Keep Bird Baths From Freezing With This Simple DIY Hack

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Plunging temperatures mean any water in your bird bath can freeze. This can shatter glass or crack ceramic basins. Ice is just one downside to consider before installing a bird bath in your yard, but a simple hack might prevent freezing. Try dropping a ping pong ball in the middle to thwart icy buildup.

Water freezes from the top down during frigid weather. Ice is lighter than water, so it always floats, just like ice cubes inside your glass. The bouncing motion of the ping pong ball helps break up these patches of ice and keep them separated, at least for a little while. Water in motion takes longer to freeze. Floating corks or tennis balls also work. You just need something easily battered by wind that glides across the surface. If you're tempted to add salt or alcohol to keep water in liquid form, don't. Definitely steer clear of antifreeze, which is poisonous to birds.

Feathered friends prefer clean, thawed water, since they need to drink in the winter just like they do in the summer. While they can eat snow when they're thirsty, they burn extra calories melting the frozen flakes – energy they could be using to stay warm. Water might be an even bigger draw than seeds in the winter, so if you want to attract birds that can benefit your yard with friendly visits this winter, offer them a nice drink.

Use the ping pong hack in conjunction with other strategies to cover all of your bases. For light-colored basins, try adding in dark stones or rocks to the bottom so they absorb more sunlight. Keep the bird bath full as well, since shallow pools of water will freeze faster. Installing a drip system or fountain also encourages the water to stay in motion, which separates ice crystals.

For very cold weather, you might consider buying a special heater, like the K&H pet products super ice eliminator bird bath heater. It's painted to look like a rock and safely submerges in the water. You'll just need an electrical outlet nearby. Just be careful about keeping it too warm in the winter. If you don't want to turn the basin into a jacuzzi, you could always just replace the water daily. Think about using a dark colored plastic sheet or tarp to line the bottom of the bowl, so if it does freeze, the ice can be removed easily.  

Or, cover that bird bath and simply buy a black plastic tray or pot saucer with water and set it on the back patio. Plastic takes longer to chill than glass. Don't forget that cardinals and wrens need more than water this winter. They'll need shelter and food, too. You can provide both by upgrading a Dollar Tree birdhouse with an inexpensive hack birds go nuts for.