A nest box earns its keep twice a year: once in spring to raise a brood, and again through autumn and winter as a dry roost on cold nights. Left as it is, the old nest also holds fleas and mites that will infest next year's chicks, so once breeding is well over — from late autumn — is the right time to clear it out. It takes a few minutes and no special kit.

Clean Out Bird Nest Boxes Before Winter

What you need

1 pair stout gardening gloves
1 bucket of hot water no detergent or disinfectant needed
1 stiff-bristled brush an old washing-up brush works
1 handful dry wood shavings or hay not straw, which holds damp
1 screwdriver only if the lid is screwed down

Step by step

Knock gently on the box and wait a few seconds before opening it. If you hear scratching or see fur inside, close it straight back up and leave it until spring.
5 min
Unscrew or lift the lid and lift out the old nest material by hand, bagging it rather than shaking it onto the ground where fleas can jump onto pets.
5 min
Scrub the inside with the stiff brush and hot water, working into the corners and the base where droppings and old eggs collect.
5 min
Rinse with fresh hot water and prop the lid open, letting the box dry out completely before you close it up again.
5 min
Once it's bone dry, put a loose handful of wood shavings or hay in the base — birds may use the box as a roost on cold nights over winter.
5 min
Refit the lid and check the fixing to the post, wall or tree hasn't worked loose over summer before you leave it.
5 min

Afterwards

Tip the rinse water away from paths, where it will freeze and turn slippery. Keep the brush for this job only, since old nest material carries parasites. Check the box again after the first autumn storm to make sure the lid is still watertight, and always knock and wait before opening it through winter in case something has moved in to roost.

Questions

Won't cleaning the box put birds off using it?

No — a clean, dry box is more likely to be used for winter roosting and next spring's nest than one still full of old fleas and droppings.

What if I find eggs still inside?

Leave the box alone and check again in a few weeks. Some species nest into September, and disturbing eggs may break wildlife protection law.

Can I use disinfectant to be thorough?

No. Plain hot water and a scrub is enough — chemical residue left in the box can harm birds that use it later.

When should I do this again?

Once a year, in autumn after the breeding season has finished, is enough.