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All Birdhouses Are Safe Aren’t They?

If you’re reading this you care about birds. You want to attract them to your yard. You want them to raise a family or two there and you want to hear their lively calls and antics at the feeder or the birdbath. You’re probably shopping for a birdhouse and you’re confused at which one to buy because there’s just so many on the web. Fancy ones, plain ones, high priced ones, and cheap ones. They all do the same job right? Just pick one and put it up and enjoy the birds. If you do that and don’t look a bit deeper into just what went into the birdhouse you’ve selected you may just be dooming the very birds you want to enjoy.

“Silent Spring” was published in 1962. If you’re a bird lover you probably know about it and know that it’s been credited with starting the modern environmental movement. It was a book that was vilified by the chemical industry and some scientists alike. What we now know with 20/20 hindsight is that some birds were severely affected by DDT when it was used as a crop pesticide. The eggshells of eagles, ospreys, and falcons were found to get very thin when the birds were in contact with DDT. Nesting parents actually crushed their eggs because they could not stand the weight of the parent the shells were so thin. This is great history but does it have anything to do with the birdhouse you want to purchase? You bet!

If you’re looking for a birdhouse, once you’ve made your choice ask yourself one important question. Does the birdhouse contain any paint, preservative chemicals or adhesives in its construction? Remember, your birdhouse will be in the summer heat, maybe even direct sun. If the birdhouse is treated chemically or even painted this can release fumes into the home. It’s a small confined space inside your birdhouse and the birds will be breathing these fumes constantly. Ever been in a room where new carpeting was just installed? You want your birds living in a similar environment?

I was amazed when I read this fact sheet titled, “INORGANIC ARSENICAL PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD (including CCA, ACA, and ACZA)“. Read it for yourself. It’s only a year old. These are common wood preservatives and may be in the birdhouse you’re about to purchase. Is this the environment you want young developing birds living and growing in? It’s not what I want for birds in my backyard.

So you’ve found the house you want and you’re sure it contains no chemicals paints or adhesives. Your birds will love it. Probably. But please consider one more thing before you make your purchase. Was the home built in the US where we have environmental protection laws or was it built in another country where the laws are much more lax or even missing? Was the wood harvested as a renewable resource with replacement plantings or was an area clear cut and the wood in your birdhouse used because there was no other profitable way to use it? You want to provide a safe home for the birds in your yard. Please make a purchase with the environment in mind as well.

Worried about chemicals used in your birdhouse? Shop at Wolf Mountain Birdhouses where you can find a chemical free birdhouse for the specific bird you want to attract to your yard.

March 29 2010 | Landscaping | No Comments »

Bird Feeders

If you are lucky enough to have a garden, you will want to make it as beautiful and as special as you can. Garden ornaments are a great way of doing this, and decorative bird feeders always make a garden look very picturesque. A simple wooden bird feeder can look very elegant with the right touches of stain and paint.

There are plain wooden decorative bird feeders that you can get and work on. One thing you can do is to add some miniature shutters and windows, and some paint, and make it look like a replica of your home – this will ensure that your decorative bird feeder is unique.

Putting up a decorative bird feeder, especially if you want it to be unique can be a difficult task. To make sure that your efforts aren’t wasted, you have to make sure that your bird feeder will not be damaged by squirrels, raccoons or any other such creatures that you inevitably find in gardens. Mount it up on a fairly tall pole, well away from any high points from which these critters can jump onto your bird feeder.

If these animals are not a threat in your area, you could put a bird feeder anywhere in your garden as an ornament like on the patio, on a large window sill, hanging in a gazebo or hanging in a big tree. A decorative bird feeder would provide great conversation when sitting with visitors in the garden. Besides creating conversation for you and your guests, it will provide an area of interest for the many birds in the area.

If you are crafty and have a particular vision for your decorative bird feeder, perhaps it would be best if you built it yourself. Looking at pictures in gardening books and magazines should provide ideas and perhaps instructions for a bird feeder. No doubt while shopping for garden ornaments, either at the local gardening center or online, you’ll find the perfect decorative bird feeder for your garden.

December 02 2008 | Gardening | No Comments »