I was wondering the same thing. I did read someplace to throw a few pennies in it, because the copper retards the algae. I'm doing that, and it seems to help somewhat. The algae inhibitor from the pet store sounds good, too.

Donna

Treat your bird bath with bleach first (which will kill every algae around). Rinse well, and add fresh water. The problem is algae inhibitors may not be too good for birds to drink. YOu didn't mention how deep is the bath, but if you can bring in an aquatic plant that produces oxygen, it would help to prevent algae growth (regrowth).

Besides bleach being good for cleaning there are donut things you can buy that inhibit the growth of mosquito larva and it will not hurt the birds. A tad of bleach won't either.

Thanks for the extra tips ;o) The idea of an aquatic plant is an interesting one. That would be very cool for many reasons. I have a pretty deep bird bath too,...... have you actually tried the aquatic plant method?

I did clean the bird bath out with some bleach water and scrubbed it as much as I could.
I just didn't know how the bleach would affect the birds.
I figured I would rinse it out as best as I could and let it dry in the sun for a day. Now I can throw in a penny in for good measure (good luck), and hopefully we are good to go!

;o)

Deb

When it comes to algae, let me tell you that it's tricky. There are the regular algae in which you can keep in check with fresh aerated water (lots of oxygen) and then there's the types that can suddenly bloom on you and get your water quite stagnant. The blue green algae is one such algae. It is very foul smelling and grows in thick slimy sheets. Interestingly, it is not a true plant form but somewhere half bacterium and half plant -- which is why, another way to kill off this type of algae is to use fish antibiotics. Antibiotics kill off bacteria.

I'm an aquarium owner - I have what is called a nature aquarium, meaning I grow plants in it and have fish more for the decorative aspect of it. As I was growing, my parents kept at least 2 large fish ponds which had loads of valesneria(spelling), hygrophilla, water lettuce, water hyacinths, lilies and papyrus. There was no serious problems in algae.

Algae is not somehting you can prevent, but only that you can keep in check. Algae spores travel through air and also in water. When it the conditions are right, they will grow quickly. They love low oxygen, stagnant conditions, and loads of sunlight. Also bird poops just adds to the conditions they will thrive in. There should be several type of pond plants that can grow in your bird bath and help to produce oxygen. Why don't you go and check your local pond suppliers for ideas if you wish to go with this idea. Or.....

Another thought other than plant is to place a small fountain in your bird bath. That should be enough to oxygenate the water and help clear it of algae. There are several small types around that wouldn't be difficult to install.

Ianna

I spray mine with Tilex,then hose it off with water..done

Brillo pads, and if it gets really icky - bleach!

Sheila

I found that scrubbing with toothpaste worked better than Brillo pads.

Putting a sealer will help make it easier to clean. Frequent scrubbings with a brush and the occasional bleach water solution and let it dry in the sun for a day should help. Mostly keeping the water fresh by using a dripper is the best bet.

Pennies work great for me. I put 3 copper pennies in mine and only have to dump the water to put fresh water in. It keeps any dirt very loose and does not stick to the cement. Try it!!! It sounds to easy, but it works...

I have a bird bath question also. Mine is made of concrete that seems to be extremely porous. Is there something I can paint on that will keep it from being so porous but will not hurt the birds?

The chlorine in bleach will evaporate in no time after cleaning and rinsing, especially if your birdbath is in the sun, and is not going to be around long enough to harm anything.

I'm glad this thread got started as I am having the same problem and am tired of scrubbing. Prevention of bloom to start with would be great.

Mike

I must be the only person who power-washes my birdbaths,

My resident algae is reddish brown and sticks like glue. No amount of scrubbing removes it, short of power washing.

I make mosaic bird baths and if the tesserae can stand up to a power wash, I figure it's a keeper!

I use vinegar once every two weeks. My bird bath is a terra cotta planter resevoir -- and it can get a buildup of salts from our alkaline water. I remove the birdbath, dump in some vinegar and let it soak an hour. Come out, scrub it out with a toilet brush and rinse it out.

Works great at that nasty stuff from the bird doo.

Apple cider vinegar is good for the birds, a source of vitamins and minerals. It also keeps the algae and slime down. I got this from a poultry forum, and have been using it in my bird waterers now. Just a teaspoon or so in a gallon.

I just put a piece of copper pipe in my birdbath and it stayed clean all summer.

I use a terracotta saucer as a birdbath and it gets green fast. I dump the water. Add a teaspoon of baking soda with enough water to make a thin paste. Crumple up a plastic grocery bag, or similar item I was going to throw away anyhow. Use the crumpled bag to scrub out the algae with the paste of soda and water. Takes just a few seconds. Rinse out the soda with clear water. Soda is a mild abrasive. You could then rinse with vinegar and water which dissolves any soda traces and also kills germs. I read somewhere that straight vinegar kills more germs than lysol but there is no money selling vinegar as a cleaner. If you want to test how well vinegar dissolves soda, wash your stovetop with baking soda and water. Rinse well. Let it dry. The stovetop will still have a baking soda 'haze' that is almost impossible to rinse away. Now sprinkle the stove top with a bit of vinegar and wipe down with a wet sponge. Rinse off with water. The soda haze will be gone and the stove will sparkle

Our birdbath got to looking so bad I was seriously thinking of doing away with it....Mentioned this to our daughter and she said she heard put a copper penny in it.
Well I cleaned it one day, filled with new water and dropped the 4 " copper tube my husband had cut for me....Last summer the birdbath looked good, When watering the flowers I would swish out the old water and fill with new. I am a believer in that copper story. Saf

Kaymidga, to answer you question about a porous birdbath, I found a type of paint/sealant just for that purpose. I donÂt remember the brand name, but found it in the paint isle of a home improvement mega store. It is specifically for sealing water prone areas like pools. My concrete birdbath would empty itself after a few days due to a hairline crack, after applying the sealant two years ago itÂs not leaked since.

Also, I canÂt wait to try some of the great ideas posted to keep alge down! Hurrah! I had given up on it being clean between scrubbings.

Does it matter where you put the birdbath? Does it get more algea in full sun........part sun.........shade? I just got one for sweetheart's day and don't know where to put it.....

I hope that copper trick works. I mosaiced my old birdbath and made a couple of the pieces pennies

I put water plants in mine . I gathered them when we took the canoe out on the river last month. I have water lettuce and a water hyacinth and some other tiny green plants. It has been three weeks and the plants are still alive and the bird bath is clean. I just keep adding more water. Funny thing- the birds don't seem to mind the plants at all. I had a robin and two gray tufted titmice there yesterday -- all splashing around at the same time ! Sometime soon I will have to gather more but only because the birds splash them over the sides. Some one else suggested this and it really works- especially if you live in a warm climate.

I've found bleach to be the only real help and then, in my case at least, it only lasts for a few days; and of course the bath should be thoroughly rinsed before putting it out again.

The pennies/copper idea is interesting, presuming that it doesn't harm the birds at all. I guess if the bath is flushed and renewed every day it should be ok. Must try that.

Bob

I must be the obsessive-compulsive type (LOL), cause I empty, rinse and refill my birdbaths every day.
I normally put a half a bucket of water from the pool in them along with tap water...seems to keep down the algae.
I'll be adding a couple of pennies and some water plants........what a capital idea!

pennies dated before 1982 are 95% copper. 1982 and later are 97.5% zinc. So use copper pipe instead.

A million thanks to the person who suggested copper! We have 2 solar powered birdbaths that were just disgusting from the algae. I had tried everything I could think of  scrubbing them every day, and periodically cleaning them with vinegar or Clorox. Nothing worked. I went to the hardware store and got some copper tubing and put a circle of about 18" in each birdbath last weekend. The results have been nothing short of miraculous! Not only did the algae stop growing, but every day a little bit more of it scrubs off the bottom of the birdbaths. It's even coming up out of the little indentations where the scrubby doesn't reach. The birds don't seem to be bothered in the least by seeing it either. (I did have some concern that it might say "SNAKE" to them, but apparently not.) It sounds like an old wives' tale, but it works like a charm.

Thank you for all the suggestions. An old barn Grandma used to put copper pennies in the water buckets of our Mares. She said it helped keep them calm when they were in heat: maybe it just controlled algae build-up.

I have a resin birdbath and it forms algae quickly I added the copper pennies the last couple of years and it does slow it down but it still builds up. I will try the copper pipe method this year.

I tried the penny idea and it slowed the algae down but the pennies becomes a nuisance. Ive also read that pennies are not 100% copper, I will try the copper pipe method next.

DOES THE COPPER HARM THE BIRDS, EITHER IMMEDIATELY OR DOWN THE

LINE, OR NOT???!!!

I heard that if you add pennies before the date of 1982, that elimates the alge problem.... Something that's in the copper. and it's safe. As long as the birds don't fly off with your money. I'm gonna try it.

If too much copper is harmful to humans, I was also wondering about the birds. cornmeal slows down algae growth, but does not eliminate it. at my previous home I only had green algae, but here on well water I have a red growth. my bird bath is hard to drain, therefore harder to clean.

I agree about the apple cider vinegar. I use 1 Tablespoon to a gallon in my chicken waterers to keep the algae down. We are in well water here and it will turn the waterers green in a week without it. It is harmless to birds. One thing though, you should use the apple cider with the 'mother' in it. It is the cloudy kind that you can get at health food stores not the distilled type from most grocery stores.

Everything above is very helpful. However, sometimes I'm gone for 2-3 weeks at a time. I have an automatic watering system but how do I keep it clean? It's a white cement model (from Mexico) and is only about 6" deep.

I am so glad I found all these comments! I finally got a bird bath last weekend and didn't even think about it getting that green algae stuff. Now I know how to safely clean it and keep it nice for all the birds!! It's really hot here in Texas! 100 degrees on my front porch!!

Using copper in the birdbath to keep it clean makes sense to me. I recently had a strip of zinc put on my roof (this metal was used as it went better with the color of my roof, copper would have been used if my roof was dark)This was to prevent mold & algae buildup. I am going to try the copper myself & hope it helps. I don't think the copper would harm the birds as they do make copper birdbaths (must get HOT!)

Try vinegar,it wont hurt the birds.

Bill A very long time gardener.

Whenever I need to add water to my bb's, I also add a little pool chlorine and that takes care of it.

I have a bird bath but I don't want clean it with bleach. What can I use to clean it with out hurting the birds

How about using the charcoal used in aquariums? Put in a sock, drop in bottom of bird bath?

My "birdbath" is a very large, heavy, plastic planter saucer. It's 18- or 20-inches across.

It sits on a large paver stone at ground level. So many birds prefer drinking and bathing at ground level.

I empty and clean the saucer every day. I use a "green scrubby" and no soap or chemicals. Just give it a scrub, rinse it with the hose, and refill it. I keep the scrubbie by the hook that holds the hose.

I keep the "birdbath" in the shade of the feeder tree; being in the shade helps cut down on algae. If the dirt or algae gets to bad to clean off with the scrubbie and plain water, I bring it inside and set it to soak in the mud room sink.

My secret? I have two of these large saucers. One is clean, dry, and waiting to be used at all time.

When I bring the dirty one in, I take the second, already clean and waiting, saucer out and fill it up.

I will then use soap and/or bleach to clean the dirty saucer, rinse it a million times and set out, empty, to air in full sun until the replacement birdbath needs the full cleaning, and then switch them again.

I would be very hesitant to put any chemicals, even pennies or charcoal, into the birds drinking water - and what ever you do, rinse the bath a million times. I wouldn't add anything to the birds' water that I would not chug myself.

I often have rabbit, and squirrels, and occasional stray cat getting a drink of the fresh water. They love it too.

I took the small bag of charcoal out of the bath, didn't stop the algae from growing. The bath is really heavy two piece. It is not the easiest to take take apart and clean. Will continue to clean the old way. Dump the old water, scrub down, fill with fresh water, sits in mid to afternoon sun, waiting on the birds to return. Where did you get the large saucers? The largest I can find around here is 18", need 24" for another bird bath. TYIA.

Hi All, I live in central fl, my birdbaths have a thin layer of algae, it never gets thick because I use a Self Cleaning Birdbath and the cleaning jet will not stop algae completely but it does not get thick and mucky. I have tried copper wire but I think the crows take it, the cleaning jet will blow pennies and pieces of copper out of the bowl. Thinking about adding copper powder to concrete as a surface treatment or as a homogeneous part of mix to inhibit algae growth. Does any one know of any down side of this plan? You can see my bb at selfcleaningbirdbath.com or search you tube for self cleaning birdbath. Any and all comments would greatly appreciated

Copper may be toxic to birds, just google that and you'll see various sources. Gotta decide which is worse, red algae that is unsightly but natural, or possible metal poisoning.

I have a resin 3 tier water fountain that the bird just love...maybe a little too much. Even though I have water moving at all times and put pennies in it, even tried adding a small amount of bleach with no luck. I still get green slim on the fountain. What else can you use to at least slow down the production of this gross green stuff. Taking this apart every very days to clean is a royal pain in the butt.

I tried the pennies. It didn't work. Yes, they were dated prior to 1982.

never a good thing to add copper. It will poison in great numbers. Pennies now adays are just coated with copper. its really iron. Try a magnet on them and you'll see.

Any water you put outside in the sun will form algae and the only way to reduce it naturally is to grow oxygen producing water plants in your bird baths. That means you need a deeper container and get such plants like a a hydra or a parrot plant or a floating cabbage plant. there's another tiny floating plant that are found in lakes and ponds here. Small enough to help block sunlight and thus reduce algae growth. Pond plants will oxygenate water as it does in ponds and help tone down the algae growth. This is why in larger ponds people install those large fountains which helps to capture oxygen. its not just for decorative reasons.

Bluegreen algae is particularly harmful to animals by the way. Its a form of cyanobacteria. if it does occur bleach out the container. You will know because it looks very slimy and forms noxious bubbles.

Another alternative which I have used in aquariums is to use a fish antibiotic tablets. Because this form of algae is also partly bacterial - antibiotics will kill it. These thing will then turn reddish brown and die in sheets. I used to own a nature aquarium where I didn't have to clean the water for a year because of a good balance of plant grown and good bacterial growth. However one day, my dear husband introduced un-quarantined fish and petstore water and all and that destroyed the careful equilibrium I had managed. algae formed, fish died.. I had to resort to fish antibiotics to control algae.. alas.. we were never ever able to get back to that stage of balance..

It is strange that we use copper pipe to plumb our water that we fill the birdbath. If that is the case a lot, of us are poisoning ourselves every day drinking tap water as well as our pets.

If you use pennies, be sure they are pre 1982. Any penny after that date does not have enough copper. It's mostly zinc and only coated with copper.