Robins are birds that I enjoy viewing, but not as they try to build nests under our porch lights which are on both sides of an area right by our front entrance door. For three days my husband has removed the straw, twigs, etc in order to prevent a completed robin's nest. They put the straw, twigs, etc. up, he takes them down immediately. Today after reading these posts, I sprayed the area with ant and roach spray that I use when the ants try to visit too close to our outside walkway. Two robins just came with straw in their mouths, but they flew away. I hope this is a long-term solution. This is the first time that we have had this problem in the nineteen years that we have lived here. I am already tired of the mess on our porch and the potential health hazard presented if the robins succeed in building a permanent nest. We have plenty of trees that the birds usually choose for their nests and are still quite welcome to do so. However, why our porch this year is a puzzle. Thanks to all who have posted for their solutions. To the haters, because one does not want a bird's nest in an area that he/she frequently uses in his/her home, does not label the person as an animal hater. Why should my quality of life be compromised daily upon trying to enter my home for the sake of a bird's nest? The answer is that it shouldn't and will not. We will win this fight and reclaim our safety and keep our good health.

I just stumbled upon this post as I try to prevent the recurring problems from Barn Swallows again this year. Unfortunately, the image is no longer available and I cannot see how you hung the netting. We have a colony of Barn Swallows that roost at our apartment building each year. The landlord hates them, but a former tenant had posted signs everywhere about how it was illegal to remove the nests. It was only through my own research that I realized it was only illegal while eggs or babies were in the nests, and those tenants moved out this winter. In addition to nesting on top of our buildings lights, covered walkways, and eaves, my apartment and the one next door have outdoor entrances from our gorgeous courtyard and patio which have covered stairwells. Each year, the swallows fly through these two stairwells like its the Lincoln Tunnel, dive bombing anyone who tries to walk on the stairs. They build their nests on the outlet boxes or porch lights. The first summer we lived here, I thought it was really neat to have such a close view of their lives, as I would often sit on my steps and could watch the babies as they grew, taking great care to be quiet and non-threatening. However, I also found that my porch steps and exterior wall were covered with bird droppings. They are also very very noisy when there is an entire colony of them outside of your windows. All of the "teenage" birds hang out in one of our courtyard trees outside of my window, which my cat loves but can actually drown out any conversation or television in our living room. Then I experienced what I thought were bed bugs in our house. I had tiny bites head to toe and could constantly feel them crawling on me despite rarely being able to see anything. It got so bad that I was getting the bites infected from itching all the time, and I couldn't sleep because I could feel the bugs crawling on my skin as soon as I tried to relax. I finally captured a few and took them to the University's Department of Entymology, who identified them as bird mites. That experience was HORRIFIC. I was ready to burn our entire building down after reading that the bird mites multiply much more quickly than bed bugs and are nearly impossible to remove. Luckily, the mites died off when the birds finally left for the season, but I can no longer sit outside on my wooden stairs because I fear contracting them again. The next spring, I tried the knock-down method, just on my own stairwell. I would open my screen door 2 inches and use a broom handle to knock down the nests up to 7 times a day. The swallows became very agitated, and and two attacked my daughter's head when she got home from school one of the days. I couldn't sit inside and repeat this process forever, though, and they got their nest up one day while I was off at a 12 hour work shift. The outlet covers they use are too high up to see into, and I knew that some other nests already had eggs, so I couldn't knock it down, more out of compassion than fear of charges. This will be our third summer here. Our elderly landlord has given up trying to prevent them from nesting even in the building entryways. I have removed my porch light cover so there is no solid surface to nest on, but the outlet box cover is too high up and I can't put a ladder on the stairs to reach it. I have considered trying to throw a cotton ball soaked with peppermint oil up there (it has worked in the past for mice and spider problems), or hanging a bunch of cut aluminum as a mobile at the top of the steps (I have heard that the reflections off the metal scare birds off), but I simply can't go through another year of this if those methods don't work. I saw that I could use something to create a 45% slope where the nest to prevent them, but again... getting up there is an issue. I am curious to see how you used the mesh. Could you please share the picture again?

Hi there. I know you have come here for help and ideas. To be very honest cats will be cats and the only way to protect these babies (and all the others ones nesting that you dont see)is to keep the cats in the house. I know you are trying to help the strays too, please try to find them a no kill shelter or an organization that will spay/neuter and adopt them out. If you don't your neighborhood will be over run with cats. It's not the cats fault, just very bad cat owners that let them roam free. I love cats but I also love the birds, I have 4 cats, all rescued strays..and they do NOT go outside. Cats are not welcome on my property. Be aware this is a very hot topic, we understand you are trying to help but what I have said is the only sure way to protect wildlife of all kinds. Thanks for your concern.

We had an eastern phoebe build a nest on a nest platform we put about 25 ft. up, under our eaves on the NW side of our house. The nest site was/is/should be well protected from rain and predators. Below is a gravel driveway with bordering shrubs, stacked firewood, raspberry patches and woods. Phoebe could regularly be seen hunting insects on the wing (sallying forth as phoebes do). More and more she was on the nest, apparently warming her eggs -- I didn't hear any peeps from nestlings (our bedroom widow is 7 ft. away and usually open). Around 8 days ago, I noticed a phoebe closer to the front of the house on our front railing and mountain laurel branch, then flying up to an unused ? robin's nest on another platform under the eaves and soffit at the front of the house. Again, this nest and platform seemed very well protected from predators and rain. At first I thought it was a different phoebe, perhaps making use of what looked like a robin's nest, recently built (25 days ago), but unused. A few days later, I realized it must be the gable, NW phoebe -- as she was no longer on her nest (on the gabled NW side of house about the driveway). What the? Egg or nestling demise? Owl? We haven't had an opportunity to check either nest out (rain and we'd need to get out a tall extension ladder). Our phoebe isn't even around the "robin's nest" now. No one is at either nest. Hard to believe that their were silent nestlings in the gable nest and they've already fledged. I didn't see any or much back and forth flights with food. Didn't hear any soft nestling twitters. Do any of you have any ideas? <beginning to wonder if house is cursed or weasels can fly or....>