How to Keep Barn Swallows Out of the Barn

Though they may be beautiful there are many reasons why you should keep swallows out of your barn. In addition to leaving unsightly droppings all over the place, barn swallows can also carry disease and damage your building as they build their nests. To protect your barn and everything in it, use natural bird control methods to prevent them from entering and scare off any that currently roost there.

Things You'll Need

  • Air-tight storage containers
  • Mesh or wire vent covers
  • Heavy plastic
  • Fine netting or mesh
  • Pigeon spikes
  • Silhouettes of predators
  • Holographic bird deterrent
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clean up your barn before initiating any barn swallow control methods. Store all grain and feed in tight-lidded containers and quickly clean up any spills. Keep water levels in troughs at a level high enough that birds cannot bathe in it but low enough that swallows can't drink from it when standing on the ledge.

    • 2

      Cover any areas that swallows might use as entrances to the barn. Cover air vents with mesh or wire and repair broken windows. Consider hanging heavy plastic strips in doorways to prevent swallows from flying into the barn when the door is left open.

    • 3

      Keep swallows from roosting or building nests in the rafters by hanging fine netting or mesh under them. One of the main reasons barn swallows live in barns is because they are a great place to build nests. If you prevent swallows from gaining access to your barn or to the places they would likely nest, the number of swallows in your barn will greatly decrease.

    • 4

      Install physical deterrents on the outside of your barn to keep swallows away. Line the edges of the barn roof, as well as any window ledges, with metal pigeon spikes to keep sparrows from landing.

    • 5

      Install visual deterrents in and around your barn to ward off swallows. Though their effectiveness may be limited, you can also hang silhouettes of predators like owls in the barn windows or install a replica on the roof. To make these visual deterrents more effective, change their position once in a while so swallows do not get used to them. Consider purchasing a holographic bird deterrent that looks like predator eyes and can be hung to move with the wind.