Keeping out the birds

[Matt Meiser]

Since installing a security system, I found out that I have a problem with birds getting into the storage area of my shop. The first time was before the monitoring was active and I was home when the alarm went off. I went out to find two birds flying around in there. The security company says that the sensor installed back there will successfully ignore 1 bird, but two will set it off every time. The second time was this morning when I received a call from the monitoring center that they had dispatched the police to my house :eek: Since that was the only zone tripped, I had them cancel the call. For now I've had to disable that motion detector until I can figure out how to keep the birds out.

The building is pole barn construction and that area has access via a man door from my shop area and a large sliding door. I'm pretty sure they are getting in through the track on the sliding door. Anyone have a building with a similar door that has had success keeping out birds?

[Robert E Lee]

Matt, I have the same thing goimg on. They walk down the track. I have been trying to get some rubber flaps on them but my doors are 14 feet tall and I can't climb a ladder.
Bob

[Lee Schierer]

Borrow a cat from your neighbors and lock it in the building for a few days. Once the birds know that their roosting place isn't safe, they will either become lunch or seek shelter elsewhere. :)

[Vaughn McMillan]

Two letters...one word:

BB Gun! :) You don't have to hit them, just ruffle the feathers a bit.

- Vaughn

[Don Baer]

Get one of those fake owls. The birds wont nest near a predator..

[Andrew Ault]

I found that cat poop kept birds from nesting in a particular spot.

I guess they think that predators can get to that spot. After it's done the job, of course, throw the offending substance away...far, far away.

[Joe Pelonio]

Good luck on that.

My Dad's shop has the roll up doors and he's been plagued by swallows nesting in it, and there are 3 doors. He couldn't figure out how to block them and also
likes to keep doors open when it's warm. He made some swallow nesting boxes (birdhouses) and put them outside nearby and that did it. All 3 of them were used by bird families. That's in Port Angeles, WA, about 60 miles plus a ferry from me. I am plagued by Starlings at my house. They break thru the screens on the soffit vents and nest in the attic. Eventually they get into the walls and I spend hours locating them and cutting the drywall to let them out. Last time there was a long dead one next to the live one. So far have put heavy screens over 6 of the soffit vents, plan to do them all when I paint it next summer. The worst though, was a woodpecker enlarged one of the 2" round
holes and made it 4"x3" to get in to nest. That was 1x4 blocking under the
eves that he pecked thru!

[Steve Clardy]

Maybe fashion a hinge with a flapper on it. Open door, flap opens. Close door, flap blocks hole.
I got rid of the sliding doors on my shop. Couldn't come up with a decent way to seal them off for winter time.

[Matt Meiser]

I may have found how they were getting in. My door is 12' tall, so I've never looked at the top that close. What I thought was a small gap with a felt "seal" was actually about 2" wide gap with a felt "seal" I used some 1x4 to close up the gap to about 1/4". Hopefully that will do the trick. In the mean time, I think I'm going to ask the alarm company to just call me for instructions if that zone triggers.

The longer term plan is to replace the humongous sliding door with an 8x8 overhead door.

[Gary White]

If you do a google search for sparrow traps you can find plans or finished traps. You might also google for bluebird houses because sparrows are natural enemies of the bluebirds. I think you could build the trap openings larger for larger species. If you still have trouble with barn swallows after building the nesting platforms you can staple up plastic sheeting where they are trying to build their nests. That way the mud, sticks, etc. won't stick. Swallow eat alot of insects. We try to keep them around. Good Luck.