People Are Putting Tennis Balls In Their Birdbaths Before Winter & They're Smart To Do So

Having birds in your yard and garden is such a delight. They can truly bring your outdoor space to life when they flit around, playing with each other and entertaining you right outside your window. As such, creating a bird-friendly garden at home must include installing a birdbath, which provides birds with a reliable source of clean water to drink and bathe in. However, maintaining birdbaths can be more challenging in the winter; as temperatures drop, they can freeze over, removing birds' access to their beloved bath. Without water to bathe in, birds might not be able to wash off dirt particles, which could then prevent them from waterproofing their feathers properly. And though it may seem counterintuitive, bathing in the winter actually helps birds' feathers keep them warm. To prevent your birdbath from freezing, try putting a tennis ball in the water.

What makes this work is that the tennis ball will float around in the water, constantly moving in the wind and breaking up ice. Keeping your birdbath's water in motion this way also makes it more difficult to freeze in the first place. As an added bonus, the bright color of the ball could potentially attract more birds, especially contrasted against the duller colors of nature in winter.

While adding a tennis ball is great for most of the winter, it probably won't do the job on its own if you regularly experience below-freezing temperatures.The optimal solution is to combine this trick with other methods, like a heated birdbath or immersion heaters. To protect the basin of your birdbath when it's not in use, you can also cover it with a thick plastic sheet. While this won't keep the water from freezing, it will make cleanup easy. Simply remove the sheet to remove any snow or ice that fell on top of the birdbath.

It also helps to place dark-colored stones at the bottom of your birdbath. This not only gives birds a place to stand, but the dark color of the stones can absorb the sun's heat and keep water slightly warmer. Be mindful of your bath's depth, too — water should be 1 inch deep near the edges of the bath, and 2 inches deep at its lowest point in the middle. Make sure to replace the water regularly and clean your birdbath so it looks as good as new.

When you are choosing where to place the bath, putting your birdbath in the wrong spot matters. For ideal placement to slow down freezing, make sure your birdbath gets as much sunlight as possible. It's also helpful to place it near a wall of your home in a spot that will shelter it from cold winds. You also don't have to use a tennis ball — a cork, ping pong ball, or almost any small object that floats will also work.