Why Clean Bird Houses
Just like a dirty, damaged bird feeder, a dirty bird house is less attractive to backyard birds. Dirty bird houses can also harbor rodents, insects, feather mites, fungus and bacteria that can spread disease to nesting birds and vulnerable hatchlings. Cleaning a bird house minimizes these hazards and makes the home more attractive to nesting birds. A clean bird house encourages reuse with either the same bird family or additional birds looking for suitable nesting sites at different times of summer, which can bring even more bird families to the backyard.
When to Clean
Ideally, a bird house should be cleaned after the nesting brood has completely fledged and no longer returns to the nest. For many bird species, a single cleaning after the end of the breeding season is sufficient. In temperate regions where birds may raise multiple broods, however, the bird house can be cleaned between each new family to encourage more nesting. If you aren’t sure whether the house is occupied or not, tap gently on the sides or roof and listen for responsive scufflings or cheeps, or peek inside the house carefully through the roof or moveable side to check for nestlings. If the birds are still present, wait at least another week before checking again to give them plenty of time to vacate the home.
How to Clean a Bird House
More Bird House Cleaning Tips
To ensure that your bird houses are as clean and safe as possible for your nesting or roosting backyard birds…
Buy bird houses with movable or hinged panels that are easier to clean without weakening the structure of the house.Leave clean bird houses up for winter roosting and clean them again in early spring so they are ready for breeding birds.Also clean the post or hook where the bird house is positioned to remove any lingering pests or bacteria from the area.
By cleaning a bird house properly, backyard birders provide a safe, happy home for their backyard birds. Clean houses will attract more nesting birds, and generation after generation of healthy birds can be raised in suitable bird houses.
