Cleaning your bird houses is essential for good bird health and safety. Dirty bird houses can harbor rodents, insects, feather mites, fungus and bacteria that can spread disease to the birds.
Ideally, a bird house should be cleaned after all babies have grown and left the home.
- Remove all old nesting material and scrape out any feces or clumped matter. This material should be disposed of in a plastic bag to prevent spreading any parasites it might harbor.
- Scrub the house thoroughly with a weak bleach solution (one part chlorine bleach to nine parts warm water). Be sure to scrub all corners, the entrance hole and drainage and ventilation holes.
- Rinse the house well in clean water for several minutes to remove all traces of bleach.
- Dry the house thoroughly in full sun for at least several hours. This will break down any remaining chlorine and ensure there are no moist crevices for mold or mildew to grow.
- Inspect the house for loose hinges, protruding nails or screws, prominent splinters and other hazards.
- Clean the post or hook where the bird house is positioned to remove any lingering pests or bacteria from the area
