How Do I Keep Barn Swallows Out Of My Garage?

As much as you like the song of the barn swallows, you would not want them nesting in any part of your house or let alone in your garage.

No one wants to deal with the noise or the birds’ droppings.

Earlier, the birds used to follow the cars of the house owners to get entry into the garage.

But now, they are way past it.

They don’t need the help of the house owners to enter the garage.

In some areas, these barn swallows have mastered the art of opening the garage door.

Shocking right?

Who would have thought these birds were capable of doing something like this?

So, why are barn swallows attracted to build their nests in your garage?

What are the consequences of letting them nest in your garage, and how to keep them away from your property?

Let’s find out.

Why Are Barn Swallows Nesting in Garage?

You might have noticed the barn swallows nesting in your garage, especially during the spring and summer seasons.

It would give you a feeling that your garage no longer belongs to you.

Why do they take ownership of your garage during this period?

Mostly, barn swallows are birds that like to be in the open air than build a nest in some dark and quiet place.

But they still invade your house and garage during the summer and spring.

Why?

They do it to build a nest because they want to lay eggs.

As these birds are very protective of their eggs and young ones, they do not want their eggs destroyed by other birds such as owls or hawks.

This is why they look for a safe and secure place where they can nest peacefully and lay eggs as well.

Also, there are many places in the garage that can serve as their perfect nesting spots, such as rafters, eaves, and edges.

These places tempt them to build a nest there.

The garage also provides the perfect calm and quiet environment where these birds are looking for the nest and to protect their eggs and young ones.

7 Tips to Keep the Swallows Out of Your Garage

By now, you would have realized the hazards these barn swallows can cause to your place.

This is why you must take some precautions to keep them away from your garage.

You can check out the following tips that would help you in keeping the swallows from nesting in your garage during the spring and the summer season.

1- Keep Your Garage Door Shut

One of the major reasons that let barn swallow nest in your garage during the summer and spring season is that the garage door is often opened.

This does not happen during the autumn and winter because you do not want cold air entering the garage.

I know some of you also prefer to keep your garage door open when you are at home, which can again lead to the problem.

So, the obvious solution to the problem would be to keep your garage door closed all the time.

2- Install A Screen Door

Want to keep your garage door open to let fresh air enter it?

You can install a screen door to keep these barn swallows away from the garage.

A screen door will serve the purpose of ventilation and keeping the birds away as well.

3- Block the Possible Nesting Places

A few specific types of places (such as rafters, building eaves, and ledges) are the favorite of these barn swallows to build a nest.

These places are very easily available in your garage, attracting the barn swallows.

So, if you want to keep them away from the garage, you should block the nesting places that tempt them.

One another great thing you can do is to make the slope steeper under your eaves.

This can be done by installing an additional board for reconstructing this part of your roof, or you can use something like a Bird B Gone’s Nesting Deterrent.

Once they cannot find a suitable place for nesting in the garage, they will leave it themselves.

4- Scare Them Away with Sound

Did you know that you can use sound to repel birds as well?

If not, then you can try this trick now.

Birds like quieter places and are very much scared of the sound.

This is why they nest in your garage in the first place. It is because of the calm and quiet it provides.

So, if you want to keep these swallows away from your garage, you should provide them with the exact opposite of a calm and quiet atmosphere. 

5- Take the Help of The Decoys

The barn swallows nest in the garage because they want to protect their eggs from other birds such as owls or hawks.

So, you can take a chance of using the decoys of owls and hawks to keep them away from your place.

Place these decoys inside or at the gate of your garage and let them do the work of keeping the swallows away from the garage.

Just make sure that the decoys you use are not stationary. They must move and emit sound as well.

Stationary decoys will not prove effective in keeping the barn swallows away.

6- Scare Them Away with Your Cat or Dog

If you own a cat or a dog, their assistance can be really effective in keeping the barn swallows away from your garage.

These animals can chase the birds away and would not let them anywhere near them.

Thus, owning these pets is already a great solution to your barn swallow problem.

You just need to let them loose and watch them chase away the birds for you.

7- Build A Birdhouse

Another reason that these birds enter your garage is when they are in search of food.

So, you can keep them away from your property by building a birdhouse for them and providing food and water to them there.

When they find food and water in the birdhouse, it is possible that they will not enter the garage and will return back from there only.

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Why Should You Not Let a Barn Swallow Build Nest in Your Garage?

No one likes their garage being flooded with barn swallows every spring and summer because they want to build up a nest.

Letting a barn swallow build a nest in your garage has many consequences as well.

Let’s check out a few of them below.

a) You Lose the Ownership of Your Garage

Well, technically, your garage will still be your property in the eyes of the people.

But, in the eyes of these barn swallows, the garage is their property now.

They will not let you enter the garage without trying to peck you to death as they are very protective of their territory.

Thus, the garage which you once used to park your cars will ultimately become their property, and you will be forced out of it for good.

b) There Will Be Smell and Droppings All-Around

No one wants their garage to be filled with birds dropping. It is unhygienic and healthy.

But, if you let a barn swallow nest in your garage, this is exactly what would happen.

Your garage will be filled with the birds’ droppings which will give a bad odor every time you enter your garage.

Imagine the impression it will give to the visitors if they enter your garage. You surely would not want that.

c) There Will Be Dead Insects All-Around

A barn swallow likes to devour insects as much as you like to devour a pizza!

This is why most farmers let them nest in their barns as well.

They keep the insects away from the crops by eating them.

But your garage is not a farm neither are you a farmer.

So, letting them nest in your garage will not benefit you.

Instead, you will notice dead insects and sometimes even snakes lying in your garage.

Imagine the horrors of finding a dead snake in your garage.

d) The Odor Will Spread to The House

Worried about the bad odor coming from the garage because the barn swallows are nesting in it?

Imagine the horrors when your whole house starts smelling like it.

That’s right! Their odor is so strong that it will not only be restricted to the garage.

Instead, it will spread to the entire house.

Even if you dump their nests in a trash bin, the trash can will start smelling horrible.

The odor will stay in your nose for hours. This is why you should not let them nest in your garage in the first place.

The Conclusion

While you may think that barn swallows are harmless little birds nesting in your garage, you are in for a huge shock.

They are quite fierce and protective of their eggs and babies.

They would keep pecking you until you left the garage.

The garage which you once thought was yours will become their property.

There will be birds’ droppings and dead insects lying all around your garage.

Your entire property would start smelling horrible.

This is why you should keep them away from your garage by following the tips mentioned above.