Tired of flies pestering your livestock? Try Tree Swallows.

Tired of flies pestering your livestock? Try Tree Swallows. One pair of tree swallows eat 8000 blood sucking flies per day from your farm. Build a box for them and they will come!

[@davesipsy7587]

The info on the range of the Tree Swallow I have seen says that they are rare in my area of Alabama. But, I built these houses three years ago on Greg's suggestion... and I have many more Tree Swallows than I ever expected.

[@roscorude]

I found greg judy a few years ago looking for a way to get rid of flies on my cows....you would not believe the journey the holy spirit set me on when I first found greg! Praise Jesus, thanks KZbin and God bless Greg Judy!

[@JohnVanRuiten]

Don't you love those Rosco? I know I do.

[@LitoGeorge]

And how did the fly problem go?

[@roscorude]

@@LitoGeorge I still have flies. I decided after watching greg to not use chemicals on the backs or in supplement blocks. I also decided so far against chickens for a couple reasons one is the security of the flock couldn't be maintained with my present logistics, and more importantly I was afraid to endanger the dung beetle populations! I do add tree swallow houses each season and I know they work hard for me.

[@frjwoj]

Hey Dave! I put up two bluebird houses and now have our first pair of Tree Swallows. I didn’t even know what they were at first but I’m very happy to have them! They eat 8K flies a day? Fantastic! Thanks for all the information on caring for them! May God bless! ☦️

[@wadepatton2433]

I was front and center of the "AIR SHOW" one afternoon when I was bushhogging a neighbor's lot, no livestock at all but the insects were thick and the tree/barn swallows, swifts and sweeps were all over the place. They'd nearly hit the tractor sometimes as they danced in the air for their suppers. I'll be adding houses for tree swallows, and maybe boxes for bats (mosquito control).

[@kathyfendel7967]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and pushing the diversity and interdependency of all the animals on your farms! Encouraging tree swallows for fly control is brilliant! Thanks again for sharing.

[@jacobhartman594]

I just added a separate savings account to my online banking and called it "Cattle fund".

[@jacobhartman594]

@@Jj-gi2uv That's awfully generous of you. When I get set up properly and am confident I can get friends a return on their money, I'll accept your investment.

[@daveb6386]

I'm doing the same! Looking at property next week in eastern Az that would be great for doing a smaller version then what Greg does. Probably will be about 40-50 acres and I'm excited to begin. Glad I found Gregs channel!

[@heartstonecampground1081]

Common sense is not dead! Thank you Mr Judy...it’s like spending time with my granddad again. =)

[@PrimitiveTim]

Love your message Greg! This video wasn't just about bird houses and tree swallows. It was about so much more!

[@johnniecarter3013]

A steward of the land is a good man! Mr Judy I will say you are at the top of the hero when it comes to that! Thank you so much for the education! Hope y’all dry out soon we’re pretty wet in VA right now. Not 8” in 5 days wet though. Happy spring!! Hello Mrs Judy God Bless y’all and your land!!

[@kenanklovitch8117]

Hi Greg, very similar to my tree swallow nests, same size cuts makes them so easy. I have a tree swallow house on my wood working shop which is 10 feet behind my sign shop and I have a special "perch" that I can watch all the comings and goings from. Just around the corner on the shop, about 15 feet from the tree swallow house I attracted some barn swallows for the first time. About 25 feet from the tree swallow house I have a purple martin pole. From my special perch I can watch all the activity at the same time. Oh yes robins nest just around the corner from the barn swallows on the opposite the side of the shop that the tree swallows house is. I must not forget to tell you about werns that inhabit a house on my back fence. The total area is about 60 ' x 40" and everything gets along fine. Wow, I can't wait for spring up here in Canada. I have to admit a slight preference for the incredible barn swallows, I never tire of their chitter-chattering warble and their flight pattern in the air is sheer poetic beauty in motion. If I was a bird I would like to be a barn swallow.

[@LitoGeorge]

Spring has long sitting here in VIsland. Whereabouts are you located? When I ran my farm in Nova Scotia, we had serious fly problems. I wish I knew this information back then.

[@chucklitecky2181]

Some ranchers are running chickens behind their stock to eat the immature form of the flies within the manure. The chickens also spread the manure. Jason Rhodes whom you know is one of these people.

[@COMB0RICO]

6:35 I think it is time for that barn swallow video 😃

[@704406bbl]

This explains why there are so many of these bird houses on fence posts around the farm we bought in January here in Chatham county N.C.

[@SeaPlaneSupply]

Great job Greg! Keep them coming, gets me thru the day. God Bless

[@peterclark9987]

For every pest species there are many beneficials. Make sure those beneficials can stick around and do their job, for free. One guy I heard of built owl boxes to get the voles who were after his fruit trees. They ate up the roots killing the trees. Video showed it working. Swallow herding sounds like a good idea Greg.

[@emilmoldovan1789]

It’s a pleasure to watch your lessons!

[@LitoGeorge]

You're a good man Greg Judy. Thanks for that brilliant, useful information.

[@drumminjohn6626]

Have built 9 so far and have at least 3 sets of birds using them. thank you greg

[@LitoGeorge]

How is your fly problem working out?

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

Thank you for sharing this important information listening from Brownwood Texas

[@stevensmallwood1477]

Wow, 400+ and 190 more now? Incredible. Yes to positive action! Been planting chestnut and apple trees myself. Excited to make some of these houses. Thanks for the great video.

[@4philipp]

That was great info on tree swallows. But I think the most important nuggets of information was at the end: the farmer needs to be the predator that culls weak animals from the herd. Good management is key. Too many try to drag the weak along because it’s a high investment. But the long term cost and delusion of genetics of the herd is even more expensive. To the more practical application of “get rid of it” - do you sell them at auction or treat them and process them? I’m sure you try to recover some value from those animals.

[@flyingpigpreserve8562]

Thank You Very Informative. God Bless and Peace Be With You Both ☮️🙏❣️

[@carlosbarrera8847]

Great video. Your helping me so much and for that I'm forever grateful. Thank you sir..

[@Warrior-In-the-Garden]

Never new this. The house we bought almost 15 yrs ago had wood pieces cut to make these. I always wondered what these were for. I'm gonna go down and dig these out. Great fall project.

[@sherrieottinger6135]

I agree with the whole program, however I have an anomaly going on at our house, here in Greeneville,TN...I have barn swallows and tree swallows nesting/raising on our front porch. What's strange? They're on the NORTH (shade) side of the house...AND they're in nests that are LESS than 10 ft apart! And they're being great neighbors to each other. Nature...about the time you think you've figured out a pattern, she's SWITCHES up on you! I enjoy you Greg!

[@RaisedRegenerative]

I was going to send you an email requesting a tree swallow video. You beat me to it! We’re starting MIG this year on our farm and I’m hoping to get some bird houses up near my waterers in the next week or so. Thanks for the info Greg.

[@thomasreto2997]

Great idea! I couldn’t help but think about swarm traps for honeybees because there is a method to setting them up just like your swallow setup. Thanks man!

[@NJBeachbum12]

Awesome stuff!!!! Thx

[@noahboggs3916]

Every video I watch it blows my mind!

[@rickmatz1935]

This was a very rewarding video. The reward. Knowledge

[@Michael-vp4zt]

Seams to me cattle farming managed properly is the most environmental friendly industry bar nun. I don't have a farm however I will build one of these maybe they can look after my lettuces.

[@rockinghorselivestock2491]

Thank you Greg. For our rocky ground in South Central Missouri, do you have a preferred depth to set the post for the tree swallow house?

[@williamjaeger5940]

Great Video!

[@sarahktm]

The nest box pattern can be found by searching "nest box design Oct 2009 pdf" and it's the first link from Cornell University.

[@jamesanderson677]

Thank you and GOD bless

[@lloydhagger8444]

Great info, I never thought about tree swallows before, What do you think about wild onions, garlic and chives in the pasture, should they be wiped out, if so how without chemicals, I used Harmony before when I was growing it for hay only. Thanks for any suggestions, I'm learning a lot from you, and I agree with you, let nature work for you and the animals.

[@chrisscogin5271]

Here in SE Texas, I put up Purple Martian nesting boxes. They really control all types of bothersome insects, especially mosquitoes.

[@EandEBasCo]

Greetings Chris, I am in North Central Texas. Is your build for a purple martin birdhouse much different than what Judy prescribes here? I am not trying to be smart as I am genuinely curious. I too am trying to reduce flys naturally.

[@michaelripperger5674]

I’m in N Texas. I think the purple martins work best with the crescent openings instead of the circle opening.

[@davemi00]

Same as a Bluebird House, use a metal fence post and 2 U-bolts to connect to post, keeps mice and raccoons from climbing up. Like they do on a wooden post.

[@Hojjiifp]

Great idea

[@johnmm777]

So happy you did this video. I would real like to know if I can mount this house to trees on my place. Not forest like trees by the way

[@paradoxchild01]

I was wondering last month if you had cleaned out the houses.

[@wildedibles819]

Great words bud

[@goodingwashington6099]

If I want two nest boxes in one post - one for tree swallow and one for blue bird - how do I make the two nest boxes different for Blue bird versus tree swallow? Same question about House Sparrows

[@deaconlyric]

what do the tree swallows do to your orchards and fruit bushes?

[@alexkerpe930]

Does your Friend Ian in Africa has some videos online about his farm operation?

[@maxbrown1913]

5 chickens per cow will work wonders for flys

[@marlan5470]

What to do about things like ticks, fleas and lice?

[@brianjayne1903]

How did the sea salt and garlic work

[@mobyhunr]

The sapwood of eastern cedar is not decay resistant. Only the dark heart wood is. Cut the outer sap boards away first. Use them for utility benches ect. Something easy to replace. When building something with effort use dark heartwood and it will last generations. Try canting the tree center for a post or use locust. Cover the bury part of post in roof pitch and let dry a few days. Home Desperate has bugle head stainless steel screws and coated deck screws. Also I thought you can stack up tree swallow homes without them fighting.

[@martysaskatchewan740]

If we're lucky we get 8 inches of rain per summer here lol

[@paulx2777]

Don't forget violet green swallows, if tree swallow range is not where you are located. There was some guy in Oregon with a big cherry orchard, who wanted to sell as organic. He put up something over 1000 bird houses in his orchard, suspended by wire IIRC. No worms in the cherries...

[@paulx2777]

Oh, I think you can double up violet greens the same way you can with bluebirds. Violet greens and tree swallows won't fight.

[@greatdane3343]

Great info Greg. I'm in Northern Australia and one of our biggest problems is cattle ticks. I'd love to hear some suggestions for similar symbiotic control methods for cattle ticks if anyone has any.

[@leelindsay5618]

I found some info about ticks - "Chickens and guinea hens provide an excellent natural source of tick control."

[@leelindsay5618]

Here's a link that talks about a study. www.wideopenpets.com/tick-control-with-chickens-how-effective-is-your-fowl-flock-patrol/

[@jakenshaken]

what diameter hole?

[@markrodrigue9503]

Jan 15 2020 is the bird house build

[@maddhouseproductions4169]

Here's the link! 💓 kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4Cbe2x_YqZ-frc

[@Grumkefarms]

Hey Greg. Would the tree swallow and what we call barn swallow the same bird or not?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

No they are different birds. Both are great birds to gave around livestock

[@papamooo602]

How do you keep sparrows from taking over them boxes?

[@daveb6386]

Spacing is the key. I found this great site that really goes into detail on tree swallows. Great info to go along with Gregs info. I plan on doing this in Arizona. Hope this helps. www.treeswallowprojects.com/boxplace.html

[@sjvche7675]

Do sparrows take over boxes?

[@MrYogi12Bear]

How close together can you put the houses? Are they territorial is the question I guess? Thinking about putting several around my portable waterers.

[@MrYogi12Bear]

Should have watched the whole video before asking. Thanks

[@silence-humility-calmness]

100 ft

[@daveb6386]

@@MrYogi12Bear This is a great site I found that has even more info to go along with what Greg talked about. Hope it helps. www.treeswallowprojects.com/boxplace.html

[@scottsimmons3989]

Great idea Greg. Question for ya, how much competition are you seeing the tree swallows get from sparrows?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Some of the houses do get sparrows, I pull the nest out and leave the door open for a week. It discourages them. You will always have some.

[@opendoorsheritagefarm5475]

@@gregjudyregenerativerancher Do you have an easy way to ID whether it is a sparrow or a tree swallow building a nest? I just put up 10 boxes and have a couple nests being built already, but am having a hard time getting a good look at the birds. I am still working on getting some perches put up on top of the pole, so maybe that will help. If the birds use them then it would be a lot easier to ID the bird.

[@kennymartin7803]

I'm working on fencing right now. If you are any kind of farmer you will always be working on fencing. Can I and will I ever get a break on working on fencing.

[@LitoGeorge]

I hear you. Electric fencing worked great for me. What do you run?

[@papaal7014]

Buster Skruggs

[@JimJepson]

Hi Greg. THe farmland I’m getting has a lot of large crickets. Suggestions? We’ll have chickens and ducks, but we have 80 acres.

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Stay focused on building healthy soil with ruminants trampling forage. Everything else will eventually fall into place!!!

[@miguelmejia991]

I management 70+ cows long island new York. That is great idia

[@gizzysgarden226]

What about purple martins? You can house more in closer housing than single family houses 100 feet away from each other.

[@jessiepolatty4073]

Any other birds that eat flys?

[@PreciousPatchesFarms]

Hey Greg, do you have bat houses too? They are great for bugs too!

[@miguelmejia991]

How does bird coming or do we have to buy them. If so where can i find them

[@leelindsay5618]

Build it and they will come

[@miguelmejia991]

Thanks

[@johnreynolds8170]

Have you try Beatles for treating the flies?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Yes we have dung Beatles, but could use many more!

[@bradr539]

Bats and mosquitos?

[@andrewparker1300]

do they eat bees or just flys?

[@gregjudyregenerativerancher]

Mainly flies.

[@michaelbobbiharris2587]

Good video. Do you sell the swallow houses you make?

[@HoneyHollowHomestead]

Will tree swallows eat those big horse flies? If not, do you know what will? Those buggers are NASTY! I can't tell you how many I swatted last year!

[@ErnieHardman]

Purple Martins love horse flys, they a bigger then the Tree Swallows