How Birdhouses Will Improve Your Yard

Whether you live in the country or the city, you have one very interesting thing in common--birds! Birds are everywhere and no matter where you live you can enjoy their presence. If you'd like to see more feathered friends near your home, you can enjoy them for months at a time by putting up birdhouses throughout your yard.

Not only will you enjoy their antics, but you'll discover several perks you never imagined. Here are six secrets that birdhouse owners already know.

Once birds discover the houses and start frequenting your yard, you'll be audience to bursts of color and song every day. Try putting up several different types of houses to attract different kinds of birds. There are birdhouses for one, multi-dwelling houses and even hanging ones.

Not all birds use houses, but so many beautiful ones do that they'll be inhabited quickly. Regular bird song is a soothing sound to have in the background of your day-to-day life.

Another huge benefit your new flying friends will provide you with is less insects. Nothing makes birds happier than a constant food supply and making a tasty meal out of mosquitoes, beetles, ants or a juicy Wolf Spider.

These luscious morsels will also be used to feed baby birds that have a voracious appetite. Parents need insects on an ongoing basis to keep their young and themselves full. In exchange for these meals, you'll reap the benefits of a bug-free yard. No more smelly citronella candles or pesticides.

Besides keeping nasty pests away, birds are excellent pollinators. Just think of all the trees and flowering shrubs they land in each day.

This keeps flowers pollinated and may bring new seeds to your own yard. Don't be surprised to see new flowers pop up in your backyard next spring. If your own garden has fruit bushes, this may also help attract birds, too.

Owning birdhouses gives you something to look forward to each spring. Some bird species like to nest in the same place each year.

Another benefit to housing birds is simply the way it makes you feel good. Birds are important to the environment and by providing them with a dwelling and feeding them, you're helping them to thrive.

Once you find out what type of birds you have, keep them around by adding a feeder to supplement the dwindling supply of insects. Research the proper type of seeds to keep your particular species happy. Be sure to provide a water source like a birdbath. This will go even further to ensure that birds nest near and can provide water to their young.

Adding birdhouses around your home can be a fun project that the whole family can get in on. Your yard will turn into a flurry of activity once your new friends take up permanent residence. You'll also enjoy the extra time you can spend outside in your new and improved insect-free yard.