fall hazards due to droppings on the ground.​

DIY Solutions Aren’t Enough

While some property owners attempt to deter swallows using reflective objects or noise-makers, these methods are often ineffective. Swallows are persistent and can adapt quickly to such deterrents. Moreover, once they start building a nest, it's challenging to stop them due to legal protections.​

Legal Protections

It's important to note that swallows are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This means it's illegal to remove or disturb active nests containing eggs or chicks. Therefore, prevention is key.​

Why Bell Bird Control Is the Key

At Bell Bird Control, we specialize in humane and effective bird exclusion methods tailored to your property's needs. Our solutions include:​

  • Bird Netting: Installing netting to block access to preferred nesting sites .

  • BirdSlide™: A flexible product used on ledges and under eaves to prevent swallows from building their mud nests.​

  • Customized Deterrents: Implementing site-specific strategies to ensure swallows find your property unsuitable for nesting.​

Our team understands the behavior of swallows and the legal considerations involved, ensuring that our methods are both effective and compliant.​

Remember the classic line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?" While we might not have that exact answer, we do know how to keep them from turning your building into their nesting ground!

 FAQs

  • Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are small, agile birds with distinctive forked tails, known for their aerial insect hunting and mud nests.​

  • They are found across open habitats, often nesting on man-made structures like barns, bridges, and eaves.​

  • Yes, they are migratory, breeding in North America during summer and wintering in Central and South America.​

  • They primarily feed on flying insects, catching them mid-air during flight.​

  • They are generally not aggressive but will defend their nests vigorously against intruders.​

  • They use a series of chirps and songs to communicate, especially during breeding season.​

  • Breeding occurs from May to August, with females laying 3 to 7 eggs per clutch.​

  • The incubation period is about 13 to 17 days, with both parents sharing duties.​

  • Yes, they are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, making it illegal to harm them or their nests without a permit.​

  • Using bird control solutions like netting, spikes, and visual deterrents can prevent barn swallows from nesting on buildings.​

  • As a trivia item quoted by men far too often, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a classic comedy from 1970s with two key scenes in this film that reference swallows. https://systemimager.sourceforge.net/pub/swallowscenes.html

    One was when King Arthur approaches a castle banging coconut shells.

    The other was when Arthur and his knights were challenged by the Bridgekeeper with questions to answer before they were allowed to cross:​

    Bridgekeeper: "What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?"
    King Arthur: "What do you mean? An African or European swallow?"
    Bridgekeeper: "Huh? I—I don't know that!"
    The Bridgekeeper is then flung into the Gorge of Eternal Peril.​

    From a scientific standpoint, studies estimate that the average cruising speed of an unladen European swallow (Hirundo rustica) is approximately 20.1 miles per hour (32.4 kilometers per hour)