How Do You Clean Out A Birdhouse

Birds are amid the most beautiful creatures on Earth. With their social behavior, mellifluous songs and vivid colors, it's not surprising that so many people around the globe have birdhouses and bird feeders in their yard.

Attracting birds to your g can be a fun and relaxing experience, but when you exercise, information technology's too your responsibility to make sure they're safe and salubrious. Below, you'll find everything you demand to know about cleaning out birdhouses and step-past-step instructions for how to do so.

bird house

Why You Should Clean Birdhouses

Cleaning out a birdhouse, also known every bit a nesting box, may not seem necessary since you'll frequently come across old bird nests underneath awnings or hidden in mailboxes.

Some bird species, like Eastern Phoebes, will also reuse their nests year subsequently year. Even so, in that location are some compelling reasons why yous should clean out your birdhouses.

The commencement and most important reason you should clean out your birdhouse is to prevent any diseases, fungus or bacteria from living inside. Even if it's empty, when a bird comes dorsum to brand its nest, many diseases will spread to nesting birds and kill a mother and its young.

Aside from bacteria, larger creatures like rodents and insects may besides take up residence. Leaving quondam nesting material in there will simply make the nesting box more appealing to critters.

A second reason to give it a thorough cleaning is that it volition make it more appealing to birds. While some birds volition reuse a nest from the previous twelvemonth, the vast majority of species that utilise birdhouses as nesting boxes volition not. Cleaning out your birdhouse is like irresolute the sheets on the bed before a new invitee comes to your house -- it's mutual courtesy and will keep your guests coming back every yr.

How Oft You Should Clean Birdhouses

old bird house

You know why you should make clean out your birdhouses, simply now it's fourth dimension to look at how often. The elementary answer is at least once a year, simply a good rule of pollex is to clean it after a breed has fledged and left the nest. The reason for this is that it will give other birds the adventure to have up residence and it prevents any bacteria from staying.

For species that breed several times a season similar bluebirds, information technology's as important to clean out the feeders betwixt every brood because it will reduce the possibility of nest parasites like feather mites that wreak havoc. You can discover out more than almost how often certain species breed in a flavor at our common birds nesting guide.

Earlier cleaning out a nest in the middle of breeding season, it's always vital to brand sure the birds have completely departed, so you don't disturb an active nest. Start by monitoring the birdhouse over the course of a few days to meet whether there's any activity. If in that location isn't whatever, y'all can give a gentle tap on the sides of the birdhouse. If you don't hear chirping inside, it's probable empty and prepare to exist cleaned.

How to Clean a Birdhouse

Start off by getting some gloves, a saucepan, water and bleach.
Take downwards the birdhouse and open it upwardly to gain access to the inside. Most birdhouses, like this ane from Nature's Way, have some sort of hatch or lever that allows you to thoroughly clean the within of a birdhouse.
Remove the former nest with your gloves on considering it may contain parasites. Discard everything inside the nest into a sealable trash bag. Don't endeavor to save anything for an arts and crafts project because the materials are probable dirty and could exist contaminated.
Go a scraper and scrape out whatever gunk or fecal thing that may take accumulated over the nesting period.
Create a dilute bleach solution of one function bleach to nine parts water in the saucepan.
Give the birdhouse a good scrubbing with the solution, making sure to become all corners and crevices.
Completely rinse out all traces of the bleach solution with water. Information technology may be a good idea to go out the hose running over it for a minute or rinse information technology off several times to make certain all the bleach is gone.
Place the birdhouse in direct sunlight and let information technology air dry for several hours to ensure that no water is within. This volition assistance prevent the growth of mold and mildew.
Afterwards it's make clean and dry, give it a overnice inspection to make sure nothing bankrupt or came unhinged during the cleaning procedure.
Deeply put the feeder back up and you're all set.