Birds in a Vent

We bats can squeeze in through the tiniest holes. Once we're in, you aren't going to get us out again!

"having their nuptial celebrations on top of the fan right above my kitchen stove"

Load-up & cook a big pan of fresh garlic on the stove? Think that would work, sure would at least make them think about staying..

Sorry, wish I could be of more help, not familiar with Martins...but the answers to this should be good!

I'm hoping for something like this to drive em out. So far, whistling kettle and the smell of salmon frying have had no effect...

I tried - briefly - turning on the fan, which appears to be jamming, then once it started the dust started to rain down onto the stove.. so I turned it off. I don't want to be cleaning up bits of Martin, really. I'd just like em to scram in one piece, if possible...

GA. I agree, and wish Purple Martins were in my neck of the woods. We, however are cursed with Starlings. Ugly, raucous, destructive, they steal habitat from Bluebirds and will find a way into wherever pleases them. They had pulled away a gable vent, found a loose soffit vent, and were at work tearing away a section of screening. I fixed all that mess, and also confounded the damn red squirrels in the process. There is a link to building Bat boxes, and one for Martins as well. Google it. And while my neighbors mow their 5 acres, I mow less than a 1/4 acre to provide habitat. Gonna build the Martins a condo if they ever show up.

Get a cat.

Wow, what a mess.

A good friend of mine in the mid-west thought it was a great idea to have Purple Martins to help control the Mosquito population around his 10 acre property [i would have put up Bat houses]. His town by some weird coincidence had 35,000+ of the little buggers migrate in and he got his wish. they found him, the houses he painstakingly built with loving care, and his ranch style home [every opening]. I remembered his nightmare and just called him. He shot me this link. He said it should get you all squared away. I cannot take credit for this advice, just a decent memory.

http://www.avianweb.com/purplemartins.html

good luck and God bless

Well, it's good to know the martins are an asset in the bug eating department.

On the other hand, I'm leaning towards Charlsey's practical advice on removal, rather than any misbegotten notion that I should be happy to have martins scrabbling around above the food preparation area for a year. Sorry, Del!

Actually, although there was certainly a party of two going on there yesterday, this morning's noise tells me that one of the birds has come down the pipe to the range hood and can't get up to get out. It's right there, on top of the fan. Apparently, trying to climb up the pipe.

The practical answer seems to be to open the pipe on this end, bag the bird, and take it out. While I'm pondering how best to do this, I hope the bird is successful in making the climb on its own. Maybe take away a lesson in the process, about unsuitable nesting sites.

Might be a good plan to have a nestbox ready for them as well. There are lots of woodpeckers in this area, but I doubt any of them are in a hurry to give up their nest sites. The flickers are a bit bigger than martins, I'm sure they defend their turf.

The advice on the link is to NOT build a PM house, but to remove all PM habitats from the property and get rid of the ones from your home.

They offer in depth instructions on how to remove them with non-toxic methods and other methods that will not destroy the birds. Since they are breeding, time is not on your side. They will migrate away if you can wait that long. It sounds like they are destroying your place and causing you sleepless nights. You or them? I love all of God's creatures, but love my wife more. I would toast the little guys to restore peace to my home. They are quite prolific and will survive elsewhere. you did not invite them.

My first idea was to build a habitat to attract them away from the house. Made sense to me. The real experts disagree.

Check it out. Lot's of work done on the topic. Scary stories on the web of entire communities that were infested. blew me away. I was going to put up a PM condo on my 5 acre place in FL. No way, not after reading above. No thanks. We'll stick to what we have which is fabulous and wonderful all by itself.

may you have peace and joy SOON

Are you sure you sent me the right link? I didn't see any negative remark about the birds, nor anything about discouraging them, it was all positive...and telling how to build for them...???. I take to heart your comment from your friend's personal experience. I have no reason to pander to the martins, unless it's really recommended!!

I Highly recomend pandering to the martins. A purple martin will eat its body weight in mosquitoes every day! Once you get them out a stout screen over the vent opening will do the trick. Bush stadium in St. Louis used to be home for many martins.

I tried to contact my friend who sent the link. He's gone for the long holiday. Sorry.

I know he covered his openings with wire mesh AFTER he kicked the birds out. They are beneficial to keeping pests under control and they will migrate.

If I get more, I'll send it. best of luck until then. I have seen many good suggestions. have you tried any? Any luck?

If all else fails they will migrate back to South America in July.

Go out and pull some weeds or long grass about a good hand full tightly packed and snap a rubber band or tape around to hold tight. turn or vent fan then light on end of grass roll on fire but immediately blow out, the hold so smoke is pulled up vent and the birds will skedaddle.

It's probably only a few weeks for them to bring up the first brood....
I'm going to go hide in my secret cat nest now... and hope some one doesn't kick me out. mrrrooooooow

Del (the old softie cat)

Cover yourself in tar, roll in some feathers, learn to chirp, and then climb into the vent with them to discuss the issue.

That or grow a brain.

Well guys, thanks for all the advice. The solution was simple and no bagging was required.

Martins, as I learned from your links, are a type of swallows. These birds regularly nest in or go in and out of chimneys and the like: narrow places like the kitchen vent. So the question is, why did the bird get trapped in the range hood? Why couldn't it fly up the pipe?

The answer is, pressure. Cold air sinks, warm air rises. Birds ride updrafts... you get my drift? The temperature conditions inside/outside play a part in the mysterious occupancy of chimneys and the like for a day or two by errant birds.

Here's what I did: slapdash but effective. I loosely taped a plastic bag over the range hood opening while preparing my supper. A pot of food was simmered for about twenty minutes on the stove. That was sufficient to gently warm the air inside the vent and create an updraft for the bird to escape on.

I haven't heard any further sign of occupancy in the vent. Either they have decided to nest somewhere less metallic and slippery and hazardous, or they are nesting in the far end by the exit: in which case I will leave em there till they're done.

They were perched on the eave above my bedroom window this morning, and I saw them fly back and forth a couple of times. Maybe they've moved to the attic? I'll be checking and screening all those openings later this summer, to avoid further damage next year.

...
I remember seeing Sand Martins in an old gravel pit near here, rows of neat holes in a sandy cliff with the birds popping in and out.
Del

I'm happy to have found a solution without further stress on the birds. This is their second year in this area, so they seem to have fit in pretty well with the existing bird community (blue jays, robins, juncos, chickadees, flickers and other woodpeckers, sparrows, warblers, ravens all seem to get along quite well and share or partition the resources available in my humble garden in the woods.) I trust them to sort out their affairs and if they welcome martins, so be it. I'm sure there are enough insects for all!

The next time I hear a bird in the chimney, I may try the bag trick again. I'm thinking it gives the cold, sinking air no outlet and therefore helps pressure to build in the other direction...

Oooooh! Here's another option - cook up a really smelly curry and drive them out with it!

This year I had purple marlins inhabit my bathroom vent. They had the tendency to poke their heads out of the shower fan at my wife when she was taking a shower. (Made my quiet evenings quite interesting I have to say.) I wound up having to remove the shower fan and the nesting materials the birds had stuffed there. Then I was able to reach inside the vent pipe to chase the birds out. I followed up by covering the vent pipe exhaust with a simple plastic vent-exhaust bird cage that you can purchase for <$5 at any home improvment store. The birds were quite upset at having been evicted from their penthouse suite (or perhaps from missing their evening "peep" show) and spent the next several mornings tapping on the exhaust cage trying to get back in. After about a week they finally gave up and found another place to nest.

So, the cheap plastic vent cage works very well for me.

As an avid PM enticer I can possibly provide you with a bit of help.

Here is a link to help you keep them around after you get them out of your house. They are a beautiful bird and their song is very soothing to sit outside and listen to.

I would recommend putting up a fake owl right at the vent they are residing in, after you have put up another home for them somewhere away from where the owl is sitting. Best to have the owl out of their view at the new perch) Make sure you put the new residence at least 14-16' up in the air and give at least a 30 foot radius of clear area around the pole for a glide path.

Purple Martins are wonderful birds and after they have been around for a few years they will gradually get very friendly with you. I have even gotten them to sit next to me on a bench where I had some food stuff put out for them. It is very interesting also to watch them teach their young to fly. I have on many occasions had to put some of the little buggers back in their box when they weren't quite ready to fly but all was well.

Thanks for personal accounts - I see this bird is quite a character! I'll be looking forward to getting to know them out around instead of (ahem) meeting in the kitchen or the shower. The Martins have a huge fan club online, I must say. The maps show purple martins range only to Nova Scotia, so it looks like they're new to the island, not only my area. They must be looking for habitat, to be extending further north. That's a long way to migrate.

I find two sure things to make birds friendly to me: gardening and home made bread. The established birds here are a good lot anyway. The blue jays have only been here for a decade or so, but they fit right in. A few friendly martins should get along fine.

They'll be tough on your mosquito population though be careful of the ecological damage an upset like this could incur.

Snif Imagine life with a mosquito shortage!

Carefully remove the vent and nest and place it (maybe attach with wire) in a nearby tree being carefull not to touch the eggs.

Then install a new more robust, martin proof, vent.

Accidentally, this worked all too well with a swallow family (which I wasn't trying to alienate); so....should work with the martin pair also, if...if you can gain access to the bottom of that exhaust duct.

Instead of just tepid air and humidity rising (or forced) out the vent cap, your birds need to feel a little heat...to the point of discomfort. Lighting an incandescent bulb (the higher wattage the faster) stuck up into the duct...the birds will soon get the message to rebuild elsewhere. If not a lamp, then any safe way to keep heat rising under the birds.

While you're at it, you might consider a martin "hotel" in your yard for the the birds to move to and occupy...available pre-built at some stores including walmart. Like swallows, martins will return annually...they do make very pleasing yard guests.

Martin house plans; free

I'm happy enough that I didn't have to make the bird uncomfortable in any way. They are friendly - they sing out when I go in the yard - and I haven't noticed the usual parade of ants that always seem to get in the house this time of year.

That's a good job for a bird, picking off ants for me. When they're done with the vent, I'm planning to build them a house and attach it to my house near the vent, in the same sheltered area, when I get up to seal it off for next year. Seems they like that spot...