SCOTT SHALAWAY Spring cleaning? Try tips

Before I get too spoiled by sunny skies and warmer weather, there are some important chores I tackle each spring. Attracting birds is a low-maintenance hobby, but each year some spring cleaning is needed. Here are some tips.
The first job is cleaning and repairing nest boxes. This should be done in March, but better late than never.
Visit each box and remove whatever you find, including old bird nests. Common uninvited tenants are deer mice and flying squirrels. Simply sweep out their nests with a stick. These rodents maintain other shelters nearby, so they won't be homeless for long.
When cleaning nest boxes, I make one exception. If I find a brood of deer mice or flying squirrels, I leave the nest intact. I'm an equal-opportunity landlord after nesting has begun.
If you maintain a few larger boxes for screech owls, you may encounter nests full of baby gray or fox squirrels. These squirrels breed in January, so females have given birth by now.
Checking for repairs
After cleaning each box, check to see if it needs any repairs. I carry a cordless screwdriver and a pocketful of inch-and-a-quarter galvanized screws to pull together any pieces where nails have lost their grip. This bit of extra effort can add several years to the life of any wooden box.
Next turn your attention to bird baths and heaters. Before storing a heater, wash and rinse it thoroughly. If you have hard water and the unit is encrusted with mineral deposits, use a product such as Lime-Away to remove these deposits. Then rinse, dry, and store.
Give the bath itself a good post-winter cleaning, too. Scrub it with detergent, remove any mineral deposits and rinse thoroughly before refilling. This, however, should be the first of many cleanings over the next six months.
That brings us to the most difficult part of spring cleaning -- feeders. For the sake of this discussion I'll lump all feeders into two categories -- those made of wood and those made of other materials (usually plastic and/or metal).
Taking apart feeders
Disassemble wood feeders, and use a stiff metal bristle brush to remove caked-on hulls, waste and debris from the wooden parts. Wash clear plastic panels with hot soapy water and rinse. Air dry the parts, and store. You may also want to stain or paint your wood feeders before putting them away for the summer.
Plastic and metal feeders should be soaked, scrubbed and disinfected. Small window feeders and suet baskets can be washed like ordinary dishes. But large plastic tubes and bowls are too big to wash in a standard kitchen sink or dishwasher. Here's how I clean them.
I disassemble them as much as practical and place them in a large garbage can filled with water to soak overnight. Then I run an old towel through the tubes until they're clean. A long-handled bristle brush helps clean hard to reach places.
Perches and others parts that actually contact the birds or their waste should also be rinsed and disinfected with a 10-percent bleach solution.
Don't feel obliged to store every feeder. It's true that most birds eat insects and other invertebrates during the breeding season, but some continue to visit feeders regularly for an occasional easy meal. And finches love nyjer and sunflower seeds all year long.
Cleaning nest boxes, bird baths and feeders is part of the responsibility that comes with attracting wild birds to the backyard. For all the pleasure we get from our backyard visitors, spring cleaning seems the least we can do in return.
sshalaway@aol.com