How to keep bird bath algae free
While algae is a common sight on a bird bath, its still a scourge to wild birds thus must never be given the opportunity to grow in your bird bath.
How to keep a bird bath algae free is always sticking too a regular cleaning routine of at least once a week - or two or three times a week to guarantee an algae free bird bath water bowl. With that you must change the water regularly while positioning the bird bath out of the sun and into the cool shade.
To be honest once algae has developed it can be hard to get rid of it in a bird bath under certain circumstances.
In particular, an old weathered bird bath will cause crevices, cracks and openings deep into the surface where algae likes to grow into.
And while its easy to remove fully grown green or red algae on a smooth surface; rigorous scrubbing with a hard bristle bush still won't lift up algae that has settled into hard to reach areas.
How to keep bird bath algae free is to never allow algae to grow in the first place.
You must clean a bird bath as often as you can to prevent algae developing, and with that you would continue to change what can still appear to be clear, clean water - yet would be developing conditions where algae can grow.
Algae grows in hot, humid conditions in a damp environment such as a bird bath.
And with that it can help to delay the growth of algae if you can at least locate the bird bath in shade. In the meantime make use of a bird bath dripper that continuously runs cold at all times which will spill out now old, dirty warm water.
Where algae grows in warm, damp conditions, you may want to re-consider the use of a heated bird bath which is probably OK to use in winter to prevent water freezing over.
Clean bird bath weekly
If you were never to give algae a chance of developing in and around your bird bath, I promise you this can be achieved if the bird bath is kept clean at all times.
Now I am not talking about a quick emptying of old dirty bird bath water with a quick rinse out in soapy water, absolutely not. What you must do is commit to a thorough maintenance of the bird bath at a minimum of up to once a week.
With a proper clean as many times as once a week I can say the green algae - or often the red stuff - shell never be visible in your bird bath bowl.
Do clean your bird bath bowl with a simple dish soap solution while soaking the bowl for up to ten minutes - to allow any potential algae growth to lift off the edges as it softens.
But of course a proper cleaning of your bird bath is really intended to keep the water source fresh and clean for your visiting birds.
Never soak a bird bath only when you must scrub it, and shrub it well to remove any grime as well as algae if it is allowed to grow in a short few weeks.
Refill bird bath water twice weekly
While its vital you clean your bird bath at least once a week to get ahead of any algae growing in the first place, let's not forget to change the water.
How often to change water in a bird bath can be twice every two days in busier times, or indeed it only needs changing twice weekly.
Don't let me tell you how often to change bird bath water because it really can depend on your personal circumstances.
Super hot or humid days will dry up a shallow bird bath in particular, while cooler days of the year can see a bird bath water bowl replenish on its own when it rains.
Despite that, its easy to forget when nature does the job for you - a bird bath must still be cleaned out on schedule to keep the bird bath algae free - while killing off any bacteria or mold present on the bird bath surface.
As you'd probably be changing the water more often than cleaning it, the best way to clean a bird bath then is doing so just before changing the water.
Easy as it may seem, remember all of the accessories including rocks or pebbles lining the bird bath will need removing to be cleaned separately.
Keep water at cool temperature
With long spells of bright light in hotter outdoor temperatures this makes for ideal conditions for algae in bird baths to grow.
What you can do then is prioritize a shaded area in your yard for where to place the bird bath, as oppose to areas where sun is always shining.
How the shade helps is it can at least slow down the growth of algae as it can take longer for algae to grow when situated in a cooler location.
No guarantee of this mind as shade doesn't equal cooler conditions as you may know.
Shade can still feel warm in summer while doing very little in humid conditions. With that in mind its worth picking an area still within the shade, but blows cooler air such as near a wind prone area within the yard.
To take advantage of any shade made available in your yard, it will mean you'd need to place your bird bath on the side of a structure, tree or near to a fence.
Allow spell of NO bird bath use
I personally don't recommend this but often it can be made difficult to clean a bird bath regularly if you so happen to be a senior or the bird bath has gone past its best.
I believe then how to keep algae out of bird bath until you can get back into a regular cleaning and maintenance routine - is by placing the bird bath out of use.
By out of use, I mean emptying the water out of the bird bath bowl while allowing it to fully dry out to use as ornamental only.
Rain can replenish a bird bath left out in the elements still thus if its possible to drag the bird bath in doors or place under cover, then do so.
In times when algae is getting out of control on what would be an older bird bath, simply stop using the bird bath for the time being.
With that you can put all your efforts into keeping your bird feeders in prime condition.
Conclusion
How to keep your bird bath algae free is to keep it regularly cleaned, which would be a minimum of once weekly - or two or three times weekly in warmer months.
Depending on your personal circumstances - be it if you are going through a drought or live in a hot climate - then cleaning a bird bath up to three times a week certainly can help in keeping a bird bath algae free at all times.
Cleaning a bird bath would correlate with changing out the bird bath every time its cleaned - plus many more times in-between washes by regularly disinfecting the bath.
Safe homemade vinegar cleaning solution can be used, although a stronger bleach solution may be needed to lift off bacteria, mold or algae stuffed into hard to reach cracks or crevices.
Conditions where algae will grow is under the heat of the sun in a bright clearing.
To slow down the growth of algae but not stop it all together you can re-locate your bird bath in the shade with potentially windy conditions.
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