Newsletter Archives

Hot Buys

We've decided to run a special on a handful of products. Act now on the following "Hot Buys" because the special ends on Monday, December 23rd. Be sure to check out all of our exciting specials by visiting the Hot Buys department regularly.

Clearance

A few of our deeply discounted items appear below. These items feature exceptional savings and value but are not all of our sale items. More discounted items may be found in their corresponding departments. Be sure to check out some of our other exciting deals by visiting the Clearance department regularly.

Deicing Your Bird Bath

The cooler days ahead bring beautiful color to the trees and landscaping, leading to the crisp months of winter. These colder days can be difficult for wildlife, particularly birds, as the water they need to survive in nature freezes or dries. Bird food alone will not provide the hydration they need. Equipping your bird bath with a deicer is a fantastic way to offer a constant water source in your garden. Ensure that the deicer you choose is compatible with your bird bath’s construction and size and maintain the bath regularly, to help your avian friends stay healthy all winter.

Deicers are offered in a wide array of materials, shapes, sizes, and wattages, so you should have no problem choosing the proper deicer for your bath. Determine the construction of your bath, as some deicers are not compatible with certain materials. In particular, many heaters are not able to be used in metal baths, as the deicer may actually react with the metal from the bath. A shallow bowl may require a mat-type deicer, or one with a low profile to ensure it remains submerged. The severity of your winter weather also plays a role in which deicer you may need. The colder your winters tend to be or the larger the volume of your bath, the higher wattage you may require. Most deicers are thermostatically controlled to save electricity; however, adding a thermostatically controlled outlet to a heater will create a temperature sensitive deicer.

When keeping a deicer in your bird bath, you will need to check the bath often to ensure it remains full and clean. Heating the water will cause it to evaporate more quickly, particularly in dry winter air. Keeping the bath filled with water protects the heating element, ensuring it stays in good working condition. Also, clean water is healthier and more appealing to birds; baths are used more for a drinking source than a bathing spot in the winter. Be sure to inspect the deicer for any mineral build up and clean it often. Keep your deicer or heated bird bath safe and energy efficient; plug it into an outlet equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).

As mentioned above, birds tend to use baths for drinking in the winter rather than bathing. Like a natural pond, the entire surface of the bath does not need to be ice free for birds to use it. As long as your deicer keeps section of fresh, accessible water in the bath during the coldest winter temperatures, it is still adequately sized. Some baths feature a heater as an internal component, shielding the birds from the heating element and also preventing mineral build up. This also eliminated the need to select a compatible deicer for the bath.

Songbirds require fresh water throughout the year, and using a deicer in your bird bath during the cold winter months keeps water available when they need it most. Ensure the deicer you choose is compatible with your bird bath, and keep the bath clean. BestNest carries a complete selection of Heaters and Deicers as well as Heated Bird Baths. Look through the selections below or for more personal assistance, feel free to contact one of our customer service representatives toll free at 877-562-1818 or internationally at 513-232-4225 from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday.