Swallows in the Workshop
Submitted: Thursday, Feb 07, 2013 at 20:20
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100436
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Member - Nick T2
Weather Balloon reflector
Have had a problem with Swallows in my shed ever since I built it. The little mongrels nest and infest it and of course everything gets covered in bird Poop Have counted up to 20 of them in there at one time Have tried shooting them with rat shot and they shoot through for a while but soon come back. Tried one of those plastic owls that BCF sell, they say the owls work
well for keeping seagulls off boats. Obviously owls don't eat swallows 'cause the swallows didn't give a flying Proverbial about the plastic owl.
Then last week I found the remains of a weather balloon in my paddock. I thought I may as
well try the reflector from that and lo and behold it worked a treat . I strung it up from the same line I had the Owl on at about 7.00pm and the swallows came in to roost just after it went up. Every one I saw come in perched for a couple of seconds, took a look at the reflector swinging in the
Albany Doctor and shot through flat out. Here is a photo, it is about 600 mm across at the base made of that foil plastic cardboard stuff
Reply By: Member - Scrubby (VIC) - Thursday, Feb 07, 2013 at 20:38
Thursday, Feb 07, 2013 at 20:38
If they build a nest don`t knock it down, let them complete it and then put a golf ball or a stone in it and they will leave.
If you knock it down they will just build again.
Scrubby.
AnswerID:
504266
Follow Up By: Member - Nick T2 - Thursday, Feb 07, 2013 at 20:42
Thursday, Feb 07, 2013 at 20:42
Scrubby
Must try that one next time I have the problem. I might have to wait another lifetime for another weather balloon to fall out of the sky
FollowupID:
781060
Follow Up By: Member - ACD 1 - Thursday, Feb 07, 2013 at 21:34
Thursday, Feb 07, 2013 at 21:34
Sorry Scrubby
Golf balls won't work!!!
My olds tried that when I left the nest - Ijust shifted their golf bags off my bed when I moved back LOL
Cheers
Anthony
FollowupID:
781063
Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Sunday, Feb 10, 2013 at 16:16
Sunday, Feb 10, 2013 at 16:16
Golf Balls work if you put them IN the swallow
FollowupID:
781299
Reply By: Ozhumvee - Thursday, Feb 07, 2013 at 20:38
Thursday, Feb 07, 2013 at 20:38
Yes I had the same problem at our old place, a combo of old CD's and wine bladders blowing in the breeze kept them out.
AnswerID:
504267
Reply By: caseh - Friday, Feb 08, 2013 at 12:04
Friday, Feb 08, 2013 at 12:04
What a "problem" to have. Please direct them my way. I am happy to accommodate them both inside and outside my shed. I even leave my shed doors open to accommodate these beauties.
But than again Twitching is my passion.
Cheers, Case, Tauranga, New Zealand.
AnswerID:
504313
Reply By: guy007 - Friday, Feb 08, 2013 at 20:32
Friday, Feb 08, 2013 at 20:32
Hi Nick,
If you run a two stroke motor in the shed for a while they will leave and not come back!!!
Guy
AnswerID:
504339
Reply By: cressy - Saturday, Feb 09, 2013 at 22:51
Saturday, Feb 09, 2013 at 22:51
my mate had the same problem in WA-but with hundreds of these twitters.he placed 2 x plastic snakes-not sure of breed(but darkish in colour)-onto steel roof trusses of shed and hollymolly they have not returned. not sure if interstate breeds of this bird differs though.
cressy
AnswerID:
504431
Reply By: Rockape - Sunday, Feb 10, 2013 at 18:16
Sunday, Feb 10, 2013 at 18:16
Nick,
on the funny side, you could always do what an old boss of
mine did.
Now he was a tad short tempered and the Galah's were driving us mad while working on a dozer. They would come down looking for seed wheat and make a hell of a racket.
Ole mate had had enough, so out comes the gelly gun used to remove the master pin out of dozer tracks. He loads it with rocks and puts half a stick in. Points it at the tree and ignites the fuse.
Trust me, no more Galah problem. Only thing is your shed may leak a little.
RA.
AnswerID:
504475
Reply By: landseka - Monday, Feb 11, 2013 at 10:39
Monday, Feb 11, 2013 at 10:39
I had them in my shed too. I solved the problem by tossing a piece of rag soaked in kero next to the nest, they left and haven't returned.
Plan B was to ignite the rag but that wasn't necessary...lol
Cheers Neil
AnswerID:
504515