We have the same issue on our canopy. One thing that works is stuffing panty-hose with moth balls and hanging one in each corner of the canopy. It doesn't smell all that great for the first week or two but it seems to work well.

They do not like movement. I have this happen at my townhouse every spring. The owl does deter some for awhile. Busting up the nest works too(if you do it every day). They make a horrible mess. They also attack you if you fail to keep them from nesting. Try hanging a couple of streamers from the corners. A wind sock may work as well. Those little spinners on a stick (I can't remember what they are called) will do the trick as long as they are exposed to air flow.

Are they really that big of a problem. I have a nest every year and think it is kind of cool. what harm do they really do? I am as far as you can get from a tree hugger but I don't get the problem with a few swallows.

The owl doesn't work, I hang one in my shop and now it's full of P00p since they land on it.

Maybe the one with bobble head is a better solution.

I'm telling you guys - "Mr. Snake" will do the trick.

Plus - it looks cool...

Try this..From Eddy's "It worked for me file"

If your not applying to canvas, just metal or wood what works is to spray WD-40 on the areas they try to built there nests.

Either the mud does not stick or they don't like the smell...either way...they abandon the nesting site.

I figured this out when a pair of swallows insisted on building there nest right on the door top of my front entrance to my house. I would knock it down, they came back next day with a new plan...same spot. They never gave up..I did..for a while anyway. Than I came up with the WD-40 plan, and they gave in.

"Eddy out-smarts bird"...News at 11:00!

I really didn't care if they nested anywhere else, just not there. They could have invited all the friends to nest all around the whole house..but not on my doors or porch light, and I would not have got uptight. So I'm not a bird hater...no bird hater emails please.

I don't mind the the nests & swallows .... its all the crapping they & their little ones do in the boat when they nest under my canopy. If they did this in the water, I would just leave them alone.

Hang a crow decoy or two under the canopy and they will not return. They will even leave a nest full of young ones so play nice if you use that option.

We did this one year with an owl decoy. Believe it or not, the Swallows made a nest RIGHT on his face, literally so the eyes of the owl were perfectly peering into the nest.

You sir have some possessed swallows! I feel bad for you, maybe consider investing in a starving cat?

What we use is bird netting that you use to protect berrys in the garden. Just attach a 2' wide strip in the area were they would nest. Their afraid of getting tangled in it, it works great and is almost invisible. HTB

2 weeks and still no Swallows trying to nest. Yeah!!!!!

The fix used in my original post seems to be working great. As for the new pontoon canopy ... I haven't had to do anything. I think the pontoon boat may sit too close to the corners of the canopy frame which may be why they are not nesting under it (22' pontoon, 24'canaopy).

Hopefully it will last. If they do come back, I know have some other possible options. Thanks all for your input/ideas!