My "shop" building has one open stall and two closed ones. We had a pair of swifts nesting in the closed side last year, but unfortunately one of them drowned in one of the rain catcher buckets and that was that. I did notice earlier this year that it seemed another pair of birds had moved into the open stall, which was annoying but not too bad, as the two stalls that actually have doors seemed to be unaffected. Well, until I wasn't able to wander out to the shop for a few weeks on account of not being able to wear shoes.
Looks like several other birds moved into the shop now and are using the cars for target practise. Very successfully, but about half the shop has now been redecorated white. Great.
Other than trying to close all the holes where they can come in - which is what I'm trying to do but there are lots of them - or getting a shop cat than can work a shotgun to take care of the birds, I'm a tad out of options. Well, other than putting up a better building, which is what my other half suggested.
I am planning to get a garage door fitted to the third, open stall as I think that's the main ingress point. Any other good ideas would be really welcome.
You need movement. Google bird balloons. I have 2 of these.
https://bird-x.com/bird-products/visual-scares/terror-eyes/
First answer was to get an owl (fake).
Next would be some other fake animal wind sock things like posted above.
The old school answer is to punch a hole in some thin aluminum pie tins and dangle then from the ceiling allowing the pan to spin vertically
The birds figure out the fake owl in a few days, because it does not move.
there are Youtube videos of Owl sounds , would that work ?
In reply to californiamilleghia :
No, movement scares them, not sounds.
"I read on the internet, so it must be true" while researching how to keep woodpeckers away, that the fake owls keep them off for a day until they figure out they are fake. Now, the fake owls that move, those keep them off for 2-3 days until they figure out they are fake too. Shotgun, however, seems to keep them away permanently. So the internet says. Y0.
As posted above, I have 2 of the linked balloons, no more bird issues. I've had them for a year or so. I tried the fake owl, it's still on one of the rafters. There's an old birds nest on its head.....
In reply to Steve_Jones :
So the fake owl actually kinda worked, just not as intended?
I guess right now I'll try movement by getting myself into the shop every couple of days and then get more serious about trying to find the ingress holes once they're done nesting for this year.
And buy a bunch of car covers and tarps 
I have bird issues too and have tried all the things mentioned. The tin plates on a string where they can clang together in the wind works well. The fake owls are useless, moving head or not. They dissuade the birds for a couple of days then they're done. If you have ledges that they are landing and nesting on, their is a repellent that comes in a caulk-like tube that is some sticky junk that they won't land on. It works in those cases but loses it's effectiveness if it gets dirty and stops being sticky. I have had to put up bird netting under all of my overhanging porches and decks and that is cheap and effective, but a pain to install. The shotgun is absolutely the most effective, but do yourself a favor and use a .22LR with birdshot and it will save you from blowing the crap out of whatever the target happens to be sitting on when it meets its maker.
T.J.
MegaDork
5/17/20 3:02 p.m.
stukndapast said:
The shotgun is absolutely the most effective, but do yourself a favor and use a .22LR with birdshot and it will save you from blowing the crap out of whatever the target happens to be sitting on when it meets its maker.
Wait, what? I didn't know that was a thing. Sounds like a good way to rid yourself of small varmits. I'm guessing the range is fairly limited?
T.J. said:
stukndapast said:
The shotgun is absolutely the most effective, but do yourself a favor and use a .22LR with birdshot and it will save you from blowing the crap out of whatever the target happens to be sitting on when it meets its maker.
Wait, what? I didn't know that was a thing. Sounds like a good way to rid yourself of small varmits. I'm guessing the range is fairly limited?
Yeah, fairly limited range, but certainly adequate for work around a building. Several manufacturers and you can get it at Bass Pro or Brownells 22LR shotshell
stukndapast said:
The shotgun is absolutely the most effective, but do yourself a favor and use a .22LR with birdshot and it will save you from blowing the crap out of whatever the target happens to be sitting on when it meets its maker.
That's a good idea, especially as the roof as enough holes as is, after it was "fixed".
Our cats kill atleast one a week. No birds, no birds in building.
