A little bit of routine maintenance can make all the difference in attracting birds to make a home in your garden.

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Get in the habit of checking all your nestboxes before a new breeding season gets underway. Repair any damaged boxes or replace them with new ones.

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Remove old nests from boxes. This can be done between September and the end of January. It’s a wise idea to wear gloves and a dust mask while you’re doing it. And don’t hang on to any unhatched eggs – simply dispose of them with the nest.

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Old nests can be recycled in your compost bin. A stiff bristled brush, such as an old toothbrush, is a useful tool for removing hardened debris from the box corners.

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For tits you can start cleaning operations as soon as breeding is over; but bear in mind that other hole-nesting species like Sparrows may have a second or third brood in the same nest. Leave them alone until later in the autumn when it’s certain they are no longer in use. Don’t delay your clean-up for too long. If the weather turns cold, smaller birds may decide to roost in a nestbox and even build a winter roosting 'nest' for extra warmth.

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You may find that woodpeckers or squirrels have tried to enlarge the entrance hole to get at the nestbox contents. If it’s a problem in your area, consider a specially designed metal plate to guard the entrance, available from any good garden centre or online birdcare stockists such as livingwithbirds.com