I was contacted by a state agency that was needing swallows excluded from a bridge until the contractor starts work on May 15. They have removed the nests but need them not to be rebuilt until the contractor takes over. I have experience in pigeon, starling, and Canada goose removal but was needing some input on this type of project and what you guys would recommend. It is a steel and concrete structure and can be reached by a lift.
My main question is if any tape strips would deter them along with owl decoys or is there a repellant that would work? I have not seen any birds there yet and don't think they are even back yet but I have a short period to exclude them and need help from someone experienced in this kind of work. Thanks, LLL

Netting

Netting but must be done right.

If you have any doubts pass, check out recent lawsuit in CA where netting was installed and caught a few swallows.

Lawsuit and fines for the contractor and the d.o.t.

Netting is the most common method used many dot's do it themselves with their own crews.

No other deterrent is proven for these situations, audio and other visual deterrents won't stop colonies with affinity for the structure.

This is something we have experience with and have explored at great length with various state/fed entities.

Just beware of pitfalls.

Justin

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Swallows are already building here though we are south of you, I expect yours must be arriving soon. Is the contractor they mention the bridge builder? If it is they can't allow nesting either as any eggs/adults/chicks killed result in that federal action. I know of others who have been paid to keep nests scraped while maintenance or replacement of these structures was going on to prevent "take" and fines.

Would be an expensive net job for 15 days worth of action. Someone was likely asleep at the wheel on this one or failed to get the ducks in a row. Often if they can't block a biological species of concern they have to delay.

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any of you tried Bird free optical gell, did a job with it last week on a barn conversion tu stop swallows nesting ,obviously need more time to see if it works on swallows, but I have used it a lot on pigeon jobs and it works on them. google Bird FREE and have a look, might be worth trying.

cheers
Brian

found the proper site address www.bird-free.com

hope it helps

Brian

I looked at one of those jobs myself in Indiana. They wanted streamers hung. They couldn't hang netting because when the bridge deck was coming down it would have taken it with it. I bid it for daily inspection and scraping any nests being built. The way the specs read the contractor had so many days to complete the bridge and if the bird got an egg laid construction had to wait until the baby bird left the nest. There was a daily fine if the job was done late. There was a lot of liability there. I'm not sure there is a product out there I would trust with that kind of money riding on it. Of course, I didn't get the job.

Sounds like this could be a serious cluster flop.

Update on the optical gell , if anyboby is interested.

All the swallows have now gone and nested on some body else building, hopefully more work.
I also used it to stop Carrion crows from nesting on some fancy oak timbers on a brand new house, they cut all the trees down to build the house and did away with the old nesting sites .
Used it to stop a pair of Herring gulls nesting behind a chimney stack, removed nest and eggs last week, and they have not come back.