![]() If you’re tempted to reuse the same birdseed, remember that using contaminated seed could make your backyard bird friends sick! Step 5: Allow Seed Feeders To Completely Dry Before Refilling With Fresh SeedĪfter you’ve washed your feeders, let them dry in the sun.ĭo not put fresh seed into your feeder until it is completely dry – otherwise, you will create an opportunity for mold growth and wasted seed.īecause you’ve already spread any leftover seed from the feeders onto the ground, you can’t reuse the same birdseed. Rinse your feeders thoroughly, either in the clean water bucket or with the hose. Take special care to wash the perches and feeding ports especially well! While wearing your cleaning gloves, use the hot water, dish soap, and bleach solution to submerge, scrub, and wash the feeders, inside and out, using your brushes. You may be wondering, why should I clean the feeders before they’re totally empty? Well, the birds still get to eat the food, so you’re not really wasting it, but there’s a more important factor to consider: empty feeders aren’t popular!īirds will abandon empty feeders and may not return. You may need to dig out any feed that is stuck in the corners or crevices of the feeder.Īs long as the seeds aren’t moldy, you can spread the leftover seed all over the ground, and the birds can forage for it later. Step 4: Clean Feeders Thoroughlyīefore the feeders are completely emptied by the birds, take the feeders down and remove any leftover birdseed. *If you only have one bucket available, you could rinse with the garden hose. Rubber gloves (which will protect you from any bacteria).Bottle brushes can be especially helpful (there are a lot of convenient cleaning sets on Amazon!) An assortment of brushes to help you reach all the nooks and crannies.2 pails of water: One pail with warm water + a drop or two of dish detergent + a capful of bleach or 1/4 cup of white vinegar.This allows you to do the work without hurting your back! Just keep in mind that you will want to disinfect any table or surface that you work on when you’re done cleaning your feeders. Some people like to set up their cleaning station on a picnic table or other outdoor surfaces. The best way to clean bird feeders without spreading bacteria is to do the job outside. It is important to protect your home as well as prevent the spread of disease among our feathered friends. Because hummingbird feeders need to be cleaned more often than most other kinds of feeders, you don’t necessarily have to clean every other feeder just because it’s time to clean the hummingbird feeder! Step 2: Set Up a Cleaning Area – Outside!īird feeders can spread salmonella bacteria and Avian influenza, among other diseases. The only exception to this rule is related to hummingbird feeders. That way, you can still limit the number of times you’re cleaning up everything from start to finish. In that case, clean them for two days in a row. If you are an avid birder and have many feeders, it may be too much to clean them all in one day. If you clean all of your feeders at once, you just have to deal with one mess and one clean-up time. This will prevent one of them from being forgotten and becoming a hotbed of mess or illness.Ĭleaning feeders can be a messy process by itself, and you don’t really want to create that mess over and over for each individual feeder. It just makes good sense to clean your feeders all at once. If you buy 20 bird feeders and hang them at once, are you really going to keep them clean? Our recommendation is to start small and develop the good habit of cleaning your feeders regularly.Īdd more as you go along! Step 1: Pick A Day To Clean All Feeders At Once We also offer some advice: only get a bird feeder that you’re willing to clean! Then, learn how to clean your bird feeders and do it regularly. ![]() The Easiest & Best Way to Clean Your Feeders, In 5 Simple StepsĪs people who love birds, we have spent a lot of time figuring out how to clean a bird feeder in a way that’s relatively simple and easy. Make it a habit to keep your feeders clean and you will end up providing safe, reliable food to your neighborhood birds. The good news is that it’s not terribly difficult to clean your feeders. Bird waste can spread diseases between birds, including Avian flu.Rotten and moldy food can make birds sick.The risks of an unclean bird feeder include: When it comes to bird feeders, a dirty bird feeder is an unsafe feeder! ![]() When we decide to start feeding the birds in our backyard, we are taking on the responsibility of being a safe food source. Cleaning your bird feeders just isn’t optional! ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |