Now is the perfect time to put out your birdhouses for the birds to nest this spring and summer and it is important to clean your birdhouses out before you hang them up for the spring. Birdhouses can harbor a variety of unwanted pests such as lice and mites and can make your birdhouse less desirable for the birds if not properly cleaned out for the upcoming year. A dirty birdhouse that contains these pests can make the birds feel uncomfortable and can discourage them from making a nest in the birdhouse. To make sure that your birdhouse is clean, it is important to follow these simple steps:
- Always remove the old nest from the birdhouse and throw it away. Never leave the nest in the birdhouse to be reused. Before cleaning the birdhouse, thoroughly remove the nest. Wash out the birdhouse with a damp cloth and a small cleaning brush to get into corners and crevices with a little dish soap, then rinse it out thoroughly with warm water.
- After cleaning and rinsing out the birdhouse, make sure that the birdhouse is left open to air dry before the roof is closed.
- If it appears that the birdhouse has lice or mites, use a miticide to kill these types of pests and let this air dry before closing the roof.
- Once the birdhouse is dried out, you are ready to hang up your birdhouses for the spring!
It is also a good idea to clean out your birdhouses every time your visiting bird family has finished their brood and started on another brood. For a great variety of birdhouses, check out Rachel’s Robin.