Friday, May 11, 2007

Barn Swallows



To Barn Swallow or not to Barn Swallow. I enjoy my barn swallows. Yes, they dive bomb me and the cats and they often poop in the the water troughs but they also eat mosquitoes. And they really are pretty. I know allot of people hate them and do all that they can to keep them out, but appreciate them and the horses aren't bothered by them, so why not. What's your opinion?

5 comments:

Tracy said...

I don't have a barn (yet), so I don't really feel I have a right to have a personal opinion, but I worked for a lady this past Christmas and she did everything she could to chase them away: screens over the doors, water guns, etc. They still managed to get in and make a mess, though. Kind of amusing.

Kathy C said...

I think they are important to keep the mosquito population down. Especially when you live next to a large pond like we do.

Rising Rainbow said...

OK, well I'm the other side of the fence. Probably because I've had a horse I love infected with EPM and we have possums as well as barn swallows here. Birds are part of the life cycle of the organism that causes EPM in horses. And horses can get the disease through exposure to feed or water contaminated by infected birds or possums. So that's a big issue for me and then there's the fact that the horses can catch lice from birds who carry them makes strike two against the barn swallows for me. They can nest other places than over my feed or horses.

steve said...

The barn Swallows here must be able to read cos ever since callie posted about liking barn swallows we now have additional pairs in the garage who dive bomb me when i have the cheek to get the tractor out

Anonymous said...

Sorry, I hate them. Every day they are pecking at me and swooping in my face when I try to walk outside the door. I think I have finally decided that when I go home tonight, I am going to take the power washer to their nests and end the trauma once and for all. It's my barn for God's sake. There are plenty of trees for them to hang out in. Anyway, I probably would have left them alone if they weren't pecking my kids and my poor animals.