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Whether it is used as a garden embellishment or for attracting the local avian fauna, birdbaths come in handy. A birdbath is like an oasis in the desert for visiting birds.
These feathered mirages cherish splashing in the water, but during the hostile winters, it’s the drinking water that they need the most.
Except that birdbaths are prone to freezing in the winters.
You can keep the water from freezing with a bird bath heater and with a little commitment (and knowing what to do, of course). But you can try out a whole lot of other things too.
Your bird-friends will appreciate the effort on your part, and you will get to watch them getting all playful in your backyard!
Win-win, I guess.
My Tips For Keeping Your Birdbaths From Freezing Over
In this article, I will share some with you some tried and tested tips for keeping your birdbath from freezing in the winters.
Let’s get started:
Outdoor Heaters: Tried & Tested
This will cost you a couple of bucks, and they will be worth it too, as these heaters will surely keep the water comfortably warm. It gets all the better for areas that suffer from freezing cold, not only will it make things easier, it is the most effective solution for cooler climates.
Use A Sunny Spot, If You’ve Got One
If the shroud of winter, at your place, allows some sun rays to penetrate the heart of this cold, make good use of it. Just place your birdbath in a sunny spot. This will prevent it from freezing over, given that the sun is strong enough in your area during the winters.
Of course, you might want to move the birdbath under a shade during summers to avoid the scorching sun.
Dark Surfaces Absorb More Heat
Darker surfaces tend to absorb more heat than lighter ones. If you add black rocks or plates into your birdbath, it would help you keep the water from freezing.
It won’t be much laborious on your part either, just remove these stones or plates in the summer to prevent overheating.
Treat Them With A Spa
If you don’t want an outdoor heater, then you can buy a heater for the basin. This will help you keep the water fresh and cozily warm. You won’t have to worry as the temperature drops, because the water will stay just fine.
Keep The Birdbath Full
You should keep your birdbath full.
This may seem odd but it really works! You see, the more the volume of the water, the more time it will take to freeze. Moreover, if you have a heater inside, it may al
so malfunction if there’s not enough water in your birdbath.
You Can Use Ping Pong Balls Too, But Only Clean Ones
You can place some clean ping pong balls in your birdbath, and trust me, it will really help.
These balls will keep a small amount of water on the move to prevent freezing. Just a heads up, be sure, that the ping pong balls are clean.
Plastic Liners Can Help
Always use a plastic liner for your birdbath in the winters.
This way, whenever the water freezes, you can take the chunk of ice outside and then refill the birdbath again with fresh water for your bird-friends to beat their dehydration.
Warm Things Up With A Hot Pan
This is a very effective trick too.
Just take a pan, put it on flame for like 10 or 15 minutes.
After that, gently place it over the frozen surface. Be careful not to pour boiling water in the birdbath as that can break it, and you might end up getting some nasty burns yourself too.
Just war, up things a bit and that’s pretty much it.
What Not To Do
Safety must always come first. Ensure that your birdbath is perfectly safe, not only for yourself but for your winged visitors as well. This means that you can throw all bad ideas out into the freezing cold.
Never try any of these with your birdbath:
Never Use Chemicals
Avoid any chemicals for keeping the birdbath from freezing. This includes any “nontoxic” products, because they may be meant for something else entirely.
You can cut that “anti-freeze” entry from your list then, it won’t do any good. Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which is potentially fatal to consume not only for birds but also for humans.
Boiling Water – Ouch
Never pour boiling water on solid ice because it can damage your birdbath and give you some nasty burns as well.
Indoor Heaters Are A No No
You should never use indoor heaters or other appliances because they can be hazardous outside. The simple fact is that these things were never meant for outdoor usage, so don’t push it, play it safe instead.
Don’t Break The Ice
You should never, under any circumstances, break the ice. Firstly, it won’t magically turn into water, and secondly, you may end up breaking your bath.
Conclusion
Water is a necessity, for everyone, not just the birds. Some people don’t get it but I believe that we should help everyone even if they are not capable of returning the favor. These feathered beings are a beautiful part of nature and we should cherish them.
And save them, from the inhospitable winters.
The winters may be the time for all the best holidays for us, but the same is not true for these poor beings. But with conviction and steadfastness, we can ensure that our backyard becomes a haven for birds, a place where their chirping and hopping brings to life everything around them.
To all the bird lovers out there, you’re great, and I wish everyone could be like you!
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