Everyone is wondering, why would a backyard guy like me be discussing spring cleaning? What does cleaning your house have to do with backyard fun?
Well, let me explain.
For those of you who know me well, you know that I really am a summery guy. I always have been and always will be. However, there is a backyard activity that I enjoy during the winter months. Well … besides playing with the grandchildren that is.
I really enjoy our backyard birds all year long.
If you are a bird watcher like us and enjoy watching your fine feathered friends year round, then you might want to consider taking time each spring to practice proper bird care. For me, that’s what spring maintenance is all about.
We have always believed that bird safety is an important equation for enjoying your backyard. It really makes sense to take proper care of the birds in your garden and depending on how involved a bird watcher is, you might have a few items that you might need to clean each spring.
So … when planning your spring cleaning time, you should also remember to clean your birdhouses, feeders, and bathrooms.
Bird houses:
If you didn’t clean your birdhouses last fall after all the birds left, now is the time to do it. Here are some things to do to make sure your birdhouses are ready for newcomers this spring.
- First of all, if you’ve followed me, you probably have a birdhouse with a hinged roof. This just makes it easier to get to the old nest and clean things up.
- Wearing rubber gloves, raise the roof of your chicken coop and clean out the old nest and any loose material that remains.
- Make a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution to clean your chicken coop. Yes it is safe. This will clean the house and prevent illness. Remember that bird safety is the goal here.
- Using a stiff bristle brush, scrub the inside of the chicken coop with the solution you prepared. Make sure to clean the house thoroughly.
- Once you are done cleaning your birdhouses, rinse them well using just water. As long as you rinse the houses well, using the bleach solution is no problem.
- However, make sure your houses are completely dry before you put them back.
Bird feeders:
There are so many different types of bird feeders for sale and they all need to be cleaned from time to time. Depending on the feeders you are using, after a while, you will have bird droppings and old rotting seeds at the bottom of your feeder. All this generates diseases that will harm your birds.
However, taking the time to do a little spring maintenance on your feeders will go a long way in keeping your birds healthy, safe, and coming back year after year.
Currently, there are several feeders on the market.
Platform feeders are just what they say and pretty straightforward. The same goes for window feeders. Hopper and house feeders are often harder to come by depending on their design and of course you have the tube feeders just to name a few.
In most cases, unless your feeder is in very bad shape, you can get by with a stiff brush and soapy water to clean them. Depending on the type of feeder you have, you may need to raise the roof or, in the case of a tube feeder, take it apart, but cleaning them is not a huge task.
If your feeders have deteriorated a lot, I suggest you use a cleaning solution consisting of 9 parts water and 1 part bleach to soak the feeder. In this case, once you have cleaned the feeder with soapy water, simply soak the feeder in this solution for a few minutes. Maybe 10-15 minutes is enough.
Make sure to rinse the feeders thoroughly when you are done cleaning them and make sure they have completely dried before using them again.
Another thing to remember when cleaning your feeders is to clean the ground underneath them. The seeds and droppings that have fallen to the ground will also decompose and some birds will eat off the ground, so if you really care about the safety of the birds in your backyard, clean up the mess there too.
Hummingbird feeders:
I hope you cleaned them last fall before putting them away, however, I know how busy we can all be and I know how time can slip away from all of us, so if you didn’t clean them last fall, then when are you doing your house cleaning? Spring is the perfect time to do it and this is how you do it.
If you’ve followed me and taken my advice, you probably have an easy-to-disassemble hummingbird feeder. Due to the solution you prepare to feed them and depending on the outside air temperature, their food can get moldy quickly and if you have tight spots in the feeder it could be difficult to get to the mold.
You can usually use a solution consisting of 1 part white vinegar and 4 parts water to soak the feeder. While it’s soaking, you can use a brush to make sure it’s completely clean.
If you’ve waited too long and the feeder is really bad, you can use a solution consisting of 1/4 cup bleach in a gallon of water to clean your feeders. Soak the feeders in the solution for a while and then try brushing off the mold. Be sure to wear rubber gloves.
In each case, no matter what solution you used, be sure to thoroughly rinse the feeders before use.
Bird baths:
Whether you have a heated birdbath that you’ve used all winter or an unheated one that you’re going to start using again, you would make cleaning them part of your spring cleaning routine.
Just use a stiff brush and hot soapy water to clean them. Again, be sure to rinse them well before using.
So … finish all your spring maintenance and bird care tasks ahead of time and then just sit back and enjoy the birds in your backyard.