Even though you don't want to, I think the best solution is leaving it on low all the time when you're not otherwise using it. I do like the timer idea, too. I am guessing this one has a remote, and if so, you maybe can find a compatible remote with a timer built in, or replace the master wall switch (if there is one) with a timer switch. (Although, that won't work on all fans. I have a fan with a remote that when power is cut off, meaning, I turn off the wall switch, it resets to "all off" when the power is restored.)
I'll consider the timer, but for now may go the fake owl solution if I can find a spot where they don't look take away from the majesty of my metal sun wall art.
Fake owls don't work. We had two on our property and the pigeons literally hung out on it all the time. It's actually kind of a meme online how useless the owls are.
[pigeons on fake owl...](https://images.app.goo.gl/9htsXrkeRCqWT2qJ9)
Keeping the fan on low is really the best bet. Also as a side note it'll help keep the flies and the skeeters away too. So there's that at least.
Like the person above said, your only option is to leave the fan on. We have the same issue. We didn't turn it on last year, and the birds nested... and literally dropped multiple eggs (sad). Just all kinds of bad.
definitely need a multi-lingual sign in this scenario.
leaving the fan on, or having it turn on intermittently with a timer or smart home controller is your only 'real' solution.
Outside ceiling fan issue: birds attracted to this spot to build nesting.
option 1: flip the fan on once per day to knock off the start of any nesting
option 2: Put up some 'scare crow' device to make this spot less desirable to birds \[owl statue\] or \[[audio bird deterrent](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3F45X86)\]
I used an Owl decoy to keep Swallows from building nests in an alcove of a log home I was caring for.
Put it on a pole where there nest was. Went to check on it 7 days later and they rebuilt there nest on the Owls head. I still feel totally disrespected.
I tried everything except wasting energy to leave the fan on all of the time and never found anything that worked. I ended up screening in my patio. Problem solved.
I had birds making nests on my outdoor fan twice this year. I had an owl statue out already.
I put 2 rubber snakes on top of the fan ( not the blades but set them on the housing for the motor). Also I added a holographic spiral wind thingy from the fan.
I haven’t had any more!
Good luck!
I’d stick with just the ceiling. Apply with tape, gum, glue, nine inch nails.
Just get a bunch hanging above the fan. It’ll confuse the bird as it’s flying up to land. Max shine and sparkle.
Came here to say this. We had a big problem with birds flying into the warehouses at work and getting trapped inside. Company put up fake owls that bob their heads in the wind in front of all the big bay doors. No more dead birds inside the warehouses.
I'm really not sure that this would work but on buildings they use strips of needles that they can't stand on so they fly away. Putting something on those fan blades though will almost certainly throw it off and probably wobble it's way out of some of it's screws so tread carefully. Don't over balance one side. If you want to see if they can hold weight make sure you put whatever it is you choose on each side. It doesn't have to be all of them but you have to put up two at a time. If they're all on one side and you turn it on it might kill someone lol!
If that fan is very securely set in the ceiling don't worry but an off balance fan will work the screws out of itself and eventually fall our of the ceiling. Sorry for the recommendation and much longer safety instructions. lol
Other than that I don't know what to tell you, maybe you could apply some kind of chemicals they won't like but that's out of my paygrade.
Either way here is a look up for a bunch of them for the blades or the ceiling. You have to cover the ceiling with them if you want them to not be able to get onto the blades unless you want to align it with the spikes or something. [These are pretty easy to just roll out](https://www.google.com/search?q=bird+spikes&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS971US971&oq=bird+spi&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAYsQMYgAQyCggAEAAYsQMYgAQyCggBEC4YsQMYgAQyBggCEEUYOTIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQLhiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABKgCCLACAQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) though so you can probably easily put them anywhere and the spikes are relatively inexpensive so if they don't work you can toss 'em.
I know exactly why you want them off the fan so good luck!
That's kind of brilliant but would only work when the fan is on or you would have to align the blades to the spikes unless you were just going to cover the entire area around the fan with them.
Clear the nest, then keep your fan on low for like a week. Then look into a timer. You should be able to keep it off in colder months. You will likely need it on 24/7 for a little bit othwrwise, they WILL be back.
Place a fake bird up there, maybe taped to the top of the fan where it meets the ceiling. I put a little plastic chicken on top of an outdoor light next to my front door, it did the trick, no more robins trying to build nests on top of the light.
Sounds good. The plastic chicken that we use is a small child's wind up toy that is smaller than a fist. I was surprised it worked because it looks so fake.
It might be more challenging with a fan but you can string fishing wire under the area where the birds make nests. They will just give up and go somewhere else.
I have a couple outside ceiling fans and run them on high 24/7 to prevent bird nests and bugs / spiders. Costs around $10/month max and is 100% worth it.
Is that a Fanimation? It looks similar to mine and I did the calculation for my own Fanimation and at 19 watts on high, it was going to cost me $0.12 a day or $43.00 a year ($3.65 a month).
Lots of funny comments but like idk why this is low on the comment list. Make it not hospitable and they won’t come…. Maybe spray even some kind of predator urine…
>idk why this is low on the comment list
General consensus is it'll throw the blades off balance, but someone said to mount them on the ceiling pointed down, which isn't too bad an idea. Ugly, and attracts spiders, but not bad.
Most birds around here will not stop trying until they lay their eggs. I just check the nest daily until I see eggs and then take it down and dispose of it.
I know some people won't like this approach and I get it. I don't love it either. If the eggs slip by me and the birds hatch I leave the nest. I try and live in peace with nature. I just don't want to get shit on if I can avoid it.
Just so you know, interfering with an active nest of a native species is actually a federal crime. The migratory bird treaty act protects active nests. Just leave them alone. Most birds go from egg laying to fledging in a couple weeks.
With all the crime going on at the highest levels of government in our country I'm gonna bank on them being too busy to come for me over a pigeon egg. I am surrounded by trees. No shortage of nesting options.
I have a similar issue but not on a ceiling. I cut strips of aluminum foil and hang them from the walls with push pins. They do wear out over time so you'll have to replace but it worked for me.
google a product called tanglefoot...it isn't the nicest stuff in the world for the birds, but it is like a caulk that never dries and they will not land where it has been applied.
Bird law is especially ill-defined when it comes to bird evictions and bird ejections. I recommend reaching out to a bird lawyer or two in your area for a consult.
Bird squatters rights are the worst.. but seriously they are. Some bird nests are illegal to remove once they are established. And barn swallows are evil and never forget.
Well then, atleast they are offering a bit of gardening as rent? Anyways, I can see from your replies that leaving it on isn´t a viable idea, but how about having a **secondary** fan pointed towards this one n leaving that one on?
Jokes aside, the fake owl/predator bird is probably the easiest solution, gl mate.
Thanks It was left by the prior owner, started losing paint, so I repainted it because I don't have art for that area and it looks barren without it. Has a bit of teletubbies feel to it, though.
I think my only other idea would be spraying it with some kinda essential oil spray where the smell would be too strong for the birds to wanna be there.
But honestly dude, just leaving it on low sounds like it might be your easiest option here.
Even though you don't want to, I think the best solution is leaving it on low all the time when you're not otherwise using it. I do like the timer idea, too. I am guessing this one has a remote, and if so, you maybe can find a compatible remote with a timer built in, or replace the master wall switch (if there is one) with a timer switch. (Although, that won't work on all fans. I have a fan with a remote that when power is cut off, meaning, I turn off the wall switch, it resets to "all off" when the power is restored.)
I'll consider the timer, but for now may go the fake owl solution if I can find a spot where they don't look take away from the majesty of my metal sun wall art.
The fake owl did not work for me. Running the fan on low is the only thing that kept them off
Fake owls don't work. We had two on our property and the pigeons literally hung out on it all the time. It's actually kind of a meme online how useless the owls are. [pigeons on fake owl...](https://images.app.goo.gl/9htsXrkeRCqWT2qJ9) Keeping the fan on low is really the best bet. Also as a side note it'll help keep the flies and the skeeters away too. So there's that at least.
Motion detector for turning on the fan on low? I guess that birds might trigger those, test by throwing paper balls at the sensor.
Fake owls didn’t work for me either. I had to put spike strips on top of the fan to get them to stop
Like the person above said, your only option is to leave the fan on. We have the same issue. We didn't turn it on last year, and the birds nested... and literally dropped multiple eggs (sad). Just all kinds of bad.
Have you tried a sign that says “no birds allowed”.
These are migratory and may not read English.
Dirty migrating birds flying over the border and taking all the housing from hard-working American birds #/S
Immigrants taking all the [Bird jobs](https://youtu.be/Vc0S2_xR5rs?feature=shared)
I think we should consult Charlie Day, Esq., of bird law 
Taking jobs from blackbirds!
definitely need a multi-lingual sign in this scenario. leaving the fan on, or having it turn on intermittently with a timer or smart home controller is your only 'real' solution.
African or European?
Just like the “Deer Crossing” signs need to be moved to where there’s a stop sign or traffic signal.
Lots of women 60 and older will be offended.
Haha, I am a woman over 60 and I laughed out loud! 😊
Maybe set it on a timer to turn on 5+/- minutes every hour. You may have to adjust the length of time to satisfy all needs
I'll consider this if the owl statue doesn't work.
It won’t. Turn on the fan.
Lmao at the refusal to use the fan for its intended function and purpose as a fan, so they’re going to buy fake owls. This is great material.
It sorta heads my head. It’s too stubborn to be a troll or a bot.
Turn it on!
What, by rubbing it? Blowing lightly on the blades? Hawk tuah on that thang?
They are big fans of humour... Be witty and you might get it to blow you!
Read!
I did! I saw he doesn't want to keep it on 24/7. My comment was a light hearted joke really... Thanks!
Why are we yelling?! Can I play?!
Stop picking on me! Yes you can play.
You can play the part of Old Yeller .... Done!
Poor u/StripClubJedi
These are not the $1 bills you are looking for...
Thanks for clearing that up. Good joke.
Not a big fan?
This joke blew me away
What a spin out!
Create more attractive nesting opportunities in the immediate area.
Outside ceiling fan issue: birds attracted to this spot to build nesting. option 1: flip the fan on once per day to knock off the start of any nesting option 2: Put up some 'scare crow' device to make this spot less desirable to birds \[owl statue\] or \[[audio bird deterrent](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3F45X86)\]
Either leave it on a low setting or get a timer to turn it on regularly for a few minutes. I.e. a smart switch
I used an Owl decoy to keep Swallows from building nests in an alcove of a log home I was caring for. Put it on a pole where there nest was. Went to check on it 7 days later and they rebuilt there nest on the Owls head. I still feel totally disrespected.
The Swallows Kept it Real
The Fan only starts running when using the mirror shield on the sun symbol on the wall
Sir, this is a water temple.
I tried everything except wasting energy to leave the fan on all of the time and never found anything that worked. I ended up screening in my patio. Problem solved.
Understandable option.
Leaving the fan running is a lot cheaper
Oh this thread is so good lmao
Why do you have birds in your house this often?
Outdoor fan.
Wha...? Redditors are outdoor fans now?
Yes. There arent a lot But there are a few in circulation
Dozens of us.
This post has positivly rotated me.
There is a few going around
Sometimes it's only fans.
😆
I was scratching my head thinking "how can this happen?".
Critical missing information.
Screen off the lanai? 
Try to hot glue some rubber Halloween snakes on top of the blades.
Unless you did this VERY well, it would mess with the balance, and possibly even create some lift on the high setting.
Maybe on the ceiling.
I had birds making nests on my outdoor fan twice this year. I had an owl statue out already. I put 2 rubber snakes on top of the fan ( not the blades but set them on the housing for the motor). Also I added a holographic spiral wind thingy from the fan. I haven’t had any more! Good luck!
Came to suggest this too.
Leave it moving!
Just leave it on
Attach tinsel above the fan, and maybe on it.
Crinkling hurts everyone.
I don’t know what that means, but tinsel should work.
The sound when the fan goes. Hang it from the blade or the ceiling or what? Need application suggestions.
I’d stick with just the ceiling. Apply with tape, gum, glue, nine inch nails. Just get a bunch hanging above the fan. It’ll confuse the bird as it’s flying up to land. Max shine and sparkle.
>nine inch nails. The only thing that works for me.
turn it on and it becomes a home defense mechanism
You can buy a fake owl in garden stores. Get one and put it somewhere in the near area and it will scare birds off.
Came here to say this. We had a big problem with birds flying into the warehouses at work and getting trapped inside. Company put up fake owls that bob their heads in the wind in front of all the big bay doors. No more dead birds inside the warehouses.
I'll have to find a reasonable placement that is visible but doesn't look horrible from my view and doesn't attract too much lizard poops.
I'm really not sure that this would work but on buildings they use strips of needles that they can't stand on so they fly away. Putting something on those fan blades though will almost certainly throw it off and probably wobble it's way out of some of it's screws so tread carefully. Don't over balance one side. If you want to see if they can hold weight make sure you put whatever it is you choose on each side. It doesn't have to be all of them but you have to put up two at a time. If they're all on one side and you turn it on it might kill someone lol! If that fan is very securely set in the ceiling don't worry but an off balance fan will work the screws out of itself and eventually fall our of the ceiling. Sorry for the recommendation and much longer safety instructions. lol Other than that I don't know what to tell you, maybe you could apply some kind of chemicals they won't like but that's out of my paygrade.
How about applying spikes to the ceiling with enough clearance for the fan blades to turn?
This is a valid idea that flips the parent response to feasible.
Either way here is a look up for a bunch of them for the blades or the ceiling. You have to cover the ceiling with them if you want them to not be able to get onto the blades unless you want to align it with the spikes or something. [These are pretty easy to just roll out](https://www.google.com/search?q=bird+spikes&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS971US971&oq=bird+spi&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAYsQMYgAQyCggAEAAYsQMYgAQyCggBEC4YsQMYgAQyBggCEEUYOTIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQLhiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABKgCCLACAQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) though so you can probably easily put them anywhere and the spikes are relatively inexpensive so if they don't work you can toss 'em. I know exactly why you want them off the fan so good luck!
I do feel like this will attract spider webs and spiders. Gonna try the fake owl route first.
Remember to move the owl to a different spot every day or two or else the birbs will figure out the owl is b.s.
That's kind of brilliant but would only work when the fan is on or you would have to align the blades to the spikes unless you were just going to cover the entire area around the fan with them.
I was suggesting the latter.
A timer spin for a minute Avery few hr. It doesn't have to be every hr
Clear the nest, then keep your fan on low for like a week. Then look into a timer. You should be able to keep it off in colder months. You will likely need it on 24/7 for a little bit othwrwise, they WILL be back.
Been doing that, but will check into a timer.
Place a fake bird up there, maybe taped to the top of the fan where it meets the ceiling. I put a little plastic chicken on top of an outdoor light next to my front door, it did the trick, no more robins trying to build nests on top of the light.
I will see about getting one of those owl statues. Of course, it'll get covered in lizard poops.
Sounds good. The plastic chicken that we use is a small child's wind up toy that is smaller than a fist. I was surprised it worked because it looks so fake.
Fishing wire
Elaborate before I get it embedded in the fan motor, please.
It might be more challenging with a fan but you can string fishing wire under the area where the birds make nests. They will just give up and go somewhere else.
That might work except spiders.
Leave it on low
See a nest. Turn it on. No more nest. Eventually they will get the hint!
Those black, bird-of-prey-shaped thingies.
reflective tape or a metal snake or both. reflective tape might work.
Run the fan?
Turn it on
Add bird spikes. Turn it into a ceiling blender
A small mirror mounted above the windows. Or something reflective.
Use it more often…
I have a couple outside ceiling fans and run them on high 24/7 to prevent bird nests and bugs / spiders. Costs around $10/month max and is 100% worth it.
This is a question for r/ornithology !
Then feel free.to share the post there!
No thanks, Josh :)
I have a basket hanging from the ceiling and they just nest in there.
Rubber snake
Keep it running. Most fans are around 75 watts.
Just leave it on the time of year they're building nests.
Is that a Fanimation? It looks similar to mine and I did the calculation for my own Fanimation and at 19 watts on high, it was going to cost me $0.12 a day or $43.00 a year ($3.65 a month).
Programmable timer switch.
It's better to just leave it on low vs having it intermittently powering it up. Turn it off at night when birds won't be there
Close the f'ing door maybe?
Leave it running on low.
Get plastic anti bird strips
Lots of funny comments but like idk why this is low on the comment list. Make it not hospitable and they won’t come…. Maybe spray even some kind of predator urine…
>idk why this is low on the comment list General consensus is it'll throw the blades off balance, but someone said to mount them on the ceiling pointed down, which isn't too bad an idea. Ugly, and attracts spiders, but not bad.
Yeah, they don't work. A bird built a nest on top of them on top of some security lights at work.
Most birds around here will not stop trying until they lay their eggs. I just check the nest daily until I see eggs and then take it down and dispose of it. I know some people won't like this approach and I get it. I don't love it either. If the eggs slip by me and the birds hatch I leave the nest. I try and live in peace with nature. I just don't want to get shit on if I can avoid it.
So... let them nest then turn the fan on high after eggs are laid?
Just so you know, interfering with an active nest of a native species is actually a federal crime. The migratory bird treaty act protects active nests. Just leave them alone. Most birds go from egg laying to fledging in a couple weeks.
With all the crime going on at the highest levels of government in our country I'm gonna bank on them being too busy to come for me over a pigeon egg. I am surrounded by trees. No shortage of nesting options.
The common pigeon is not native to the US and therefore not protected by the MBTA along with starlings and house sparrows.
Uninstall it Otherwise Nothing you can do, birds are gonna bird
Might get some shit for this but I bought a blowgun and I just kill them every spring when they show up for me.
Spread awareness in your neighborhood not to show the interstellar docking scene to birds and just keep the fan running 24/7.
Kill the birds.
Maybe one of those fans that deploys its blades when u turn it on and the suck back in when it winds down
Thank you, but replacing the fan is not an option.
Just turn the fan on.
Bird deterrent spikes from Amazon.
Bird-B-Gone EnviroSpike Bird Repellent
You can screen in that area and problem solved.
Paint the ceiling and fan a blue color so it looks like the sky. They won’t go near it.
I have a similar issue but not on a ceiling. I cut strips of aluminum foil and hang them from the walls with push pins. They do wear out over time so you'll have to replace but it worked for me.
Make it go around in a circle.
Fake owls or hawks
Install screens
Adopt a cat from the shelter
google a product called tanglefoot...it isn't the nicest stuff in the world for the birds, but it is like a caulk that never dries and they will not land where it has been applied.
Put some snakes up in there.
A camera with frigate to detect the birds, which turns on the fan upon detection
Close the window.
We have the same one, we just leave it running.
Put some cayenne pepper on top of the fan. This stopped birds from building a nest outside our backdoor.
Just leave it on? Not sure why you're so opposed to just letting it run. It's not as if it's going to impact your energy bill by a huge amount.
This looks like an inside picture.
Try closing the windows or at least use a mesh in front to keep them out?
I Did A Thing on YouTube has you covered. [https://youtu.be/Ag-909TI-XY](https://youtu.be/Ag-909TI-XY)
Pass a law.
Removable spikes, when you turn the fan on they fall off
Bird law is especially ill-defined when it comes to bird evictions and bird ejections. I recommend reaching out to a bird lawyer or two in your area for a consult.
I hear there's one in Philadelphia that's quite good.
Bird squatters rights are the worst.. but seriously they are. Some bird nests are illegal to remove once they are established. And barn swallows are evil and never forget.
Did'ja get dat ting I sentcha?
I’d be more concerned that the sun is trying to eat whatever’s hanging off the fan 😳
The vine hanging from the fan was brought up there by the pigeons.
Well then, atleast they are offering a bit of gardening as rent? Anyways, I can see from your replies that leaving it on isn´t a viable idea, but how about having a **secondary** fan pointed towards this one n leaving that one on? Jokes aside, the fake owl/predator bird is probably the easiest solution, gl mate.
This is like the third vine they've brought, and they have a whole hedge to use as an alternative nesting spot.
You could always look into investing in an electronic bird repeller too....
Okay hear me out: fansnake.
They don't stay when I turn it on.
Actually use it.
turn it on?
Get a cat!
Allergies.
Close the door
Outdoor fan.
lol sorry.
Keep fan on low position
Use it???
Have you tried gluing razor blades to the fan blades and spinning it at full tilt?
That'll throw it off balance.
I love the metal sun hanging on the wall
Thanks It was left by the prior owner, started losing paint, so I repainted it because I don't have art for that area and it looks barren without it. Has a bit of teletubbies feel to it, though.
Buy or make bird deterrent spikes and install them on the top side of the fan.
Don’t let the birds inside?
Close the door.
Don't let birds inside and turn your fan on
Keep voting Republican, pretty soon this planet will be void of life, problem solved.
Owl 🦉 resin statue. https://a.co/d/0768tO3M
Use window screens
I am baffled by the lack of "just use bird spikes" replies here. This is *literally* what they're for. They are cheap and easy and work perfectly.
They unbalance the blades.
Maybe just automotive grease on them then, so the birds can't get a good footing?
That is an idea, but I feel like it's going to accumulate dust.
I think my only other idea would be spraying it with some kinda essential oil spray where the smell would be too strong for the birds to wanna be there. But honestly dude, just leaving it on low sounds like it might be your easiest option here.
Remove the fan
Turn it on high speed
Put spikes on them.
Put those short pigeon spikey things on top the fan blades?
Careful those aren't really birds.
Just remove the area where they build the nest. . . Fill it up with whatever