Action Line #80408 - Bird problem Published June 17, 2008 By Anonymous 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- Complaint: At our house for 2 years now the swallows continually try nesting inside of the carport of base housing on the light fixture; I am not the only one on the street who is bothered by this, there is an alliance forming... everyone stands out and sprays down the carports in the mornings, and also in the evenings, and the gardener through out the day. While I enjoy Mother Nature these little birds are nesting everywhere, leaving behind droppings, and loud chirping that wakes me up everyday by 0430. I also have co-workers who are dorm residence and have birds nesting inside of the sun shades. Can we build a nesting ground of some sort or population control? We got the netting from housing self help and they found it to be most enjoyable for nesting. Please help! Response: As you already know, a great many barn swallows migrate through our area Spring and Fall each year and many people do consider them a nuisance. However, because they are a protected species in Turkey, population control is not a viable option. I also have two nested in my garage. With regard to what you can do, you are on the right track getting netting from the Self Help Center as other residents have found this netting works well to stop the nesting. Unfortunately, if not installed properly, the netting becomes a welcome habitat for the swallows and other birds. To win the battle with the swallows, we recommend you stop by and talk to our Self Help Center service providers, who will be happy to show you the proper way to install the netting. One thing about the barn swallows that we all need to remember, especially on those hot and humid days when the bugs are biting, is that the swallows are sometimes good to have around because they love to eat insects, including flies and mosquitoes.