What's Happening?
OCTOBER TIPS:. A little fall housecleaning is in order for October. Birdhouses should be checked for any unsavory leavings or leftover wasp nests (wasps were abundant in the Denver metro area this summer). They like to attach the nests to the upper back wall of nest boxes and cannot always be seen by looking through the entry hole. Clean out old nesting material and leave the box available for roosting.
Cold, windy, wet nights send birds looking for cavities where they can sleep in a dry place, away from wind. If you want to add a roosting box, we have those available along with our special nesting/roosting box combos.
. Make water available. Our Wild Bird News features “Water: the Elixir of Life”, an article about the importance of water to birds. Especially in the winter Rocky Mountain west, water can be less available because night temperatures are low, lawns are not being watered, and vehicles are not being washed. Birds need to get a drink.
Add a thermostatically controlled heater to your existing bath, or visit us to see our different models of baths with built-in heaters. Look out your window on a 30 degree day and enjoy the bevy of birds bathing and drinking.
.Leave hummingbird feeders up at least a week after you are sure the last hummingbird has been to your yard. Birds delayed by storms further north may be late in arriving and will need the nectar. Usually, in the Denver area, hummers are gone by October 10.
. Add nuts to your feeding mix. Colder nights and cooler temps call for a food that keeps birds energized. Chickadees, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers and flickers love these high fat foods.
CONCERN for fall can prevent those late dandelion and broadleaf seeds from germinating in our sometimes warmer October days. Get a head start on these lingering seeds plus add an organic fertilizer for the lawn. CONCERN can be left on the lawn without watering and will not damage tender grasses, but moisture is required for it to get into the soil and come into contact with weed seeds. This contact does not poison the seed, but stops the feeder roots of the seed from growing and the seed will not germinate. It has about a 4-5 week residual effectiveness. Apply CONCERN in early October.
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