Mud Swallows

Mud swallows are wonderful birds because they eat so many insects; they are like bug-eating vacuum cleaners in the sky.  This behavior is useful and helps to control bug populations.  However, these birds present serious problems when they infest a business or home.

Mud swallows are so named because they build their unique nests from mud.  They start by affixing small mud balls to a wall, and then quickly build the nest out to a softball-sized gourd shape with a hole at the top. They build their nests on stucco, wood, concrete, and metal.  They commonly construct nests inside barns and underneath bridges. 

When mud swallows build nests on a home or business, not only is there the problem of nests but also the problem of the accompanying swallow bugs.  These insects, also called nosecone bugs, live on the birds’ bodies.  If mud swallows nest on the exterior of your property, you will probably get conenose bugs on the interior.  These bugs will bite, and are similar in many ways to bedbugs.

Allstate offers solutions to get rid of the nests, the birds, and the bugs.