Fluff Stuff

When one of our GardenLife readers informed me that dryer lint fluff was not good for bird nests because it becomes saturated during rainy weather and does not dry out, I went to a variety of websites including audubon.org, nwf.org and prbo.org to find out more information.
Although I could not find any specific mention of dryer lint on the aforementioned sites, the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology did describe in detail why it is not recommended for bird nests. Dryer lint, especially from synthetic fibers, tends to crumble once rained on and dried, plus many laundry detergents and fabric softeners might leave a harmful residue. They recommend instead: fallen leaves, twigs, untreated (free from pesticides) dry grass, yarn or string cut in 4-6 inch lengths (to prevent tangling), sheep's wool, feathers, moss, bark strips, pine needles or thin strips of cloth cut in 1" x 6" strips. If your pet has not been treated with a chemical insect control, pet hair is acceptable as well. Place the offerings in a tray or in an onion net bag and hang on a tree branch. I have taken all the dryer fluff out of the cut Christmas tree and replaced it with an onion bag filled with dried leaves, untreated grass clippings, clumps of sphagnum moss and cut string. In my research, I found a recipe for making clay dough using dryer lint as one of the ingredients, but I think for now, I will just throw the fluff stuff away!