Bird houses should be easily accessible so you can see how your birds are doing and, when the time comes, clean out the house.

Part of having bird houses is your willingness to watch out for your tenants. Monitor your bird houses every week and evict unwanted creatures: house sparrows, starlings, rodents, snakes, and insects.

Be careful when you inspect your bird boxes. You may find something other than a bird inside. Don’t be surprised to see squirrels, a mouse, a snake, or insects. Look for fleas, flies, mites, larvae, and lice in the bottom of the box.

If you find insects and parasites, your first reaction may be grab the nearest can of insect spray. If you do, use only insecticides known to be safe around birds: 1% rotenone powder or pyrethrin spray. If wasps are a problem, coat the inside top of the box with bar soap.

Here’s how to check your nest boxes:

Watch the nest for awhile. If you don’t see or hear any birds, go over and tap on the box. If you hear bird sounds, open the top and take a quick peek inside. If everything’s okay, close the box. If you see problems (parasites or predators), remove them and close the box.

Here’s where a bird house with easy access makes the job simple. Most bird houses can be opened from the top, the side, the front, or the bottom.

Boxes that open from the top and the front provide the easiest access. Opening the box from the top is less likely to disturb nesting birds. It’s impossible to open a box from the bottom without the nest falling out. While side- and front-opening boxes are convenient for cleaning and monitoring, they have one drawback: the nestlings may jump out.

If this happens, don’t panic. Just pick them up and put them back in the nest. Don’t worry that the adults will reject the nestlings if you handle them. That’s a myth. Most birds have a terrible sense of smell.

If you clean out your nest boxes after each brood has fledged, several pairs may use the nest throughout the summer. Many cavity nesting birds will not nest again in a box full of old nesting

In the fall, after you’ve cleaned out your nest boxes for the last time, you can put them in storage or leave them out. Gourds and pottery last longer if you take them in for the winter. You can leave your purple martin houses up, but be sure to plug the entrance holes to discourage starlings and house sparrows.

Leaving your wood and concrete houses out provides shelter for birds, flying squirrels, and other animals during winter.

Each spring be sure to clean out all houses you’ve left out for the winter.