Bird House Cleaning

Now that you have chosen your bird house or nesting box, it is time to consider the responsibilities of being a good landlord. As we discussed in a previous post, a quality bird house or nesting box provides access for cleaning. This means you should clean your bird house. Many bird enthusiasts view this as an annual chore, usually taking place in the Fall of the year. Here are a few reasons to rethink this mindset...  By taking the time to observe your tenants and clean more frequently, you can double or even triple the occupancy of the abode.

Consider this: you have had the enjoyment of watching a bird family nest in your nesting box. The family has grown and left the nest. Now is the time to plan the first cleaning. Once you are sure the nest is empty, wait a few more days just to be sure. Time for Spring cleaning. Don't be surprised if the same family doesn't use the box again to produce another clutch of eggs. That should be incentive enough. Repeat as needed.

How to clean the box? First and foremost, protect yourself. Forget about vanity. Ignore your neighbor with their cameras taking pictures to blackmail you with. This is serious business and you need to take precautions. Wear protective gloves and a mask to cover your nose and mouth. Remove the old nesting materials. Scrape the bottom of the box with a wire brush. Please do not use the one you use to clean your grill. Next, wash the interior out with a mild solution of bleach and water. Leave the box open and allow it to dry out for a few days.

Finally, resist the urge to put your bird house or nesting box away for the Winter. It may be the perfect refuge for a bird on a freezing, stormy Winter's night.

Visit out website for a complete listing of bird supplies: http://www.midwestcustomcrafts.com/

The pictures shown are two styles of nesting boxes offered by Midwest Custom Crafts. The styles are probably familiar to you. Similar products are readily available in retail stores and on the Internet. Before you purchase a nesting box to enjoy, be aware that not all nesting boxes are created equal. For the safety of your feathered friends, make sure the nesting box you choose provides the birds with a safe and comfortable environment. First and foremost, consider the construction. Never purchase a metal nesting box. Metal can overheat in the sun and become a literal oven for its inhabitants. Wood has a natural heating and cooling ability, offering the necessary ventilation for the comfort of the birds. The interior of a wooden nest should be paint free. Even natural paints can bake in the sun and emit toxins that can harm baby birds. Lastly, choose a box that either is not enclosed on all four sides or has a hinged opening for cleaning. Routine or annual cleaning will extend the life span of the box and  remove any parasites that could create an unsafe atmosphere for future tenants.

As a consumer, you can rest assured that any product purchased from Midwest Custom Crafts not only offers quality construction, but a safe environment for the users. Please, take a moment to visit our website at: http://www.midwestcustomcrafts.com/ and contact us with any questions.

Gardening: Food for Thought and the Birds

Memorial Day is a popular time for weekend gardeners to plant their gardens. If you are a bird lover, it may be worth your time to explore flower choices that will not only add color to you garden, but will provide your feathered friends with a bounty of food. When considering what flowers to plant, sunflowers are probably one of the first flowers that come to mind. Fairly easy to grow, sunflowers are large vibrant flowers, yellow to gold in color with black centers rich with tasty seeds. Sunflowers can grow up to 12-feet in height, making them an impressive focal point of any garden. The tickseed sunflower is also an excellent annual for providing seed to birds. While not as large as a traditional sunflower, the tickseed grows up to three feet in height.

Other top annuals for the birds include ageratum; a hardy plant that produces blue, pink or white flowers. Cosmos are another popular choice. These flowers flourish in well-drained, moist soil in direct sun. Growing up to six-feet, cosmos produce flowers of red, orange, yellow, pink, purple and white. Queen Anne's lace is another excellent choice. Also known as the carrot plant, these plants are best known for their delicate white clusters of flowers. Verbena is a garden favorite. A hardy plant, verbena blooms from spring to fall with very little fuss. Just plant in well-drained soil in the full sun and you will be rewarded with vibrant pink, white, red, purple, and yellow flowers. Last, but certainly not least, don't forget the zinnia, producing almost every color imaginable.

Don't have a green thumb? No worries. Harvest the rebel inside yourself and go natural. Embrace the weed. Not only will they thrive in a backyard flower bed, they will produce a bounty of feed for the birds. With a little planning, a garden of dandelion, chicory, thistle and goldenrod and horsetail will provide a beautiful display of color. Once the growing season ends, just let the seed heads dry on the plants. Then, you can either leave them for the birds to enjoy or harvest them and use them as bird seed.

Whatever your choice, consider a bird feeder or bird-house from Midwest Custom Crafts to enhance your bird watching experience.

About Us:

Midwest Custom Crafts is located in Winona, Minnesota.
We are proud to be a small company, born from a desire to pursue a dream. We are honest people with an honest goal; to provide quality products and service to our customers. Quality is our concern. When you purchase a product from Midwest Custom Crafts, you can be assured that the same care is given to your product whether it is the first or the 10,000th item we have built. We are not a factory. Our products are not manufactured on an assembly line. Each item is built by a skilled artisan, with over 20 years of experience.

We invite you to visit our website, view our products, read our blog and grow with us. Share the experience...

We want to hear from you.