In what appears to be the 1963 movie The Birds come to life, one family found their home taken over by — well — birds. If only Alfred Hitchcock was alive to see that.
KRCR reports family in Redding, California, returned to their home after vacationing in Sacramento to find their home filled to the brim with birds. Hundreds of swallows had descended upon their once bird-free abode and quickly made it their own.
Gary and Patti Reitemeyer have no idea how hundreds of avians made it inside, but it’s believed the birds funneled down through the chimney. “There were birds flying everywhere. I mean, it was crazy. We were ducking and dodging,” Gary Reitemeyer told the outlet and the two immediately got to work. “I was grabbing a handful of birds. I grabbed maybe three of them, or three or so at a time, and kind of ushered them out the door.”
It took about three hours to clear the house entirely and they have since summoned ServPro to help restore their house. The couple also has to throw out a lot of things because of all the bird poop.
“You can’t get all that bird stuff out of the furniture,” Gary said. “So all of the furniture is gone, all of the carpet is gone, the blinds are gone…everything. Everything is gone.”
The house is currently unable to be lived in, so the couple is living with their daughter until their home is less hazardous. Adding insult to injury, their insurance refuses to pay for the damage because an “exclusion” in heir policy doesn’t include birds. So, they are looking for legal assistance to fight their insurance company.
If you must know, the swallows caused about $20,000 in damages. That said, better leave those chimney flues closed.