Birds won't drink or bathe in a dirty bird bath and stagnant, polluted water can harbour diseases and bacteria that can harm birds. A dirty bird bath may also attract mice, rats, and other pests that you don't want to visit your garden.
Because birds clean themselves and defecate in baths, the water needs to be refreshed and cleaned often. We recommend scrubbing the bowl with hot water and dish detergent such as Dawn. If algae is present, it's best clean the bowl with a mixture of one part bleach to 10 parts water.
Birds may take between a few days and a few weeks to discover and start visiting the birdbath. It may be quicker if your garden has previously provided a source of water since birds will already be looking for water in that location.
Distilled Vinegar: Mix nine parts water with one part vinegar. Fill the bird bath with the mixture and use a scrub brush to get rid of debris inside and outside the basin. Hydrogen Peroxide: Mix one part hydrogen peroxide to one part water.
While some metals may be toxic to birds, tin (not galvanized), steel and iron (not treated with antirust paints) are not toxic. Truth be told, the birds don't mind one way or another. The next time you wander into your local bird supply store, you might look for Victorian guaranteed-to-rust bird baths just for fun.
Traditional concrete birdbaths sold in garden shops make nice lawn ornaments, but they aren't the best type for birds—they're often too deep, glazed ones may be too slippery, and they're often hard to clean. Also, they may crack if the temperature drops below freezing.
Steps to Clean a Birdbath
Remove any large deposits of spilled seed, feces, debris or other contaminants. Use a solution of one part distilled white vinegar to nine parts water to scrub the birdbath thoroughly. Scrub the basin, lip, and any area of the birdbath where the birds can land, perch, drink or bathe.
Adding 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar per gallon of water will help prevent algae from growing in your bird bath. It makes the water slightly acidic which kills the algae. It's important to dilute the apple cider vinegar so that it isn't too strong.
Adding a large rock or stones to your birdbath helps birds. It's absolutely true, especially for juveniles venturing out into the world after springs' nesting season. Shallow, shallow, shallow is best, with a maximum depth of 2-3 inches. If your bowl is deeper – just don't fill it all the way.
Choose a spot close to shrubs and trees to give protective cover and perches for visiting birds. Add stones to the bath so the birds can perch to drink. Place your birdbath well away from bird feeders to keep feeding debris out of the water.
Making a bird bath
It needs to have shallow sloping sides with a shallow approach to water. To allow different species to bathe, provide a sloping bath, so the water is between 2.5cm and 10cm (1-4 inches) deep. Make sure the surface of the bath is rough so birds can grip it with their claws, and not slip.
A dirty bird bath may also attract mice, rats, and other pests that you don't want to visit your garden. Bird baths can become dirty over time due to bird droppings, leaves and other plant matter, dead insects, dust, and feathers. A build-up of algae will eventually turn the water into a pool of green or red slime.
Letting a bird air-dry after a bath or shower promotes healthy preening habits. This is the real purpose of bath-time: The preen-session afterwards. The drying process is the important part! It's not so much about that romp in the water, although that has its benefits, too.
Bird bath water should be replaced every 2 to 4 days; when refilling a bird bath, dispose of dirty water and wipe the basin out with a rag before introducing clean water. If the basin is still dirty after wiping, it will need to be cleaned.
A. A weak bleach solution will kill the bacteria and algae living in your birdbath. Mix one part bleach with nine parts warm water and stir to create an effective cleaning agent that's safe to use on birdbaths.
To keep your birdbath fresh, just rinse and scrub it with nine parts water, one part vinegar. Skip the synthetic soaps and cleansers; they can strip the essential oils off of bird feathers. And make sure to refill the water every other day to keep it from bugging up.
Birds can be triggered by the harsh, unpleasant smell of vinegar and will avoid it. Citrus oil. Birds tend to avoid the smell of citrus because they don't like it. However, if you plan to use citrus oil as a deterrent – it must make direct contact with the bird in order to be effective.
To make life easier, you could opt for a concrete bird bath or a basic plastic basin bird bath. Copper bird baths stay naturally cleaner for longer because copper is an algaecide, meaning it does not allow algae to grow.
One of the best ways to use baking soda in the garden is to clean your bird bath. “Shake baking soda into the basin. It removes mold easily and is safe for birds,” says Birds & Blooms reader Stephen Holland. “Cleaning the bird bath isn't my favorite task, but it's more fun when you use baking soda and white vinegar.
Keep your bird bath clean.
Don't wait until the water gets icky! If you see the water is discolored or there is algae, scrub with baking soda, lemon juice or white vinegar and then rinse well.
During the summer months, when the weather is hot and humid, you may find that the birdbath becomes discolored more often and may need a stronger cleaning routine. This is also true in the fall months, when leaves are falling and debris will end up in the bowl of the bird bath.
All you need is a tomato cage, wire cutters, outdoor-friendly paint and a terra cotta planter saucer. Simply cut the tomato cage to the desired height, and then place the terra cotta saucer into the top of the cage. You can prime, paint and seal the bird bath, if you wish, or stick with a more natural look.