birdbaths

what is that funky red color in my birdbaths?

I have that too. I spray out and refill it daily, but there is a red build up on the bottom. I just thought it was some kind of algae. It would be interesting to know. Jenny

I have some too , it looks like the algae they farm for making beta carotene supplements.

You need to do more than spray it , try a small scrub brush and a 10 to 1 clorox solution.

Rinse well and refill.

If there is any remaining clorox it will dissipate into the air.

Good Luck

I don't bother scrubbing it out - I just put my hose on "jet" and rinse out the majority when I refill the birdbath.

hey , it doesnt bother any of my critters either.

I was only telling how to get rid of it so it doesn't come back in a day or two.

Darn stuff grows in the animals water tubs & buckets too.

Funny how it does not grow in the water troughs in the pastures tho. They get the green stuff.

its strange stuff something we never had years ago, back then we only had good old green algae. it doesn't seem to bother anything and is easily cleaned out. i am just a very curious person .

The bottom of my birdbath turns red too, but I think it's something in the water. I've always thought it was just because my water was "hard". I get the same red "stain" in the shower and toilets also. I do have to scrub mine with bleach or it won't completely come out. Green algae will build up on top of the red if I have this little rock sitting in it.

thats very interesting

That might be rust from a high iron content in the water if you are on a well. My parents have this problem and everything wants to turn orange, including garden rocks and hair. They use Iron Out in the water softener to help with it.

No well here tho. Maybe I'll call and ask my city what it is.

It's algae. It's called Haematococcus Pluvialis. It's a green algae that turns red when it gets a lot of sunlight...and it is what they farm for making beta carotene supplements. However, that doesn't mean it's good for the birds!! :)

If you use the bleach & water solution mentioned above it'll take care of it. Just be sure to rinse very well like s/he said.

woooh great call on the algae. tell me more,

tell me about the florist type eucalyptus i happened to pick some up at a crazy greenhouse locally and don't know how to deal with it.

I still haven't called my city, but mine is something in the water. The bottom of shower curtains also turn red, and they don't get sunlight. Guess today's a good day to go clean my birdbath since I'm thinking about it.

I've also read that you can use Hydorgen Peroxide to clean the algae from the bird baths. I haven't tried it yet, but plan to next time I clean. There should be less chance of the HP hurting the surrounding plants than if you use bleach or another chemical. Also HP will break down to water and oxygen when exposed to sunlight for long enough, so any residue that's left should dissipate quicker and not hurt the animals.

Many folks actually use HP mixed w/ water to water their plants. Especially seedlings, and it prevents damping off and fungus.

Some also add it to thier ponds, water gardens, and bird baths to rid them of algae and prevent algae growth. I don't think adding it would be a good idea, I don't think having the animals ingest it would be a good idea. Of course, the folks who do this say they have no problems w/ it, and maybe it's not a problem. But, when my dog ate chocolate, my Vet had me give him HP to make him vomit. Oh, the memories!

About the algae......

Here's way more info than you ever wanted to know about what's growing in your bird bath......
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjan99/haem.html

You can also google a search on Haematococcus Pluvialis to read mostly about the supplement side of the algae, or just search Haematococcus for more scientific info.

HP sounds like a good idea. The bleach is sure a pain. I have to take an empty bucket out to dump the water in so that I don't get the bleach on the plants. I've wondered how other people clean theirs and if they just dumped the bleach on the ground.

H. that was an interesting article (algae link). Guess I'll just do what I have been doing for years (spray the birdbath with a good jet of water everyday and refill). Hasn't bothered any of my birds. I have no time or inclination to bleach or peroxide! Jenny