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 think I would wet/dry vac them up before they dried. Try plugging up the drain holes with someting that will allow water to drain like bronze wool, landscape fabric or similar. More likely they are crawling under the sliding door sills. Caulk the track at the slab. Make an effort to see how they are getting in. Take a beer or glass of wine and spend some recon time on your patio when it rains. I thing John was thinking to attract birds that also might eat the worms. A chicken or 2 would probably have a feast & learn where to go when it rains for the treat.

I saw on a cottage show on tv that a gazebo owner installed double screens (back to back) which prevented the rain from penetrating the gazebo. I researched this on line and could not find any reference to this. I am going to buy some screen and try it out on one of my gazebo walls. I hope it works and I hope you can still see clearly out. I thought of another idea if the double screen does not work. You can buy clear heavy weight plastic at your local Fabric stores. It is sold in rolls just like a bolt of material. I believe it is sold in different widths, up to 60 inches wide or so. I thought of stapling the sheet of plastic on a 1 inch by 2 inch piece of wood to create a header or top. At the bottom staple a 2 inch X 2 inch piece of wood (the thicker piece of wood would be heavier creating a bit of weight to hold the blind down). Drill a hole on each end of the top header. Fasten a nail or screw in the interior of the gazebo (matching the holes you drilled in the header. Hook the blinds on the nails or screws. When you do not want to use the plastic blinds, you can simply remove them and roll them up by hand and store them. It would take seconds to install these blinds and it should stop the rain from coming in. If you have strong winds in your area, you can fasten the bottom of the blinds using wing nuts. Just a thought..... Cheaper than installing window screens. Also once you install window screens on a screen porch or gazebo it does not feel the same anymore...

Macumber, those are cute pillows, as is the rug Tibbrix posted. The only thought in my mind is that it is hard to match or mix oranges. I have this problem in my family room. Some oranges are pinky-coral-orange, some a bright yellow-orange, and others a browned down rust or clay. The small pillows are not hard to use as accents with navy with cording edge behind them. They are also easy to return if the colors don't work. The orange in Tibb's rug seems to be multicolored which is easier to work with the a solid. But colors on monitors are notoriously hard to match. Take it a step at a time, then order a smaller rug, perhaps, to see the colors. Here is a link to Ballard Designs outdoor rugs for some more ideas. I Do love the rug, (and also the first bird pillow in HD link). The mixed patterns in the pretty pictures work because the colors are spot on. http://www.ballarddesigns.com/rugs-drapery/rugs/indoor-outdoor/#w=*&af=cat2:rugsampdrapery_indooroutdoorrugs cat1:rugsampdrapery pagetype:products