Repellent Used to Stop Nesting Accidentally Kills Swallows

An attempt to reroute swallows returning to Valencia has accidentally killed 12 of them, officials of the College of the Canyons and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday.

The protected migratory birds died last week after landing in a gooey repellent on a ledge over the door to the college library.

The repellent, called For the Birds, was supposed to dissuade the swallows from nesting on the ledge and relieving themselves on people entering the building. Instead, it stuck their wings together, rendering 35 of them immobile.

23 Set Free

Biology lab technicians cleaned 23 swallows and set them free.

For years, hundreds of birds have nested each March over the library entrance, to the consternation of those who walk below.

For just as long, college authorities have tried to discourage the gatherings. Everything has failed, including a set of sonic beepers.

“We were getting a lot of complaints,” said Ray Lagrandeur, president of the college. “People were asking me to pay for their coats. . . . In the summer the droppings got so thick you could hardly see out of some of the windows.”

Containers Labeled

According to Fish and Wildlife investigator Sam Jojola, who visited the campus Friday, the labels of most containers of For the Birds advise against using the product on nesting sights--and specifically warn against using it on swallows.

He said no citation had been issued charging a violation of the federal law protecting the birds. A violation carries a fine of up to $500 and a six-month maximum jail term.

“So far they haven’t gone back to the ledge,” lab assistant Sue Mouck said of the birds. “But, if they do, we might live with it. You just plan your route to avoid them.”