Cleaning My Birdbath

Well, I am very new to birding... and I'm sorry to say I guess I'm learning a few things a teensy bit late. I've had a birdbath since June 2004 and I have NEVER cleaned it. Eeeek!

I was online this weekend, trying to learn about attracting birdies when I discovered that I'm supposed to scour the thing every month! Oh my, well I repent. I'm so concerned that I've been providing unsanitary conditions for the little birdies. Oh dear...

I saw several sites that recommended a 9:1 water to bleach solution and scrubbing for cleaning, rinsing extremely well before refilling. Another site recommended scrubbing with a hard brush and a water/baking soda paste and rinsing extremely well. Yet another site suggested a 3:1 water to white vinegar solution and scrubbing....and rinsing extremely well.

I'm sure any of these is good. I admit that the bleach seems a bit harsh...this birdbath is awfully close to plants and heavy to move. Do you all have favorite cleaning methods for your birdbaths??? I really want to scrub this thing like mad tomorrow and would appreciate any input :)

Thanks!
Hugs :)

We always scrub it each time we refill. Gets a lot of sun, so gets a lot of algae. Every couple months we use the bleach solution. Do you have a heated birdbath or a heater? I got a heated bird bath from Wild Birds Unlimited six years ago. Pretty cool to see birds getting a drink from a birdbath with snow around it. We keep it right outside are kitchen window year round.

The baking soda, would clean it best with the least amout of danger to plants. Vinegar can be used for "never-grow", But not dituted like that.
Mother was religous about a strong stream of water to scour hers with every morning, displacing debris and refreshing the water. That's all, I don't think she ever had to scrub it in 25 years.
She cherised her Birds so much and they were watered and fed everyday.
Sidney

Thanks so much for the replies :)

Kruch, nice to meet you :) Don't think I've seen you on DG before. I noticed you posted in my nesting site thread also. Happy to "talk" with you;) No, to answer your question, it isn't heated. I'm very new to "backyard birding" and didn't have one this year. I have my eye on a saucer-type deal for next year, though. May I ask how often you fill your birdbath??? I was just wondering how often you fill/scour it. Several websites recommended changing the water every 2-3 days and heavy duty cleaning monthly.

Sugarweed, thank you too for sharing your mother's tender-loving way of nurturing the birdies. She sounds like she was a precious woman. I think when we turn our outside water back on, it would be relatively easy to just "jet" the bath with a hard spray when I water in the mornings. Seems like keeping it clean would be easier in warm months... don't have to go out in the bitter chill :)

I didn't clean it today because I realized that all of my scrub brushes had been used with some kind of chemical cleaner in the past. I didn't want to chance it. So, I went out to Walmart and bought a brand new hard bristle scrub brush that I'll label and reserve just for the birdbath. I think I'll try the baking soda tomorrow. I have to basically take that heavy top off to rinse it out away from the plants. I know Bsoda is the gentlest cleanser of the above options, but such a concentrated paste pouring out all over the plants still seems like a bad idea to me.

Thanks for your replies :) I'm certain to think of you all whenever I clean my birdbath :) Please take that as a positive thing!!! LOL :)

Take care,
Jacci

Jacci nice to meet you too. With the heated birdbath you have to fill it a lot, seems to evaporate. I try to scrub it each time, which keeps it pretty clean and doesn't take to long. Good idea getting a new brush, you don't want any chemicals in your water. Every since I got a tall kitchen faucet it is pretty easy filling watering container, I used to have fill in basement before. Definitely worth the investment up here in northern zones to have a some sort of heated bird bath. I would recommend hooking it up to GFCI outlet if possible. George

Thanks, George!! Look forward to seeing ya around :)

Scrubbed it out good with the baking soda paste yesterday :) It looks a TON better! I must say the house finches looked very pleased with their new drinking spot :) Thanks for helping me through it!

Take care,
Hugs :)

thanks for the reminder. I really need to get out there and scrub out my birdbath too. Will do that this afternoon after I pick the kids up from school. :-)

-Julie

Duncraft sells a brush that fits right on the end of your hose. I bought one but haven't used it yet. I rec'd a dripper last year & the was the greatest gift. The birds just love it. So much fun to watch the little goldfinches climb on the tube & catch the drips. It also keeps the water moving so there is no danger of breeding mosquitoes. With all the talk of West Nile I think moving water is a big help.

Saw the water drippers in Audubon Workshop's catalog... they look really neat :) I'm not sure how easy it would be to hook one up where I'd want it, though...

I also saw that they have this "water wiggler" thing. Ya'll heard of it? It runs on 2 D-cell batteries and those are supposed to last 2 months. It's basically just a little half-sphere that vibrates and causes ripples in the water. Keeps it from freezing, too (unless your in North Dakota or something) LOL. It's steep, though. I think it was running for $39.95 or something like that. No need to plug it in or have a water source, though, and that's nice. It's also on the Audobon Workshop's website. I'm looking into it for the birdbath. Birds and butterflies apparently love moving water, and the mosquito problem would be solved with this like with the dripper :)

If the water wiggler is $39.95 at Audubon, it is $19.95 at Duncraft. I was thinking of getting it for my other bird bath unless I get another dripper.

http://www.duncraft.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=1342&step=4

OUCH! Audubon's packing on the bucks! :) I could be wrong, so before I go slandering Audubon Workshop, let me just say that ya'll should check out the price before you go believing my quote. They say a teeny bit of your brain goes each time you have a baby :)

Good deal... we can likely swing $20 for a little wiggling birdie enticement. We need all the enticement that we can get for those little guys!! :) LOL... thanks for the tip, broots!

Nope, I checked.... $37.95 at Audubon Workshop. Yikes....

How long do the batteries last in the water wiggler? I'd hate to get something that needed expensive batteries changed every couple of months. Here batteries are REALLY expensive!

Got my bird bath scrubbed and gleaming yesterday. Man was it digusting...and I really had no idea how dirty it was! I feel really bad about that! I won't be letting that happen again! Thanks again for the heads up! :-)

-Julie

Hugahosta, I was just thinking that the $37.95 at Audubon might be the wiggler with the ceramic cover. You can buy them with a decorative ceramic cover. Don't see what the difference is as it would probably be covered in bird poop anyway. At Duncraft the one with the ceramic cover is $39.50. But I just checked further & you can get it from Best Nest for $18.95 & that includes the decorative cover. I have never ordered from Best Nest but have ordered from Duncraft.

http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/RTProduct.asp?SKU=API-4WW

Salvia_lover, the above link states that the batteries last up to 2 months of continuous use. You could always take it out at night if you wanted to & put it back in the water in the morning to make your batteries last longer. I put my dripper on a timer so it goes off at 10:00pm & comes on at 5:30am.

Thanks Broots. I sure wish they shipped to Israel, but I'll look around here. It "may" be available here.....at least one can always hope ROTFL.

-Julie

Gee Julie, I didn't realize they didn't ship to Israel. Sorry about that.

Hugahosta, you mentioned about maybe not being able to hook a dripper up where you would like it. I highly recommend this dripper. It is a recirculating dripper & does not have to be hooked up to a hose like the other ones do. All you need is to be able to plug it in. I just ran an extension cord into the garage. Have to remember to buy a long black extension this year. Last year I had it connected to an 'orange' cord. That bugged me all summer & every time I remembered that I needed to change it, the stores were closed.

http://www.duncraft.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=1334&step=4

The birds will climb down the spigot & hang upside down & get the drops of water. Great fun. You have to remember to scrub it too as there will be lots of bird poop once the birds find it.

I'm trying to brainstorm a way to get a cord out to my birdbath without it being a total hazard - LOL :) Keep in mind, broots, there are toddlers running around out here! :) I just don't know about a big ole extension cord running through... it would have to cross the grass pathway... could I bury that part??

Hugs :)

P.S. Thanks for more info on the wiggler prices!

hugahosta, forgot about the toddlers. Sure you could bury it in a shallow trench or put it inside a length of hose or plastic pipe & then bury it.

I'll see what DH thinks about it :) Poor man, he's my garden lackey - LOL. I've already got him figuring out how to power up a little running water feature on the east side of the house. We're going to have extension cords all over the place before we're done, I just know it! LOL :) Silly builders sure didn't give us many GFCIs to work with...or plain old outlets for that matter! :)

I think we have 3 outside outlets, one out back, one on the west side, and one out front. I'd like 3 water sources....hmmm... maybe I just need to forget the trickly rock thing on the east side and move it to the west. Maybe I'll try the water wiggler for the "furthur away from the house" birdbath out back and rig up a dripper for the birdbath in the front yard. The front yard dripper birdbath would have to go in my perennial bed. Likely closest to the Miscanthus and Shastas. What do you think? It's be pretty close to the front door... maybe 6-7 feet away. Would birds even go for that? A couple of baby trees would be within 10-20 feet, and of course there'd be plenty of taller perennials for shelter during the summer, and even a few would still be up through winter... echinacea, 'autumn joy' sedum, the grass. A bird feeder would be roughly 15' away from that spot also. Whatcha think? Thanks for brainstorming with me :)

Birdbaths should always be situated beside a tree because if a bird's wings are soaked & a predator is approaching, they need some place to fly up to til their feathers have dried off a bit. I think you really would enjoy your birdbath if you could see it out your window too or some place that you sit & watch the birds. Also if your bird bath is a deep one, cover the bottom with pebbles or put a large rock in it. I have a blue ceramic bird bath that is quite deep & the birds wouldn't use it until I covered the bottom with pebbles & then placed a large rock that sticks up over the edge. I have the dripper right beside the big rock & the birds can walk down the rock right into the water. Last year I had a baby hairy woodpecker that just loved this bird bath. His momma sure didn't like him in it though. The only problem with the pebbles is that you have to clean them. I usually wash them every other day & it isn't a big problem. Although with your little ones running around I don't imagine you have a lot of free time on your hands.

Now, I am confused. Ugh.

I've been reading so many conflicting things about how close to place feeders/birdbaths to trees. It totally makes sense what you're saying, though. But, I've read that a birdbath close to a tree could potentially give predators a place to "stake out" bathing birds. I've also read that a site too close to a tree could block the bathing bird's view of what's around him and potentially deter him from using the bath because he doesn't feel like he can be on guard enough. Just tonight I was reading that the feeders and birdbaths should be relatively close to trees/cover, but far enough away that the birds have a clear view of their surroundings and any would-be assailants.

But, it makes sense that if the bath is out in the open, one could argue that overhead birds of prey have a much better shot at the bathers than they would if the bath were under a tree. Maybe trees protect from predatory birds, but post risks of attack from cats? Win/win and lose/lose? Is this one of those things that the experts simply disagree on and i just have to pick what sounds best to me?

Thanks for the tip on the rocks in the bottom of the bath. I was sort of wondering about that. Do you just rinse them through with a hose? Maybe a few larger than pebble size rocks would be better choices for me? Gorgeous birdbath, BTW :) I love that color!!! Striking as an accent in the garden :)

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your replies to my post. You're really helping out my poor birdies. They have no idea what an amateur they're dealing with here :) Thanks!

Well, I may have answered my own question about the location of my birdbath. I had guessed it pretty on the mark. As with most things in nature, the answer "all depends".....

quoted: "If cats roam your neighborhood, keep your birdbath in the open, with no close shrubs behind which predatory cats can lurk or overhanging limbs from which it can pounce. In areas where hawks are more of a menace than cats, close cover is a necessity for allowing birds a quick escape from danger."

I feel better now :) LOL....

I know what you mean about being confused. I have read the same thing. But if you have ever seen birds after they have been bathing & are totally waterlogged, I don't think they could fly far. You don't have to put the bird bath right under the tree, I was just meaning close to a tree. I have two bird baths right now. The blue one & another concrete one that is placed a couple of feet from two trees. I certainly wouldn't put a bird bath right out in the open without any shelter, but hey, to each his own. It is whatever works in your yard. I have loads of birds in the summer & they don't seem to have a problem. Actually when I think about it there probably isn't any place in my yard that is out in the open. I use every available space that I can. I get hawks here around Aug & the little birds just scatter for the trees. So far I have only lost two birds to the hawks. One was a starling (didn't mind that a bit) & the other was my precious little baby woodpecker in above photo. That one just broke my heart. Now cats, that's another story & don't even get me started on that. The cats in my neighbourhood all roam around the streets.

Thanks for the comments on the bird bath. I just love it. I take the rocks out of the bottom & wash them in a plastic dishpan. If I do it every other day it isn't too bad. But I get lots of birds & lots of birds = lots of bird poop. I usually add bleach every week when I rinse them. The big rock I just scrub with a stiff brush.

There are a lot of people here that are more knowledgeable than I am, but I am more than happy to help you if I can.......Linda

Well, I have definitely appreciated your help, Linda! Thank you so much for all of your posts. I'm glad to have been "talking" with you lately, I don't think we'd run into each other a whole lot in the forums so far. I just joined DG in August, but it's been my window to the outside world this winter - LOL. This is my first winter in Ohio in 10 years, I forgot how LONG it seemed! I know others have much longer, colder, tougher winters, but my word I'm ready for Spring! LOL :) Had Baby Joy in October, too, which wasn't very conducive to a lot of outdoor activity. Of course, I'd never trade her for anything, but the next baby is a warm weather baby for sure! :)

Take care and thanks again,
Jacci :)

edited for typo

This message was edited Feb 26, 2005 12:05 AM

Broots, I had smaller river rocks in the bottom of my deep bird bath and they just get so disgusting! and they are hard to clean. I replaced the medium sized center rock with a larger one and took out the smaller rocks altogether. The new rock it sort of shaped like a triangle, so the bottom of it is wider than the top and it gives the impression that the water isn't so deep. The birds definitely like it better and it will be sooooooo much easier to clean from now on.

My birdbath is without a pedestal on a 1.25 meter high wall. The wall is very close to a Cercis canadensis tree and the birds like to hop back and forth between the bath and the tree even in winter when the tree is void of leaves :-).

-Julie

Wow! I put a couple of medium-sized rocks in the pedestal birdbath this morning, and I've already seen the finches in it three times and even the doves were drinking from it. That's roughly 4 visits since mid-morning today, way more than I had seen before. And, I haven't been peeking outside as much as usual today, so it's likely that they've been there more. Seems like they really like it :)

BTW, guess what I saw swooping around above our yard today? Yep, hawks! And guess what I almost stepped in beside my house? Yep, cat poop! Should I be feeding these guys with so little shelter available? Does my house count? I doubt a cat could do much, she'd have no where to hide and the birds would certainly fly away fast enough. The hawks (maybe falcons) surprised me a bit, though. Hadn't seen those before! I counted my birdies... I think they're all still here :) One of the books I have suggested that predation is just a fact of life and to relax a bit about it. But, I'm just not sure I should be feeding this summer if I don't have good cover... any thoughts?

Jacci, if you think Ohio's winters are long, come on up to Cochrane. Our last expected frost date is June 15 & in 2001 we had snow on July 1st. We made the record books that day. Last summer we had frost twice before the end of Aug. Our growing season is very, very short.

Julie if your birdbath was in any sun at all it can get pretty grungy. All that green algae is not pleasant. I can't take the small river stones out of my birdbath as the birds will not go in it. The bottom is glazed ceramic & very smooth & slippery. I don't mind cleaning them every day or two if it keeps the birds coming to visit. My big rock is similar to yours in shape, triangular. I envy you with your 1.25 metre wall. I wish I had someplace to put the top of a birdbath but the only place would be the ground & I don't want to do that. I'm always afraid the cats would get the birds. The birds must love your bird bath if you don't get any rain. Do you have water restrictions? We can only water on alternate days & no soaker hoses or washing vehicles if there has been no rain. We live in a very high forest fire area. No rain is not good.....Linda

They loved that bath today! How fun to feel like I gave them something they needed :) Linda, according to the "experts" (I know...this again, LOL) birds like Mourning Doves and Cardinals actually prefer water on the ground. It should be placed in an open area so they can have a good view of any approaching kitties. I put a small terracotta saucer out with a rock in it today and filled it with water. Didn't take the doves long to find it. It was probably about 8 ft. from two small trees.

What an incredibly horrible climate you have for gardening!!!!! LOL :) Only 2-3 months of growing basically, right? Our last frost is mid-May and first frost around the beginning of October here and I'm missing the extra 3 weeks of growing that my zone 7a Virginia home gave me. Oh well! I obviously need to count my blessings! I think I'd absolutely have to move if it were winter for that long here :) no wonder you love the birdies so much! Something "outdoors" to take care of in the cold months :)

Hugs :)

Hugs, just checked in again & I'm so glad to hear that your birds loved the bird bath. You just wait, you will have flocks of birds by the middle of summer. I never thought to mention the terracotta saucers to you, but I do the same thing. I put out a big saucer with BOSS(black-oil sunflower seed)& a bit of finch mix(nyjer & white millet)for the doves as they are ground feeders. Do you have a tray feeder by any chance? If your DH is handy he could always make you one or two. Mine made me two & that is where the doves, grosbeaks, chickadees, juncos & some of the finches go to eat. With your saucers, make sure you change the seed if it rains as it will get moldy very fast & the saucers needs scrubbing as it can get a little gross. I also put out little ramekins filled with BOSS & one with water for my chipmunks. I know, I am a pathetic person. I also put out a section of PVC pipe for the chipmunks to hide in from hawks or cats. I really do drive my husband nuts with some of the stuff I have in the yard. He takes the pipe away & I put it back. Eventually he just gives up. He keeps telling me the yard is an obstacle course when it comes time to cut the grass.

That's adorable, Linda :) Also a little bit funny, but it says a lot about a person to have such a compassionate and nurturing nature. Thanks for the tips on the terracotta, too. With my recently kindled obsession with cleaning my birdbath and feeders I'm sure I'll be certain to keep an eye on it :) Do you ever have cardinals at your feeding trays/saucers? I think I read somewhere that they're common ground feeders. BTW, I also read that terracotta may break when it freezes. Very fun, I keep looking outside hoping that some "new" little bird will adopt my pitiful habitat :) Maybe I'll get some new ones when they migrate back up here :) Thanks for chatting, take care...

Hugs :)

No I don't get any cardinals. Too far north I guess. My sister gets cardinals at her tray feeders in Toronto, which is about 500 miles south of here. I only put out my terracotta saucers from about May to Oct. When it gets to -40 or -50º I definitely think they would break. I'm sure you will be getting some new birds as they pass through during the spring migration. Happy birding......Linda

Happy BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR....irding to you, too! Stay warm :)