Seasonal maintenance and new installation

Bird nests are not simple shelters, they are real shelters that require a certain amount of maintenance, life paradises for our bird friends. You love them, you take care of them, so to ensure their well-being and encourage their reproduction don’t miss the great cleaning, it’s essential. Through this article, we reveal the different steps to maintain a healthy environment for birds: from cleaning nests to installing new shelters.

Empty the nest boxes and disinfect them

Maintaining bird nests is essential to providing them with a healthy environment. It is recommended to disinfect them at least once or twice a year to avoid the transmission of diseases between broods and above all to provide the best comfort to our bird friends.

Start by simply emptying the birdhouse: remove all droppings, materials and nests…

Then you can move on to the big cleaning. For wooden birdhouses, you can use a wire brush. This helps remove dirt trapped in the nest. It is also possible to use the blowtorch, taking all precautions. Just pass it quickly inside to naturally eliminate any parasites and start again in a healthy way.

If your nest boxes are not made of wood (plastic, metal, ceramic), you can clean them using hot water or white vinegar diluted in water. These two natural ways are effective in eliminating bacteria and parasites.

To complete the disinfection process, leave the nest box exposed to the sun so it can dry. UV rays have a particularly effective disinfectant action.

Say goodbye to chemicals for birdhouse maintenance! Aggressive cleaners and strong disinfectants leave harmful residues that disturb birds and damage their health. They can irritate the eyes, the respiratory tract but also the skin.

Did you know that the autumn season is particularly suitable for nest maintenance? Generally during this time of year most birds have finished their breeding season and left their nests. Now is the right time to carry out careful maintenance without disturbing the birds and prepare a healthy environment for them for the next season!

Check out our article: Caring for birds during the winter

Install new birdhouses

We recommend that you first maintain your nest boxes during the autumn, for their installation, this season is also favorable. By installing them at this time of year, birds will be able to find warm shelter for the winter and prepare their future nest.

When placing nest boxes, know that they can be placed either on a tree or against a building. This will largely depend on your possibilities. The important thing is that it is stable so as not to risk falling in case of wind. If you want to install the nest boxes on a tree, prefer to hang them with a special aluminum nail or even with iron wire. Conventional iron nails and screws rust over time and damage the tree.

The installation height of the nest boxes must also be taken into account. It varies depending on the species: tits generally nest in nest boxes arranged between 2 and 5 meters high. While sparrows between 3 and 8 meters. Generally, the ideal installation height is indicated on the packaging of the nest boxes depending on the species of birds it hosts.

Display can also play an important role in the comfort and safety of birds. It is strongly recommended that the opening faces east/south. This exposure allows the nest to naturally receive morning and midday light. It helps maintain a stable temperature inside the nest boxes, which is essential for the well-being of the birds and their young. The western part is strongly not recommended as it is very exposed to prevailing winds.

Finally, choose a place where there are other trees and elements so that the birds can land there. Parents very often sit near the nest to monitor the surrounding environment before safely entering it.