How to Prepare Your Yard for Winter

As fall rolls out and winter prepares to roll in, there are several ways you can prepare your yard to help your visiting birds during the coldest time of the year.

EcoClean Seed Tube FeederTake Stock of Feeders

During winter, birds need high calorie foods to keep their little bodies warm, especially during cold nights. Now is the perfect time to clean and repair your feeders and replace any that cannot be fixed.

Clean your feeders with warm, soapy water, and sanitize them with a 10% bleach solution. If you’re looking to replace a feeder, try a Wild Birds Unlimited EcoClean™ Feeder. These feeders are easy to clean (no bleach needed for sanitizing), and they feature a patented technology that inhibits the surface growth of damaging bacteria, mold and other microbes. This protection won’t wash or wear away, and it uses environmentally friendly technology.

Provide Shelter

Cold winds strip heat from birds very quickly. Birds will seek refuge from the wind in dense vegetation, natural cavities or roosting boxes. Roosting boxes provide birds with a warm, dry location that can help protect them from cold, nasty winter weather. Roosting pockets made from natural materials help keep birds safe from predators as they blend in with surrounding areas and do not attract unwanted attention. Birds desire a house made of rough material because rough surfaces make entering and exiting easier. Reed grass is resistant to premature decay. Roosting pockets are especially beneficial to non-migrating songbirds during the winter months. They provide much needed refuge from harsh storms, wind, freezing rain, heavy snow and the bitter cold. 

WBU Heated Bird BathOffer Water

We all know how incredibly important water is to the survival of birds - 70% of their non-fat body tissue is made of the stuff, and that must be maintained to avoid dehydration. Birds need water in winter to maintain their feathers for effective insulation.  Offer water to your backyard birds by providing birds baths and waterers for bathing and drinking and accessories like water movers to attract more birds. Keep the water thawed in winter with a de-icer or heated bath so birds can have access to water for pruning and drinking - even in the most frigid temperatures when nature's water is frozen.