I have a lot of bird baths and most of them are made from cement and stone. They are very heavy and my biggest pet peeve about them is that they sit in the sun and they turn green with algae.
I have tried the drops you put in the water to keep it clear but it gets really expensive to use them. I have tried putting pennies in the bottom of the bird baths but I'd need about $75.00 worth of pennies to cover the bottom of my largest bird bath so that's not happening either. I had heard that the copper keeps the algae at bay.
When I scrub out the bird bath, which I have to do often, then I have to tilt the bath part on it's side to drain out the dirty water. This is problematic because the bath itself weighs more than I can handle lifting or tilting and it's a dangerous situation all around for me. If I drop it, it will be history.
One day it occurred to me that if I got large serving dishes or platters etc., I could put them inside of the bath portion of my bird baths. When it comes time to clean them, it's a snap to just pour out the water, lift out the platter and just wash it up! For the most part, I have found cute and colorful large dishes to place inside my bird baths.
These two ravens come just about every day for drinks in my bird baths, this large bath is their favorite! Sometimes they bring food they have been fortunate enough to find to my bird bath. They will drop the food into the bath (one day it was a large bagel) and let it soak and then eat it in several bites. Believe it or not, the other birds still hang out in the yard even though these large black ravens are "huge" and seem rather scary to the casual observer! I think they are quite amazing!
By Jeanasina
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Wow. I will have to try that, as I also hate having to scrub all the algae.
Where did you find a bowl to fit it? Good idea if you can find a bowl.
This is such a good idea. Unfortunately, we have a decorative bit in the middle with a 'bird' on top but it's set me thinking I might be able to find a way around this. We have the same problem with jackdaws and crows. They salvage bits of biscuits our dog leaves and dip them in our birdbath!! Very messy, but, as you say, lovely to watch.
I have the same one as you skinnyjinny and no bowl is going to fit in it. I water the plants everyday and I hose out the birdbath at that time also.This also takes the mosquitoes larvae out of the birdbath. A few drops of bleach will keep the birdbath clean and won't harm the birds.
I'd never put bleach in drinking water.
Marg from England.
I bought a saucer (used under potted plants) to fit bird bath. Fits perfectly and so much easier to clean!
Copper pennies are very rare now and the vast majority of pennies are zinc with a thin copper coat. Once the copper corrodes, the zinc will enter the water. Zinc is toxic to birds.
Did not know that. Okay take a 1 -2 length of copper tubing and place it in the birdbath. The tubing is all copper so it should work fine.
If your birdbath doesnt leak you dont need a liner. Toss a handful of copper pennies in the bath. That will take care of algae.
Jean, you have helped me with your idea. Going to try this out. Thank you.
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