Bird Repellent?

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M.Magis said:
And yet again you are making things up to fit your personal agenda. Swallows are in no way in a "steep decline". They have actually increased in population and are one of the most widely distributed birds in the world. I like to have them around too, but there is no need to spread lies to make your point.
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The bird researchers say that the Barn Swallow, which is the swallow this thread is most likely talking about has seen a 95 per cent drop in numbers across North America, including the United States, in the last forty years according to swallow researchers. Bank Swallows have declined equally. Both have declined so much in Canada that they are considered an at-risk species and labelled as threatened under Canada's Species at Risk Act. That seems like a pretty steep decline to me and seems to be of concern to everyone but you and those who like to kill them. The other swallow species have also declined. I did not make this up and I am not the one who is spreading lies.
 
J Hoy said:
The bird researchers say that the Barn Swallow, which is the swallow this thread is most likely talking about has seen a 95 per cent drop in numbers across North America, including the United States, in the last forty years according to swallow researchers. Bank Swallows have declined equally. Both have declined so much in Canada that they are considered an at-risk species and labelled as threatened under Canada's Species at Risk Act. That seems like a pretty steep decline to me and seems to be of concern to everyone but you and those who like to kill them. The other swallow species have also declined. I did not make this up and I am not the one who is spreading lies.
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Actually to be accurate, this whole thread is not about swallows. I think it began with posts about House Sparrows. It was just the last few posts that were about swallows. By the way, M.Magis, where did you get your data on how much swallow populations have increased here in North America? Just because swallow species are widely distributed in the world doesn't at all indicate whether swallows are in decline or not in decline. That has to be determined by ornithologists who study swallow populations and those are the researchers who reported that Barn and Bank Swallows are in steep decline in North America. So killing Barn Swallows and preventing them from raising their young does not help stem that decline.
 
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Probably, the birds in question are English Sparrows. I've seen them congregate up under the eaves a barns in large numbers. They cause quite a mess. From what I understand, English Sparrows and Starlings are the 1st and 2nd most numerous birds in the US and neither are native species.
We have had quite a few pigeons from town coming around and eating corn after the cattle.
Typically we have several Barn Swallows around in the summer, I don't mind them at all. Year before last didn't notice as many in the barns, I think the pigeons may have had something to do with that but don't know for sure. Last summer we had less pigeon activity and there were Barn Swallows back in the barns.
Seems like we have a healthy supply of birds of all kinds around
 
Ky hills said:
Probably, the birds in question are English Sparrows. I've seen them congregate up under the eaves a barns in large numbers. They cause quite a mess. From what I understand, English Sparrows and Starlings are the 1st and 2nd most numerous birds in the US and neither are native species.
We have had quite a few pigeons from town coming around and eating corn after the cattle.
Typically we have several Barn Swallows around in the summer, I don't mind them at all. Year before last didn't notice as many in the barns, I think the pigeons may have had something to do with that but don't know for sure. Last summer we had less pigeon activity and there were Barn Swallows back in the barns.
Seems like we have a healthy supply of birds of all kinds around
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I've noticed a pretty good decline in some bird populations. We have less swallows and songbirds of all types. Five years ago there were meadowlarks every quarter mile, but three years ago there was only one and the last couple of years I haven't seen one. Lots of robins, hummingbirds, raptors of all kinds... and of course starlings. I've heard that the sparrows are a vector for bird flu.
 
Ky hills said:
Probably, the birds in question are English Sparrows. I've seen them congregate up under the eaves a barns in large numbers. They cause quite a mess. From what I understand, English Sparrows and Starlings are the 1st and 2nd most numerous birds in the US and neither are native species.
We have had quite a few pigeons from town coming around and eating corn after the cattle.
Typically we have several Barn Swallows around in the summer, I don't mind them at all. Year before last didn't notice as many in the barns, I think the pigeons may have had something to do with that but don't know for sure. Last summer we had less pigeon activity and there were Barn Swallows back in the barns.
Seems like we have a healthy supply of birds of all kinds around
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I am very happy to hear that, Ky. By the way, English Sparrows and House Sparrows are the same bird.
 
Travlr said:
I've noticed a pretty good decline in some bird populations. We have less swallows and songbirds of all types. Five years ago there were meadowlarks every quarter mile, but three years ago there was only one and the last couple of years I haven't seen one. Lots of robins, hummingbirds, raptors of all kinds... and of course starlings. I've heard that the sparrows are a vector for bird flu.
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I used to keep bird feeders in the yard and we had quite a variety of birds that frequented the feeders.
Haven't done that for a few years because my wife thinks the feeders may draw mice and we don't want them in our short term rental house. We still see a lot of robins, cardinals, gold finches, eastern blue birds etc. The raptor populations are extremely plentiful, in fact it looks like to me that they are too many for their own good and that they'd be starving each other out.
 
Barn swallows are disappearing, there used to be many. Swallows mate for life and fly to Argentina for the winter then return over dangerous (toxic Mexico) territory every year. They return to breed to the same place they were hatched. They make a shelf mud nest. The barns and the family farms of America have become scarce as they are bought up by corporations. Cliff Swallows have increased because of the intertstate highway system overpasses where they nest by the millions and spread across the country. Their nests are shaped like a gourd and they run off the Barnies, kill their babies and build over their nest to make a gourd.

I welcome the Barn Swallows in my barn every year. They eat millions of mosquitos and flies. If the poop is in a bothersome place I just put a piece of carboard there and throw it way after they leave.
 
Murray, They do not mate with their brothers and sisters. If it is swallows that are messing up your lawnmower, just open a plastic garbage bag and use it to cover your lawnmower. When the swallows have raised their young and departed, throw the plastic cover away. Problem solved. If it is House Sparrows that are doing it, it is legal to kill that species of sparrow and remove their nest because they are not protected by laws that protect native birds. If you don't like killing, just do what I recommended with the cover on your lawnmower. With regard to swallows and swifts, which eat mosquitoes, flies and other small flying insects, no one will be very happy if those birds go extinct.
 
TexasJerseyMilker said:
Barn swallows are disappearing, there used to be many. Swallows mate for life and fly to Argentina for the winter then return over dangerous (toxic Mexico) territory every year. They return to breed to the same place they were hatched. They make a shelf mud nest. The barns and the family farms of America have become scarce as they are bought up by corporations. Cliff Swallows have increased because of the intertstate highway system overpasses where they nest by the millions and spread across the country. Their nests are shaped like a gourd and they run off the Barnies, kill their babies and build over their nest to make a gourd.

I welcome the Barn Swallows in my barn every year. They eat millions of mosquitos and flies. If the poop is in a bothersome place I just put a piece of carboard there and throw it way after they leave.
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I wish they would come to my barn. I enjoy them, just not at the house. I see them flying in the evenings but i don't know where they nest
 
We have lots of barn swallows that build nests up in the rafters of our barns. When I'm in the cow barn, milking the cow in the mornings, at least one pair, and sometimes two will have nests in there, will keep flying in, trying to feed their babies, but there are "scary monsters" in their house. They'll hover over us briefly, chattering and scolding, then they fly back out. I try to hurry up and finish as fast as I can, so they can go on with their family life.

The ones that drive me nuts are the sparrows. I don't know what variety they are, but there are a bazillion of them that we support every winter. Well, I guess they clean up the chicken feed that the chickens and guineas don't eat... They'll go right in the coop and roost with the chickens on cold nights (we keep a heated waterer in there and a heat lamp if it's below zero) and of course, eat all they can find in the coop as well. Spoiled birds. But I don't mind too much, because I love birds, except for starlings. ;) But sometimes it's a bit of a shock when I open the coop door and a cloud of sparrows hit me in the head, all trying to get out. :rolleyes:
 
J Hoy said:
Murray, They do not mate with their brothers and sisters. If it is swallows that are messing up your lawnmower, just open a plastic garbage bag and use it to cover your lawnmower. When the swallows have raised their young and departed, throw the plastic cover away. Problem solved. If it is House Sparrows that are doing it, it is legal to kill that species of sparrow and remove their nest because they are not protected by laws that protect native birds. If you don't like killing, just do what I recommended with the cover on your lawnmower. With regard to swallows and swifts, which eat mosquitoes, flies and other small flying insects, no one will be very happy if those birds go extinct.
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Except me.

Ken
 
But I bet you have flies. I found this on an australian bug site.

too-many-flies-scary-animals-in-Australia.png

Flies

Most of the flies you're going to encounter in life are most likely not dangerous. But they can be exceptionally annoying. The little buzzing insects can ruin anyone's outdoor experience, especially if you're eating in nature (or at home, for that matter). Flies carry diseases, and just crawling on your food can contaminate it.

Fly diseases:

  • Dysentery
  • Diarrhoea
  • Typhoid
  • Cholera
But that's for the common housefly. Other species, like the march flies, have bites that are painful and can cause serious allergic reactions.

Fly-bites-on-a-womans-legs.jpg
Fly-bites-on-a-womans-back.jpg
 
Flies aren't too bad around here either. I want to get some dung beetles to deal with them among other things but am having trouble getting them established.

Ken
 

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