Bird Bath Heaters
When winter comes we all want to be sure that we have
provided for the safety and comfort of our backyard birds.
First we make sure that they have access to adequate food,
perhaps by putting out a suet feeder to make sure they have
plenty of high energy food.
The other area we worry about is our bird bath. To best allow
the birds to use bird baths, they are always designed to be
quite shallow, and in addition they typically have the
underside exposed to the elements as well, so bird baths are
quick to freeze over if they are left unattended. This is not
only a problem for the birds, but if you have a bird bath
with a fountain, then it can be destructive for the fountain
as well.
There are a couple of different solutions to this problem.
One is to buy a bird bath with a built in heater. These
heated bird baths come in a wide range of styles and sizes,
so you should be able to find one that fits your needs.
But if you already have a favorite bird baths, you aren't
looking to replace it, just winterize it. In that case a bird
bath heater could be the choice for you.
Bird bath heaters come in a number of sizes and power levels
that run from around 40 Watts to 200 Watts. You will want to
find a
birdbath heater that has a built in
thermostat, preferably so you can set the desired
temperature, so that it doesn't waste energy, and you
will know that you aren't harming the birds by
overheating the water.
You can find low power foil heater that are simply coils of
wire. Generally, these don't have enough power to heat a good
size bath, and the construction is not as likely to last
long. For not that much more money, you can find a 150 to 200
Watt unit with a thermostat preset to work at 35 or 40
degrees, with a heavy duty cord, that will serve you for
years.
Be careful with a plastic bird bath that you find a heater
that is designed for plastic and won't have the surface get
so hot it melts the plastic bath.
Of course, if you have pond, there are units sized up to 1500
Watts that will melt a lot of ice quickly.
Finally, you may want to take a look at a solar heated bird
bath that's just great for the patio or deck.