FINCHforum

I see a lot of you use silk greens INSIDE your aviaries. How do you attach them? Don't they get filthy from the birds? You must have to replace them quite often I would think.
I use silk greens ON TOP of my cages. In my RCCB/canary pair cage I have a "lucky bamboo" plant I bought at WalMart months ago; it has tripled in size. Just takes water in the pot to keep it growing, plus sprouts a few bird seeds that fall in. It's a braided/espaliered bamboo so it's compact & keeps its shape; just grows upwards. The birds don't peck on it (just poop on it) but it's easy to take the pot out & wash off the leaves.

I zip tie the greend in the corners and across the tops, then hang the nest in the greens. When the silks get dirty I sip the zip tie, clean in a bleach and water mix and sun dry for two days. I replace the dirty ones with extra clean ones while the others are getting clean for use later. In between washings I can wipe the stuff off wih vinegar and water on a cloth.

Cindy; I had to chuckle. You have sun year round & can wash your greens & let them dry outside in the sun. I live in Wisconsin !

You can hang them upside down in the shower to dry for a few days!! I forget...not everyon has sun yr round!! Been here to long!

Forgot to mention that if ou do not want to use bleach/water they make a product like bleach, sold with the bleach in the grocery store (here in Publix it is called Greenwise)...made up of hydrogen peroxide. Target sells it but it I believe is scented, I have not looked in WalMart...that would work also on the silks...caution some red silks bleed or fade! If using plastic that is even better, may last longer.

I also use zip ties to tie them to branches, or just drape them over branches and trail them on the floor. I especially like the fake ivy garlands.

I clean mine by soaking them in hot water in the bath tub, and I splash some cheap white vinegar in the water for desinfection. (I'm not a friend of bleach for environmental reasons...) I let them soak until the water is cool, then rinse them off, either outside with the hose or now in winter in the shower. They dry fast and I put them back after an hour or so. I don't think it harms the birds if they are still slightly damp.