Swallow Control

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 that 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. If left intact the mud nests are often re-inhabited the next year by sparrows looking to take advantage of the free housing. In the meantime, the insects like fleas and mites and bacteria in their droppings look for a new host – usually the building occupants or pets!

• extra clean up costs from swallow nest and droppings
• concern over slip and fall liability from swallow dropping buildup
• plus, unclean, dirty company image

Diseases caused by swallows are a result of bacteria, fungal agents and parasites found in swallow droppings and nests that host serious diseases like:

• histoplasmosis
• encephalitis
• salmonella
• meningitis
• toxoplasmosis and many more

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 the swallow’s 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 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 or be completed after the birds leave the nest for the year. If you had a swallow problem previously, odds are they will return to your structure the next year, as they are territorial birds.

Swallow Control Methods:
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 remove the parasites, ticks, fleas, bedbugs and bacteria that are often living within the swallow nests. After decontamination, swallow prevention experts should pressure wash the area to remove the swallow nest and dropping mess, eliminating all traces of the birds, including smell (which will attract them 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 bird netting, bird wire, and bird 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 BirdSlide^TM installer. BirdSlide^TM or bird netting are the most effective swallow control product for prevention of swallows building nests on your facility.

BirdSlide^TM is a highly effective new swallow control product. BirdSlidep^TM 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 BirdSlide^TM 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 in the angle and the swallows will leave the area to find a more suitable nesting place. Our technicians are certified bird control experts and have extensive training to install this swallow control product properly. Best of all, BirdSlide^TM 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.

• BirdSlide^TM was used to prevent swallows from building nests under a multi-million dollar home's eaves. read more
• Bird Solutions provided extensive swallow prevention work at Yosemite College. read more
• Swallows were prevented from building their nests on Fresno State's new science building recently after Bird Solutions installed swallow control products. read more
• Bird control netting was used to deter swallows from building mud nests under eaves, much to a resident cat’s disappointment. read more

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