When you offer a sanctuary to birds your backyard will be very entertaining. I have a small bird feeder and plenty of flowers and 3 bird baths. I have so many flying visitors I love it.
If you have a reg or small birdbath, putting a rock in the center prevents larger birds from bathing. They can land on the rim. They dont need the rock. They need room to splash around.
I moved into a 1960s neighborhood with old growth everywhere. a lot of elderly folk as neighbors, that I enjoy. There was an old concrete birdbath in the back yard. While gardening I cleaned this out and filled it. I have never in my life of 47 year seen such a treat. the birds flock to my birdbath. Cardinals, sparrows, blackbrids, finches... a TON of birds love this bath. I have seen as many as 10 to 12 birds at once waiting their turn to splash. I fill and clean every day. I love love love to see them. at the same time i love to garden. I plan on covering my important berries and tomatoes... but am looking for suggestions to enjoy my fruits and my friends at the same time!.... i don't mind sharing but I am urban and do not want to give it all away!!!
That is so great to hear! If you would like to share with your neighbors, maybe try out some of these neat recipes! Thanks for tuning in and Happy Gardening! Blue Berry Sangria: ua-cam.com/video/pAZFjcPCocs/v-deo.html&index=43&list=PL81F9FAA4BD485CA7 Fresh Tomato Sauce: ua-cam.com/video/eOfzDWdBzKc/v-deo.html Dehydrating Tomatoes: ua-cam.com/video/XCsNaVsDQBo/v-deo.html Black and Blueberry Cobbler: ua-cam.com/video/61CricyCqYk/v-deo.html
2500grit I get a few of the "pest" variety of birds at my bird feeders (starlings, cowbirds, sparrows, pigeons), along with finches, chickadees, nuthatches, red winged blackbirds, & other such desirable birds. How do you scare the bad guys away while keeping the good guys? The pests are typically bigger & bullies & shoo off the little guys.
the birds you get depends a lot on your feeder design. Most feeders will attract bullies because the platform is too big and too stable giving larger birds plenty of space to manoeuvre a landing and a long steady perch to stay there and scare smaller songibrds off. I went through years of birdfeeders. The best feeder for cardinals, nuthatches, titmouse, chikadee, finches and orioles is a circular house that looks like the top circular deck of a lighthouse with the seeds inside the middle circular pot with a roof and hung from a wire, not sitting on top of a pole which is too stable. Cowbirds, blackbirds will immediately learn that even if they manage to land on it, the circular perch and their length makes them unstable, birds are smart they will not come back, this means you will only have the smaller songbirds, a lot of them because they too know that it is not a larger bird hangout ! The only [big] nuisance are squirrels. If you have squirrels you cannot hang your bird feeder from tree branches, you have to invest in pretty expensive poles + inverted baffle. This is the only good way to stop the persistent little critters without hurting them. I have this older lady neighbor with no clue who bought big rectangular bird feeders and doesn't understand the dynamic of bird feeding. As a result she has attracted nothing but a big school of rogue squirrels, an aggressive school of blackbirds, fucking huge crows coming in group of three and fighting with the squirrels and even a racoon. This has been going on for month and she keeps feeding this tough crowd and wondering why tjere are no songbirds. If she keeps it up i suspect foxes will start hunting the above. And she is still buying these songbird seeds. She is a dog owner which could explain it. Most canine pet owners are completely disensitized from real wild animals and often act obnoxious and stupid like their canine. This does not apply to cat owners, as cat stay half wild, cat owners tend to better understand wild animals.
goognam goognws thanks so much for the advice. Do you have a specific brand for the type of feeder that you describe? I have an idea of what you're talking about but I'd like to be sure that I get the right kind.
We all do things differently. For me, I use a satellite dish and when I change the water daily, I use a squeegee to remove all the old water, then rinse, then squeegee once more, then refill.
I try and look for smooth, white bird baths, because that makes it much easier to tell if the water is dirty. Dark colors and mosaics are the worst for seeing dirt. Birds are the only creatures that will see these designs and I doubt they care about the design inside the BB. The crevices around an interior design inside a bowl are also the most likely place for mold to begin growing and these crevices also make it much harder to clean the bowl (If you don't care about dirty water it doesn't matter.) I also keep a tightly wound handle strainer hung-up near the bird bath and use that to clean very minute debris and birdcrap out of the birdbath between changes of the water. (I buy 3 or 4 at a time at the dollar store) I change the water at least once a day. Some species of birds like doves and sparrows will crap in the water on a regular basis. I try and remove it while it is still fresh and intact. I went to a Lowes to buy a birdbath recently and I was very surprised to see that most of them were designed very poorly in my opinion. But I guess a lot of people buying their first birdbaths are novices who are more impressed by aesthetics than the utility of the design(?) I never use my clay/pottery/cement bird baths in the winter. The constant pressure on the sides from freezing ice at night and thawing during daylight will cause these bird baths to disintegrate much sooner than they should. I'm only aware of this because it happened to a neighbor of mine. I use a heated, white, plastic bird birdbath in the winter but I don't fill it up too high because the water on the lip will freeze. I thought the heater had stopped working until realized I was filling it too high. I try an remember to turn it off and empty it at night but sometimes I forget to do this. But I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia and people in warmer climates probably don't have to worry about this. WRZ Delaware County, PA
Since my retirement, I've put up several hummingbird feeders and a couple of hanging bird feeders. I've been enjoying some birds visiting in my frontyard since. These birdbaths will be a great idea to make it even more enjoyable. Thank you friend for your post...I have the notification bell on so I can watch more of your videos.
This is SO helpful! Here I thought I would need an expensive solar fountain set-up to provide birds drinking water & now, thanks to your video, all I had to do was hang a bucket with a drip... Thank you! ❤️
I don't know about anti-bacterial, but it is definitely an algae inhibitor. We have a system on our pool which uses electrolysis to add copper from a plate to our pool water, and algae never grows.
If a U.S. penny has a date before 1982, it is made of 95% copper. If the date is 1983 or later, it is made of 97.5% zinc and plated with a thin copper coating. In 1997, a Canadian penny's composition changed to 98.4 per cent zinc, with the rest copper plating. Since 2000, its composition has been 94 per cent steel.
If you see a bee floating in your birdbath, don’t assume it is dead. I had one the other day, and when I put my finger underneath it, it crawled right onto my finger and let me carry it to a safe spot in one of my flower pots. A few minutes later, it happily flew away.
Thank you so much for tour tips, i have place teracotta dish last week on my balcony but did not place flat rock but today as soon as i am done posting comment to you i'll place it right away. I don't have flat rock like yours but find some thing similar to it & place it to land on. Feeding them from years with small rectangel bowl of water but bird's bath start this year. I am learning. I have place mid. size of tray with shoe box with the strow in it from more than a year but sounds like no one wants to live in it. Birds go in it & check it out. But no one decide to stay in it yet. Will see...fingers crossed...
We put a blink camera by our bird bath. Wonderful entertainment for us. We also see the nighttime visitors like possum n raccoons from time to time. We try to wash out our birdbath daily. Nice vid. Thanks
Before putting in a bird bath, clearly understand your surroundings. Cats and other “stalkers” take a huge toll on the bird population. If you are in an area with these kinds of predators, ensure that the bath is protected some how that makes sense for the area and your space from danger. I’ve made a chicken wire “globe” around the bird bath that keeps out unwanted guests.
For my bird bath, I just use a scrub brush and some water to get rid of the algae. It comes right off. My bath is in deep shade and it still gets full of algae. I tried pennies, didnt work. What did work was s length of twisted copper tubing like you'd find in condenser coils. But it only worked until the copper tarnished, and then the algae came back.
We're glad this worked for you! Be sure to check out our sister channel, Oklahoma Gardening, with new videos uploaded each Friday over the latest garden projects, topics, and discussion.
Copper is anti-bacterial like silver, so pennies will keep the water a little cleaner. I’m thinking about adding more bird baths that are a little shallower so that they don’t drown.
At some point in the 1980's, the content of pennies was changed to have less copper and more zinc (which is toxic to birds). Best to use pennies that were made earlier, or use some copper piping sections, etc.
Jane Lee so... like how much then? He suggests 2 inches, I thought this to be pretty deep myself especially for smaller birds. What would you make those shallow ones at? Like an inch?
@@cindasana A bird would have to chew on zinc everyday to get to toxic levels. It's simply not possible that pennys in a bird bath would harm a bird and will likely make it healthier due to the micro-nutrient value of zinc.
@@nunya___ wrong enough zinc to be toxic can leach into the water. stick with pre 1982 copper pennies. And by the way there have been many cases where a dog has swallowed a zinc penny and it killed the dog before they figured out what was wrong. put a coil of heavy uninsulated copper wire, I use 5 feet of 10gauge, in the birdbath and it will eliminate algae growth. Then all you have to do for cleaning is spray with a high pressure hose nozzle. Eazy peazy. If you use pennies use pennies minted before 1982 as that is when they started making pennies mostly out of zinc which is very toxic. Copper is not toxic to birds in the amount produced from copper wire or pennies. shop.malleedesign.com.au/pages/birds-and-the-possibility-of-copper-toxicosis?fbclid=IwAR21AiLL-n1uUwPrOBxyq6eMCr8SiSCMOYjXDVChnZc8HyJcE8EKhK4oMBI
@@doubleganger2 As I said, the bird (or DOG) would have to chew on it to be harmful. Also United States pennies are made of copper coated zinc. Calling an essential nutrient "High Toxic" is massively misrepresenting zinc in this situation: Birdbaths. You propose that zinc leaching from pennies into a few litres of water will what? ...Instantly kill or have long term effects on birds? That's simply not true. How fast something leeches or corrodes depends on environment. It being that drinking water is much less corrosive than stomach acid and not a danger to pennies. 😉 Or birds. Conversely, stomach acid is mostly hydrochloric acid (water soluble Chlorine based acid) and would be very dangerous to pennies. 😱 As you say, pure copper 99.9% is better. You can also connect a small piece of copper tubing to a fountain pump or set a roll of copper mesh or copper coated scrubbing pad in the birdbath to get a similar effect. When using copper keep it bright and effective by soaking in vinegar. Don't soak for long periods; usually 15-30 minutes is enough. Too much will erode the copper. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Hydrochloric-acid Finally, pre 1983 pennies were not pure copper, 95% copper 5% zinc and still won't harm birds ...unless they eat them.
I heard that pennies made in 1982 or earlier (which are all copper) are good to put it in birdbaths to prevent algae growth. I have several such pennies in my birdbath...and so far (in a months time) I haven’t seen any algae!
I believe the transition from copper to zinc pennies was in 1982 so some 1982 pennies are zinc which is very toxic to birds, and mammals too. Swallowing a zinc penny can kill you and it happens sometimes to dogs.
If you coin the lady was referring to is of a brass material, then I can easily see how it could possibly prevent algae. Brass prevents the growth of bacteria, so maybe it works in the same way.!
Since the big concrete birdbaths are so heavy to handle, I improvised one usingmy concrete bath. I took a piece of 2 x 2 feet plywood and sat it flat on top of it.I then purchased a plastic planter about 18" across and 3" deep and filled itwith water. Since birds like splashing water, I sat a post behind the bath.I then keep two large plastic fruit juice bottles in my freezer and every day Ialternate them by hanging them upside down from that post using bungie cordsto hold them. I nailed a small piece of wood to the post so the neck of the bottlescan rest on them. This has worked great as they drip, drip, drip all day long and I don't waste water by having a hose running all day. Of course, I don't put a bottle out in cold weather and I even go to a smallerbath in winter. Birds still need water in the winter especially when its freezingas it is hard for them sometimes to find any.
My mom and stepdad put a bird feeder in the backyard. I plan to surprise them with a bird bath in a week or so. It just makes sense if they are already using the feeder.
Put 3 plant saucers in your garden, One on a big upside down pot, one on a medium pot , and one on the ground . The rock weights them down, and gives them perch. Keep a special toilet brush to whoosh it out, put in filtered water. Feeder and little tree nearby, birdy entertainment.
Thanks for all the information! I'm planning on adding a bird bath tou small fairy garden in the front of my house. I don't have a tree in the front and because it's a rental I can't put anything permanent. Any suggestions? Right now I have a container garden.
+Pat, glad we could help out! Also, we appreciate you for tuning in! Be sure to checkout our other channel, Oklahoma Gardening, for more DIY projects similar to this one! Ever heard of a rain chain? ua-cam.com/video/K5R2tGqoGvw/v-deo.html
If you have a fountain, make sure the water is topped off. I found a poor bird drowned in it. What I found was that birds lean over to drink in it. The higher I kept the water level in the bottom basin, the easier it is for them to drink. They won't lean and fall in. I also keep water easier to get nearby. I make sure to keep water esp in really hot weather. The fountain was for me, but it attracts tons of birds, so make water handy for them to get to as well.
I have decorative rocks in the bowls of my three tier fountain. The birds do very well with them. I pile them up so that there is only an inch or two of water above the rocks.
Awesome video! I’m also having algae issues with both of mine even though they’re mostly in shade but tomorrow I will try the Clorox!!! Excellent info, thank you!
Bleach is perfectly safe to use to kill germs and salmonella in bird baths. Spray surface and scrub with brush to remove algae. let sit several minutes then rinse and refill bath. The CDC even recommends bleach to sterilize water to make potable.
@Griffith Williams Chlorine is a natural substance and micro nutrient to plants: www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01904160903242417 Killing pathogens in birds drinking water is responsible stewardship for your backyard buddies.
i go to the thrift or second hand store and but glass crock pot lids with the glass knob. then hole saw the appropriate hole in a 1x6 or 2x6 and run it across the corner of my garden fence and add several large rocks and fill with water for bees.
That red bucket you have to use as a drip can be a danger, I had one in my Garden and I found a little Bird that had fallen in and drowned, it’s little wings must have got too wet and heavy to fly out their little feet have no grip on plastic to even climb out.
To clean my birdbath I use baking soda and a heavy scrub brush, then rinse it out good. You can use kosher salt or vinegar, even ammonia is better than bleach at killing algae and bacteria most of the time. You should just be aware of how whatever you use affects the surrounding area.
I raised my bird bath and feeder a good 7 feet and used PVC pipe to support them neighborhood kitties can't climb the PVC , and at least if the cats jump , the birds have more opportunity to escape.
A bird bath is a breeding ground for mosquitos. Where I live (AZ), we are warned to not have any standing water anywhere. So a bird bath would have to have running water in it. My big problem in attracting birds is most of the birds are pigeons or doves and they make an incredible mess.
When you keep water out for birds, you dump the water, scrub the birdbath, and fill with fresh water throughout the week. Mosquitoes don’t have a chance to breed.
I have used pennies to help prevent algae it does work but they have to be old pennies minted before 1986 because they have more copper than new pennies. A plumber even suggested flushing a penny in the toilet for the same reason. I have not tried that. I have to change the water 2 or 3 times a day in Arizona heat plus I have no trees for shade.
This is not true. Bleach is perfectly safe to use to kill germs and salmonella in bird baths. Spray surface and scrub with brush to remove algae. let sit several minutes then rinse and refill bath. The CDC even recommends bleach to sterilize water and make safe to drink.
Any bit of copper should work to kill the algae or mold. The problem with 1 cent USA coins is they are no longer real copper. The easiest way I can think of to get some copper is to go to the hardware store and buy a copper plumbing fitting or ask a plumber for a cut off piece of pipe.
The penny needs to be 1982 or before. However, it's the amount of copper in the penny that keeps the algae from forming. The bad is if its a main water source for birds or animals the copper is toxic. Just read a little bit of Apple Cider Vinegar will help because of its acidity level. I'll add the vinegar next time.
put a coil of heavy uninsulated copper wire, I use 5 feet of 10gauge, in the birdbath and it will eliminate algae growth. Then all you have to do for cleaning is spray with a high pressure hose nozzle. Eazy peazy. If you use pennies use pennies minted before 1982 as that is when they started making pennies mostly out of zinc which is very toxic. Copper is not toxic to birds in the amount produced from copper wire or pennies. shop.malleedesign.com.au/pages/birds-and-the-possibility-of-copper-toxicosis?fbclid=IwAR21AiLL-n1uUwPrOBxyq6eMCr8SiSCMOYjXDVChnZc8HyJcE8EKhK4oMBI
If you’re trying to attract small birds like finches or chickadees 2” is way too deep. Most commercial bird baths have that problem. Definitely place a flat rock so it’s surface is just barely below the surface of the water. One half inch is best (even less) for the little guys.
Should be several pennies, depending on the side of the bird bath. I have 5 pennies and have had no algae issues with mine. The pennies have to be early 1980's (higher copper content).
I've made a bird bath out of a ceramic candle holder and a shallow bowl, but I haven't seen any bird come to it for a long time. I wonder if something is wrong.
You can use dilute hydrogen peroxide to keep algae at bay. Just spray a low concentration hydrogen peroxide (3%) on the dried bath dish and stone. Hydrogen peroxide will break down into water on contact with water. So it is pretty safe for birds. See this video how it is used in a fish tank: ua-cam.com/video/qgxwKrYgehI/v-deo.html When the algae does grow again, just repeat the process. The algae will be kept at bay for a longer period with its use.
Terracotta being porous would hold onto some of the chemicals in bleach ... Vinegar or peroxide have safe, effective uses in the garden but hey maybe bleach smells like chlorine and the bird feels like they're on vacation.
I believe if you have the water in a flowing way (using a water pump is best), it should eliminate mosquitoes from breeding. They mainly breed in still water from my experience.
When you offer a sanctuary to birds your backyard will be very entertaining. I have a small bird feeder and plenty of flowers and 3 bird baths. I have so many flying visitors I love it.
I put a flat stone in the center of my bird bath so the bees don't drown...
Dog lover JB I do too!
Dog lover JB : Great idea, thanks!
this year I'm going to make a puddling station for butterflies, it's like a miniature birdbath, the bees should enjoy it as well.
I get a stick and drown them on purpose
@@trokiandokeh1836 Adding a powerful pesticide to the water will allow that to happen even when you're not present.
Apple cider & baking soda works great on algae & hard water. Let soak over nite. Use bristle brush & it comes off easily.
If you have a reg or small birdbath, putting a rock in the center prevents larger birds from bathing. They can land on the rim. They dont need the rock. They need room to splash around.
I moved into a 1960s neighborhood with old growth everywhere. a lot of elderly folk as neighbors, that I enjoy. There was an old concrete birdbath in the back yard. While gardening I cleaned this out and filled it. I have never in my life of 47 year seen such a treat. the birds flock to my birdbath. Cardinals, sparrows, blackbrids, finches... a TON of birds love this bath. I have seen as many as 10 to 12 birds at once waiting their turn to splash. I fill and clean every day. I love love love to see them. at the same time i love to garden. I plan on covering my important berries and tomatoes... but am looking for suggestions to enjoy my fruits and my friends at the same time!.... i don't mind sharing but I am urban and do not want to give it all away!!!
That is so great to hear! If you would like to share with your neighbors, maybe try out some of these neat recipes! Thanks for tuning in and Happy Gardening! Blue Berry Sangria: ua-cam.com/video/pAZFjcPCocs/v-deo.html&index=43&list=PL81F9FAA4BD485CA7
Fresh Tomato Sauce: ua-cam.com/video/eOfzDWdBzKc/v-deo.html
Dehydrating Tomatoes: ua-cam.com/video/XCsNaVsDQBo/v-deo.html
Black and Blueberry Cobbler: ua-cam.com/video/61CricyCqYk/v-deo.html
I wanna punch the Schieffelin shithead who brought the starling in North America.
2500grit I get a few of the "pest" variety of birds at my bird feeders (starlings, cowbirds, sparrows, pigeons), along with finches, chickadees, nuthatches, red winged blackbirds, & other such desirable birds. How do you scare the bad guys away while keeping the good guys? The pests are typically bigger & bullies & shoo off the little guys.
the birds you get depends a lot on your feeder design. Most feeders will attract bullies because the platform is too big and too stable giving larger birds plenty of space to manoeuvre a landing and a long steady perch to stay there and scare smaller songibrds off. I went through years of birdfeeders. The best feeder for cardinals, nuthatches, titmouse, chikadee, finches and orioles is a circular house that looks like the top circular deck of a lighthouse with the seeds inside the middle circular pot with a roof and hung from a wire, not sitting on top of a pole which is too stable. Cowbirds, blackbirds will immediately learn that even if they manage to land on it, the circular perch and their length makes them unstable, birds are smart they will not come back, this means you will only have the smaller songbirds, a lot of them because they too know that it is not a larger bird hangout ! The only [big] nuisance are squirrels. If you have squirrels you cannot hang your bird feeder from tree branches, you have to invest in pretty expensive poles + inverted baffle. This is the only good way to stop the persistent little critters without hurting them.
I have this older lady neighbor with no clue who bought big rectangular bird feeders and doesn't understand the dynamic of bird feeding. As a result she has attracted nothing but a big school of rogue squirrels, an aggressive school of blackbirds, fucking huge crows coming in group of three and fighting with the squirrels and even a racoon. This has been going on for month and she keeps feeding this tough crowd and wondering why tjere are no songbirds. If she keeps it up i suspect foxes will start hunting the above. And she is still buying these songbird seeds. She is a dog owner which could explain it. Most canine pet owners are completely disensitized from real wild animals and often act obnoxious and stupid like their canine. This does not apply to cat owners, as cat stay half wild, cat owners tend to better understand wild animals.
goognam goognws thanks so much for the advice. Do you have a specific brand for the type of feeder that you describe? I have an idea of what you're talking about but I'd like to be sure that I get the right kind.
Thank you for the info. Thank you for caring about the birds. Blessings!!
Thanks for the informative video, you’re good at explaining things and provide a good amount of detail
This video made me smile because it can't get any more basic: vessel, water, rock (optional). Boom, birdbath.
Lovely music mike the old standards are the best beautiful songs that we all.love they bring back wonderful memories too.
A flat rock in the middle also allows hummingbirds to use it. They really like a fast dripping birdbath.
Thank you for all of the great tips on providing water for birds!
Thanks for the good tips! I've used a tiny bit of cornmeal to prevent algae growth. It sinks to bottom and birds don't seem to mind.
Thanks for the insight to your successful birdbath! We appreciate you!
We all do things differently. For me, I use a satellite dish and when I change the water daily, I use a squeegee to remove all the old water, then rinse, then squeegee once more, then refill.
I try and look for smooth, white bird baths, because
that makes it much easier to tell if the water is dirty.
Dark colors and mosaics are the worst for seeing dirt.
Birds are the only creatures that will see these designs
and I doubt they care about the design inside the BB.
The crevices around an interior design inside a bowl
are also the most likely place for mold to begin growing and
these crevices also make it much harder to clean the bowl
(If you don't care about dirty water it doesn't matter.)
I also keep a tightly wound handle strainer hung-up near the bird bath
and use that to clean very minute debris and birdcrap out of the birdbath
between changes of the water. (I buy 3 or 4 at a time at the dollar store)
I change the water at least once a day. Some species of birds like doves
and sparrows will crap in the water on a regular basis. I try and remove
it while it is still fresh and intact.
I went to a Lowes to buy a birdbath recently and I was very surprised
to see that most of them were designed very poorly in my opinion.
But I guess a lot of people buying their first birdbaths are novices
who are more impressed by aesthetics than the utility of the design(?)
I never use my clay/pottery/cement bird baths in the winter. The constant
pressure on the sides from freezing ice at night and thawing during daylight
will cause these bird baths to disintegrate much sooner than they should.
I'm only aware of this because it happened to a neighbor of mine.
I use a heated, white, plastic bird birdbath in the winter but I don't fill it up
too high because the water on the lip will freeze. I thought the heater had
stopped working until realized I was filling it too high. I try an remember
to turn it off and empty it at night but sometimes I forget to do this.
But I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia and people in warmer climates
probably don't have to worry about this.
WRZ
Delaware County, PA
Since my retirement, I've put up several hummingbird feeders and a couple of hanging bird feeders. I've been enjoying some birds visiting in my frontyard since. These birdbaths will be a great idea to make it even more enjoyable. Thank you friend for your post...I have the notification bell on so I can watch more of your videos.
Remember hummers need just a couple centimeters of water or rocks to stand on. They dont like to bathe with big birds
@Griffith Williams thank you for visiting. New friend here from Texas, USA.
This is SO helpful! Here I thought I would need an expensive solar fountain set-up to provide birds drinking water & now, thanks to your video, all I had to do was hang a bucket with a drip... Thank you! ❤️
After birds take a shower ,water very dirty .I dont think pump will work with mess.
Thank you so much for sharing that’s exactly what I need to get love it😊💕
The copper penny is anti bacterial. Hence the tradition of throwing them into fountains.
I don't know about anti-bacterial, but it is definitely an algae inhibitor. We have a system on our pool which uses electrolysis to add copper from a plate to our pool water, and algae never grows.
@@dougsholly9323 wow
i think our crows would steal the penny. im gonna try it and see. this is interesting, to me!! loved this video
What about when people throw silver coins ...does that cause any changes, I wonder
If a U.S. penny has a date before 1982, it is made of 95% copper. If the date is 1983 or later, it is made of 97.5% zinc and plated with a thin copper coating.
In 1997, a Canadian penny's composition changed to 98.4 per cent zinc, with the rest copper plating. Since 2000, its composition has been 94 per cent steel.
Myself, I'd opt for white vinegar to clean a bird bath.
Very good tips. THANK YOU. Bennie
This video is extremely wholesome. Just what is needed during lockdown
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
If you see a bee floating in your birdbath, don’t assume it is dead. I had one the other day, and when I put my finger underneath it, it crawled right onto my finger and let me carry it to a safe spot in one of my flower pots. A few minutes later, it happily flew away.
Thank you so much for tour tips, i have place teracotta dish last week on my balcony but did not place flat rock but today as soon as i am done posting comment to you i'll place it right away. I don't have flat rock like yours but find some thing similar to it & place it to land on. Feeding them from years with small rectangel bowl of water but bird's bath start this year. I am learning. I have place mid. size of tray with shoe box with the strow in it from more than a year but sounds like no one wants to live in it. Birds go in it & check it out. But no one decide to stay in it yet. Will see...fingers crossed...
Bella Patel, we are happy we could help! Thanks for tuning in! Happy Gardening!
Love your ideas. Subscribed
We put a blink camera by our bird bath. Wonderful entertainment for us. We also see the nighttime visitors like possum n raccoons from time to time. We try to wash out our birdbath daily. Nice vid. Thanks
Before putting in a bird bath, clearly understand your surroundings. Cats and other “stalkers” take a huge toll on the bird population. If you are in an area with these kinds of predators, ensure that the bath is protected some how that makes sense for the area and your space from danger. I’ve made a chicken wire “globe” around the bird bath that keeps out unwanted guests.
Simply wonderful! We all thank you! ;-->
Thanks for tuning in! We appreciate you!
Very handy tips!!! Thanks!!!!!
Thanks for tuning in! Be sure to check out our other channel, Oklahoma Gardening, for more DIY projects just like this one! Happy Gardening!
Very good. Especially the bucket and easy plant saucer etc. Thenks. Maybe a solar water pump?
For my bird bath, I just use a scrub brush and some water to get rid of the algae. It comes right off. My bath is in deep shade and it still gets full of algae. I tried pennies, didnt work. What did work was s length of twisted copper tubing like you'd find in condenser coils. But it only worked until the copper tarnished, and then the algae came back.
Soak the copper in vinegar to renew it.
Thanks. Work perfectly with thé terracota. I put 2 beside and installed 4 branches arround... very popular spot 😁
I love this man. Success always to all.
Great video!!
Thank you this is interesting I made a homemade one today using basically what you showed in the video with The Rock in it thank you
We're glad this worked for you! Be sure to check out our sister channel, Oklahoma Gardening, with new videos uploaded each Friday over the latest garden projects, topics, and discussion.
Problem with the rock is that bigger birds, like a blackbirds struggle to get enough water to clean their feathers..
i had a very beautiful ceramic one and it crack straight across, got a terra cotta base yesterday and love it?
Copper is anti-bacterial like silver, so pennies will keep the water a little cleaner. I’m thinking about adding more bird baths that are a little shallower so that they don’t drown.
At some point in the 1980's, the content of pennies was changed to have less copper and more zinc (which is toxic to birds). Best to use pennies that were made earlier, or use some copper piping sections, etc.
Jane Lee so... like how much then? He suggests 2 inches, I thought this to be pretty deep myself especially for smaller birds. What would you make those shallow ones at? Like an inch?
@@cindasana A bird would have to chew on zinc everyday to get to toxic levels. It's simply not possible that pennys in a bird bath would harm a bird and will likely make it healthier due to the micro-nutrient value of zinc.
@@nunya___ wrong enough zinc to be toxic can leach into the water. stick with pre 1982 copper pennies. And by the way there have been many cases where a dog has swallowed a zinc penny and it killed the dog before they figured out what was wrong. put a coil of heavy uninsulated copper wire, I use 5 feet of 10gauge, in the birdbath and it will eliminate algae growth. Then all you have to do for cleaning is spray with a high pressure hose nozzle. Eazy peazy. If you use pennies use pennies minted before 1982 as that is when they started making pennies mostly out of zinc which is very toxic. Copper is not toxic to birds in the amount produced from copper wire or pennies.
shop.malleedesign.com.au/pages/birds-and-the-possibility-of-copper-toxicosis?fbclid=IwAR21AiLL-n1uUwPrOBxyq6eMCr8SiSCMOYjXDVChnZc8HyJcE8EKhK4oMBI
@@doubleganger2 As I said, the bird (or DOG) would have to chew on it to be harmful.
Also United States pennies are made of copper coated zinc. Calling an essential nutrient "High Toxic" is massively misrepresenting zinc in this situation: Birdbaths. You propose that zinc leaching from pennies into a few litres of water will what? ...Instantly kill or have long term effects on birds? That's simply not true. How fast something leeches or corrodes depends on environment. It being that drinking water is much less corrosive than stomach acid and not a danger to pennies. 😉 Or birds.
Conversely, stomach acid is mostly hydrochloric acid (water soluble Chlorine based acid) and would be very dangerous to pennies. 😱
As you say, pure copper 99.9% is better. You can also connect a small piece of copper tubing to a fountain pump or set a roll of copper mesh or copper coated scrubbing pad in the birdbath to get a similar effect.
When using copper keep it bright and effective by soaking in vinegar. Don't soak for long periods; usually 15-30 minutes is enough. Too much will erode the copper.
pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Hydrochloric-acid
Finally, pre 1983 pennies were not pure copper, 95% copper 5% zinc and still won't harm birds ...unless they eat them.
Great info, thank you!!!
Awesome details! Off to move my little bird bath to shady spot.
Good upload. Thanks.
It is a pain to drag out, but if you have a concrete birdbath, a power washer will make it look brand new
I heard that pennies made in 1982 or earlier (which are all copper) are good to put it in birdbaths to prevent algae growth. I have several such pennies in my birdbath...and so far (in a months time) I haven’t seen any algae!
I believe the transition from copper to zinc pennies was in 1982 so some 1982 pennies are zinc which is very toxic to birds, and mammals too. Swallowing a zinc penny can kill you and it happens sometimes to dogs.
If you coin the lady was referring to is of a brass material, then I can easily see how it could possibly prevent algae.
Brass prevents the growth of bacteria, so maybe it works in the same way.!
Since the big concrete birdbaths are so heavy to handle, I improvised one usingmy concrete bath. I took a piece of 2 x 2 feet plywood and sat it flat on top of it.I then purchased a plastic planter about 18" across and 3" deep and filled itwith water. Since birds like splashing water, I sat a post behind the bath.I then keep two large plastic fruit juice bottles in my freezer and every day Ialternate them by hanging them upside down from that post using bungie cordsto hold them. I nailed a small piece of wood to the post so the neck of the bottlescan rest on them. This has worked great as they drip, drip, drip all day long and I don't waste water by having a hose running all day. Of course, I don't put a bottle out in cold weather and I even go to a smallerbath in winter. Birds still need water in the winter especially when its freezingas it is hard for them sometimes to find any.
+Dick Short Thanks for sharing your tips! Thanks for watching. :)
That's a great idea!
please add a picture
My mom and stepdad put a bird feeder in the backyard. I plan to surprise them with a bird bath in a week or so. It just makes sense if they are already using the feeder.
Put 3 plant saucers in your garden,
One on a big upside down pot, one on a medium pot , and one on the ground .
The rock weights them down, and gives them perch.
Keep a special toilet brush to whoosh it out, put in filtered water.
Feeder and little tree nearby, birdy entertainment.
How beautiful
Thanks for all the information! I'm planning on adding a bird bath tou small fairy garden in the front of my house. I don't have a tree in the front and because it's a rental I can't put anything permanent. Any suggestions? Right now I have a container garden.
insects need water too--a rock that slopes into the water is ideal
Very nice and simply speaking
10 old video and still helping folks
awsome...great insight my next DIY
+Pat, glad we could help out! Also, we appreciate you for tuning in! Be sure to checkout our other channel, Oklahoma Gardening, for more DIY projects similar to this one! Ever heard of a rain chain? ua-cam.com/video/K5R2tGqoGvw/v-deo.html
best video on yt
thank you
Do we need to keep dust and mud to attract birds or its not so important?
Yeah copper Penny's I believe 1982 or earlier copper pipe tubing also supposedly helps keep algae down whatever?
NvrMindWhtEvr!? ...they even have a copper ball point pen for the doctors gift...cross...has em...
If you have a fountain, make sure the water is topped off. I found a poor bird drowned in it. What I found was that birds lean over to drink in it. The higher I kept the water level in the bottom basin, the easier it is for them to drink. They won't lean and fall in. I also keep water easier to get nearby. I make sure to keep water esp in really hot weather. The fountain was for me, but it attracts tons of birds, so make water handy for them to get to as well.
Put some rocks in the deeper part so they can jump out
I have decorative rocks in the bowls of my three tier fountain. The birds do very well with them. I pile them up so that there is only an inch or two of water above the rocks.
Awesome video! I’m also having algae issues with both of mine even though they’re mostly in shade but tomorrow I will try the Clorox!!! Excellent info, thank you!
cindy kavanagh that’s what I heard him say in the video.
Bleach is perfectly safe to use to kill germs and salmonella in bird baths. Spray surface and scrub with brush to remove algae. let sit several minutes then rinse and refill bath. The CDC even recommends bleach to sterilize water to make potable.
@Griffith Williams Chlorine is a natural substance and micro nutrient to plants: www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01904160903242417
Killing pathogens in birds drinking water is responsible stewardship for your backyard buddies.
Bees also need a drink in the summer months and they can drown if they don't have a ledge to sit on. This birdbath would help the bees too.
i go to the thrift or second hand store and but glass crock pot lids with the glass knob. then hole saw the appropriate hole in a 1x6 or 2x6 and run it across the corner of my garden fence and add several large rocks and fill with water for bees.
Wonderful information
In Arizona I have to change the birdbath water daily because literally over half of it is gone by the end of the day.
I tried it in a small old pan and It came out very well.... It helps to drink water for birds... 😍
Yes, copper seems to inhibit algae. I put copper wire in my 750 gallon cistern, and no algae yet after one year.
vinegar would work and be less toxic
Bleach is safe and effective. Vinegar is a poor choice as a disinfectant.
Like the drip bucket idea
That red bucket you have to use as a drip can be a danger, I had one in my Garden and I found a little Bird that had fallen in and drowned, it’s little wings must have got too wet and heavy to fly out their little feet have no grip on plastic to even climb out.
Just put a lid on it! Oh my goodness, you guys are like third graders!
@@ejohnson3131 Right Mister know all.
To clean my birdbath I use baking soda and a heavy scrub brush, then rinse it out good. You can use kosher salt or vinegar, even ammonia is better than bleach at killing algae and bacteria most of the time. You should just be aware of how whatever you use affects the surrounding area.
I never had a bird bath until this summer The birds line and wait their turn on occasion chasing each other out Hilarious The get in and splash around
C P ..love them ...great photo ops... too from inside ...
love this
Love it All....
I raised my bird bath and feeder a good 7 feet and used PVC pipe to support them neighborhood kitties can't climb the PVC , and at least if the cats jump , the birds have more opportunity to escape.
A bird bath is a breeding ground for mosquitos. Where I live (AZ), we are warned to not have any standing water anywhere. So a bird bath would have to have running water in it. My big problem in attracting birds is most of the birds are pigeons or doves and they make an incredible mess.
Just replace the water....
When you keep water out for birds, you dump the water, scrub the birdbath, and fill with fresh water throughout the week. Mosquitoes don’t have a chance to breed.
It takes a week for mosquitos to reproduce so clean the bath more frequently than that.
x yz I live in Arizona, and I have two birdbaths. I change the water every day, and twice a day when it’s above 105 degrees.
Mosquitoes won't breed in moving water so add a pump. Change water daily.
Merci pour les info magnifique
I have used pennies to help prevent algae it does work but they have to be old pennies minted before 1986 because they have more copper than new pennies. A plumber even suggested flushing a penny in the toilet for the same reason. I have not tried that. I have to change the water 2 or 3 times a day in Arizona heat plus I have no trees for shade.
👉#birdbathjamaica
Lina
Clorox ? I don't think so. use white vinegar. Less toxic for mother nature and for the birds
This is not true. Bleach is perfectly safe to use to kill germs and salmonella in bird baths. Spray surface and scrub with brush to remove algae. let sit several minutes then rinse and refill bath. The CDC even recommends bleach to sterilize water and make safe to drink.
If you use plastic as a bird bath I would recommend it's BPA free
Could you help me out. Where and what make of a dripper could I get, does it use a pump? Info would be appreciated.
oswald Burga ...there are a few solar pumps too they spurt off/on ... on a cloudy day ...foggers too...google it...
@@willgaukler8979 situation indicates I would prefer a dripper in this case. Thank U for the reply
Nice share
my bird bath geta super dirty with leaves and dust, I'm afraid it'll ruin the watter pump over time...
Any bit of copper should work to kill the algae or mold. The problem with 1 cent USA coins is they are no longer real copper. The easiest way I can think of to get some copper is to go to the hardware store and buy a copper plumbing fitting or ask a plumber for a cut off piece of pipe.
The penny needs to be 1982 or before. However, it's the amount of copper in the penny that keeps the algae from forming. The bad is if its a main water source for birds or animals the copper is toxic. Just read a little bit of Apple Cider Vinegar will help because of its acidity level. I'll add the vinegar next time.
put a coil of heavy uninsulated copper wire, I use 5 feet of 10gauge, in the birdbath and it will eliminate algae growth. Then all you have to do for cleaning is spray with a high pressure hose nozzle. Eazy peazy. If you use pennies use pennies minted before 1982 as that is when they started making pennies mostly out of zinc which is very toxic. Copper is not toxic to birds in the amount produced from copper wire or pennies.
shop.malleedesign.com.au/pages/birds-and-the-possibility-of-copper-toxicosis?fbclid=IwAR21AiLL-n1uUwPrOBxyq6eMCr8SiSCMOYjXDVChnZc8HyJcE8EKhK4oMBI
If you’re trying to attract small birds like finches or chickadees 2” is way too deep. Most commercial bird baths have that problem. Definitely place a flat rock so it’s surface is just barely below the surface of the water.
One half inch is best (even less) for the little guys.
Should be several pennies, depending on the side of the bird bath. I have 5 pennies and have had no algae issues with mine. The pennies have to be early 1980's (higher copper content).
Another reason to make sure the pennies are from the early 80's or earlier, is that pennies made later are higher in zinc and this is toxic to birds.
cindasan
0
the pennies have to be pre 1982 as that was the year they changed from copper to zinc which is very toxic.
@@doubleganger2 Zinc is not very toxic.
@@nunya___ www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/coins/
my dog drinks the water. can somene give advice pleas thank you
make it higher than the dog for crying out loud...
Ideally.
Isn't that the same guy from the western garden railroad?
I've made a bird bath out of a ceramic candle holder and a shallow bowl, but I haven't seen any bird come to it for a long time. I wonder if something is wrong.
vyperspit ...water might be too deep for native birds....or they do not feel safe at it...got a cat around anywhere ?
Awesome
Nice
You can use dilute hydrogen peroxide to keep algae at bay. Just spray a low concentration hydrogen peroxide (3%) on the dried bath dish and stone. Hydrogen peroxide will break down into water on contact with water. So it is pretty safe for birds. See this video how it is used in a fish tank: ua-cam.com/video/qgxwKrYgehI/v-deo.html
When the algae does grow again, just repeat the process. The algae will be kept at bay for a longer period with its use.
Really a fantastic idea sir... 😊
Thanks for tuning in! Happy Gardening!
Anything made of glass is safe too!!!
TY,,,,
What about mosquitos getting into the stagnant water??
ypcomchic that’s a good question! The dropper would disturb the water enough to keep mosquitoes away
COOL!
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How does the water stay in terra-cotta
It just seeps out very gradually.....
Vinegar is the best all natural cleaner without being lethal
I believe in science so I'll stick to soap and bleach. Science says they aren't lethal.
Nunya _ whatever you want
@Griffith Williams Well, if you have municipal water, you're drinking it and so are your birds.
Tenn, or Ark?
Terracotta being porous would hold onto some of the chemicals in bleach ... Vinegar or peroxide have safe, effective uses in the garden but hey maybe bleach smells like chlorine and the bird feels like they're on vacation.
How do you keep mosquitoes from breeding in the water?
I believe if you have the water in a flowing way (using a water pump is best), it should eliminate mosquitoes from breeding. They mainly breed in still water from my experience.
Change the water daily. Mosquitos don't develop in a day.
It takes a week for mosquitoes to reproduce so change the water more frequently than that.
I change the water daily.
Nursery pods equals Depends
He looks like Johnboy Walton😁