Birders spend a lot of time filling and cleaning wild bird feeders. Yet what attracts more birds to your backyard is your garden bird bath. Clean water will also bring a wider variety of birds around.Keeping the water in your Bird bath clean should be an important part of your birding chores.
Birds do not want to drink dirty, polluted water.
If left unchecked, unclean bird baths can develop fungi and bacteria, potentially causing disease and encourage gnat and mosquito populations.
Bird baths are regularly contaminated with bird droppings, feathers, algae, dust and dirt blown in from around the yard so cleaning is essential
Minimize How Dirty Your Birdbath Gets
The easiest way to clean a birdbath is to ensure it doesn’t get dirty. While all birdbaths will eventually need to be cleaned, there are steps that can be taken to minimize the need for frequent cleanings.
- Baths should be emptied and refilled every few days
- When refilling the birdbath, dump out the stagnant water instead of just adding more.
- Keep birdbaths away from wild bird feeders so seeds cannot get in the water.
- Put birdbath in a shady location to minimize algae growth and reduce evaporation.
- Position bird bath in a place where it will not get clogged with grass clippings, leaves or other debris
How Frequently should You Clean Your Bird Bath?
There is no absolute on this. It really depends on how quickly your garden bird bath is getting dirty. As a rule change the water every other day and thoroughly clean every week to ten days depending on the following:
- How often birds are visiting your birdbath
- If there is some form of movement in your bird bath then the frequency of cleaning is less
- Adding store bought bird bath cleaners will keep your water fresher longer
- During summer months bird baths even if in the shade will need to be cleaned more often.
- Follow care instructions included with your bird bath, the material your birdbath is made of can affect the care
Instructions for Cleaning your Bird Bath:
When reading about cleaning birdbaths there seems to be a real debate as to whether to clean with a Clorox solution or not. So I have detailed both the Clorox and vinegar solutions. I personally use the vinegar
- Dump water out of birdbath
- Remove any large deposits of spilled seed, feces, debris or other contaminants.
- Rinse thoroughly using hard spray of hose
Use a scrub brush to remove any remaining dirt or debris- Use one of the methods below:
- Mix a solution of white vinegar (1 part) and water (4 parts). After rinsing the bath out, pour the white vinegar and water solution in the bath and let it soak for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
- Mix a solution of Clorox (1 part) and water (9 parts). Scrub the bird bath with solution. You can leave to soak for a few minutes if you want. But remain near bird bath so birds do not drink. Then rinse the birdbath thoroughly with running water until there is no persistent foaming.
- Allow the birdbath to dry completely. This is a good opportunity to clean the area around the birdbath.
- Refill with water taking care to fill completely
When preparing this post I obtained some of my information from How to Clean a Birdbath from About.com, How to Clean a Birdbath from EHow.com, and Bird Baths:A Bird Guide to Care & Cleaning.
Don't forget to check out my website for many things for your backyard. Wooden Outdoor furniture, Outdoor bench, Decorative Birdhouses, Wild bird feeders, garden birdbaths, tuned wind chimes, Poly Recycled Furniture, Outdoor Lanterns, Garden Water Fountains, and much more.
Other posts that may be of interest to you:
Preventing bird disease at your bird feeders
Most Common Birds to Feed or Nest in your Backyard
6 Tips for Buying and Maintaining Your Birdbath
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