History: Swallows are often a problem or nuisance in suburban areas, as their mud nests damage and deface outer walls/eaves of residences and office buildings. An eye sore and health hazard, swallow droppings from large swallow colonies often end up smeared on buildings and collect on the ground below as well. The mud nests swallows build are a haven for parasites that often work their way into buildings, causing a serious health hazard for the inhabitants. Removal of swallow nests is important because if the swallow nests are left for long periods, the nests and droppings result in permanent stains on the building, ruining the appearance. 

Like other unwanted houseguests, swallows tend to leave undesirable things behind when they depart for their winter migration southward. Removal of swallow nests is important because if left the mud nests are often reinhabited by sparrows looking to take advantage of the free housing. Swallows also leave their insects like fleas and mites, plus bacteria in droppings. Without the swallows these insects often move into the home looking for new hosts — you!

It’s best to treat swallow problems proactively, installing swallow control products for prevention of swallows building their mud nests in the first place. If the swallows have already begun to build, swallow nest removal must occur before the swallows lay eggs as swallows are protected migratory birds.

Important Legal Information About Swallow Control Methods:

Because swallows are a protected bird species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, you cannot disturb their mud nests once they lay their eggs. It is illegal to intentionally kill, injure or take any migratory bird from the nest, eggs, or young of a swallow while it is being built or in use. The Act allows fines or prison sentences for every bird, egg or nest destroyed. Swallow control methods must be in place before the swallows take up residence. If you had a swallow problem previously, odds are they will return to your structure the next year, as they are territorial birds.

Nest Removal:
Removal of swallow nests must be timed to their swallows’ annual migration departure. Swallows and their nests are protected and the nests cannot legally be removed until swallows have migrated south and vacated their nests. Once the swallows have vacated their nests you can safely remove the mud nests. As part of the swallow nest removal process, decontamination of the area is highly recommended to also remove the parasites, ticks, fleas, bedbugs and bacteria that are often living within the swallow nests as well. After decontamination, swallow prevention experts will pressure wash the area to remove the swallow nest and dropping mess, eliminating all traces of the birds, including smell (which will attract them back the following year to the same place). Once the swallow mess is cleared, it is highly recommend that a swallow prevention product be installed as swallows are birds that love to return to their same nesting spots year after year.

Swallow Prevention Products:
There are many swallow proofing products and methods to prevent swallows from nesting. Many pest control companies use netting, wire, and scare techniques. The use of bird gel and wiring is not only ineffective, it is also unpleasant to the eye. Bird Solutions is a certified BirdSlideTM installer. Birdslide is the most effective swallow control product for prevention of swallows building nests on your facility.

BirdSlideTM is a highly effective new swallow control product. BirdSlideTM is an innovative and flexible product used on ledges and under eaves to prevent birds from roosting and swallows from building their mud nests. When using BirdSlideTM for swallow prevention, the product is installed under eaves to cut off the angle that the swallows utilize to build their structural mud nests. This completely cuts off their ability to adhere the mud and the swallows will leave the area to find a more suitable nesting palce. Our technicians are certified control experts and have extensive training to install this product. best of all, BirdSlideTM can be painted to blend seamlessly with your building. That way you won’t have the swallows creating their mess on your building and you won’t destroy the look of your building with the swallow prevention product either.

Bird Solutions Swallow Prevention Jobs

• Click here for an example of BirdSlideTM used to prevent swallows from building nests under a multi-million dollar home’s eaves.

• Click here for an example of Bird Solutions’ swallow prevention work at Yosemite College.

• Click here to see how Bird Solutions prevented swallows from building their nests on Fresno State’s new science building.

Contact us to discuss your swallow problem and the best swallow control solutions for it.