How to keep birds out of a barn

Barn birds are a common source of problem for people who have farms or keep livestock. For casual observers birds are cute, little pleasant creatures who bring no harm, but only on in depth analysis you will note the possible issues and problems, which arise because of their presence. Believe it or not birds are only a pleasant site for shorter durations because their prolonged presence only brings more harms than good. They will not only create bothering noises, but also introduce extensive damage to buildings and there is also a strong potential of spreading diseases. Best strategy is to deal with birds as soon as possible and possible steps should be taken for driving them away from barns. In addition to this, your focus should not only be upon removing these creatures, but also it has to be ensured that they should not return back.

Different kinds of birds like the idea of seeking refuge in barns or other related storage buildings, but there are some specific bird types that more commonly found. It is important that one should have a complete knowledge related with them because this helps in designing proper plans. The main point is that every bird is different and depicts a unique behavior and you can only control it after getting an idea related with its ways of living.

Let’s put a look at some of the most common birds that dwell in barns.

Swallows
These birds generally have slender and longer bodies and wings are prominently pointed. You are going to find them on farms very often and generally they feed on flying insects and flies. These are a source of noise and also infamous for building nests that bring damage to the main building. If you will see these creatures making nests in farm it is best to take proper steps for their removal as soon as possible otherwise you will face many issues.

Pigeons
These are one of the most popular birds that are found not only in barns, but also urban environments. Pigeons will make their way to any place, which offers food to them. Around the region of barns pigeons generally focus upon making nests in rafter because they fancy flatter surfaces. Pigeons normally visit barns for feeding upon grains which is spilled or not stored in a secure manner.

Sparrows
Sparrows show a closer association with swallows, but show less aggressive attitude when it is related with extending protection to nests. Swallows normally feed on different kinds of flying insects, but food pieces that are left in open also appear attractive to them. Coming towards nesting they prefer to reside in open regions. Nests are larger as well as messy and this makes removal of sparrow challenging and a difficult activity.

European Starling
These are birds which normally have feeding tendencies that are very much like pigeons and mostly their preference is to consume loose grains and leftover food which comes from livestock or people. Biggest issue that is related with presence of these birds is that they prefer making nests in cavities. Very often nests are built in the holes present in walls and drain pipes and this introduces serious kind of damage or issues.

Owls
These are not very much common, but generally you see them in farms especially in those which have empty buildings or are rarely used. Owls also like the idea of nesting in cavities, so buildings which show signs of their presence should be dealt with extreme care. These birds normally prefer feeding smaller rodents like mice, bats and voles also they give preference to hunting in larger fields.

Controlling Birds
• For making sure bran is free from the activity of birds one has to take different kinds of preventive measures. Those who have issues related with nesting of birds on flatter surfaces can follow a simple solution that is related with adding sloped ridge to eves. In this manner the surface which was inviting will turn into a threatening surface for birds as they will not consider it as ideal. You can make these sloped ridges at home, but they are easily available at the hardware stores that are present online.
• Another easy solution for this problem is to add different kinds of bird netting. It can be best used for the purpose of protecting crops also for prevention of birds from gaining access to different surfaces present in the barn. Bird netting when added to trusses’s underside will not allow bird to fly towards rafter’s underside.
• In case you are looking for a more convenient option that can be easily applied, then we suggest adding ultrasonic bird controlling device which works by emitting sound waves that are not liked by birds. Birds will start to move away from areas, which appear as a source of trouble or disturbance in this way your place will be saved from unwanted invasions.
• However, for the purpose of dealing with stubborn birds who impose great resistance we suggest that addition of bird spike strip appears as a great solution. These are long lasting and don’t impose any kind of serious risks in the long run.

You do have a lot of options when it comes to bird proofing a barn. You can opt for foil strips or plastic-strip curtains hanging in doorways, window openings, and other open doorways or entrances. Duck dummies and decoys can trick nuisance birds into believing that bigger, more aggressive, predatory birds are hanging around the area and will therefore pose a safety problem. Noise-making devices can create loud disturbances that drive flocks away, and repellents can use taste and smell to send them packing. 

If you have other animals or livestock in the barn, using light and noise devices might not be the best idea as they can agitate those animals more than the nuisance birds. It is best to get to the very heart of the problem — the birds getting inside. If you take away their points of entry, you take away the biggest part of the problem. 

Holes bigger than about half an inch should be filled or sealed using hardy, durable materials that birds can't easily peck or scratch through. At the same time, make note of the areas that birds are roosting or nesting. You can make those platforms or ledges unsuitable for birds by having bird netting or bird spike strips installed. These remove the flat surface and force the birds to find another spot. If you properly protect all spots, the birds will have no choice but to stop bothering your barn.