How Clean is Your Bird Feeder?
FeatherSnap’s top tips on how to clean bird feeders and keep our feathered friends healthy and safe from the spread of disease
The RSPB has warned of a decline in some of our most common songbirds due to disease that could be spread from unclean bird feeders and is urging bird lovers across the UK to be more vigilant with regular cleaning, especially during the warmer months.
Smart bird feeder, FeatherSnap, promotes responsible bird care and agrees it’s crucial to understand the importance of bird feeder maintenance and cleaning to prevent mould and spoilage.
Maria Kincaid, in-house Ornithologist at FeatherSnap, comments, “Feeding and watching garden birds is one of our most popular hobbies and pastimes, and we all want to do our bit to support birds and keep them healthy. Supplementary feeding plays an important role in supporting birds especially during the nesting season and during the winter. However, if our feeders become dirty and contaminated with harmful mould and bacteria, we might do more harm than good. It’s vital we keep our feeders clean and sanitised to prevent the spread of any diseases and only fill our feeders as much as will be used in a day or two.
Although birds can contract disease in different ways, droppings are a prevalent means of disease transmission. The contaminated droppings can mix with the food and infect other birds. FeatherSnap minimises this risk due to its dual-compartment design which allows for multiple foods in a single feeder, so you can attract more species, but most importantly this keeps food clean and dry and minimises the risk of contamination.
Responsible bird care is key and the most significant and effective way to help prevent the spread of these diseases is to set aside a small amount of time every week to ensure that feeders are kept clean and disinfected.”
How to Clean a Bird Feeder
There are a number of telltale signs that your feeder needs cleaning – mould, odours and even erratic behaviour from visiting birds – but dirt and mouldy residue could be lurking beneath the surface so regular inspection and cleaning is recommended. FeatherSnap advises you should clean your bird feeder approximately once every two weeks. However, if conditions are particularly hot, humid or damp, you should clean it weekly.
Additionally, if your bird feeder receives many visitors, refill and clean it more often. Try to clean the feeder when it’s least busy to avoid disturbing the birdlife.
It’s essential to know how to sanitise bird feeders and which disinfectant is safe for bird feeders. In most cases, mixing a 10% bleach solution is safe if you thoroughly rinse and dry the feeder afterward. Alternatively, you can use a solution of diluted white vinegar – this is the best option for wood feeders.
FeatherSnap’s top tips for safe cleaning
- Wear gloves to protect and keep your hands clean while you empty the old food and debris from the feeder into a refuse sack
- Fill your bucket or container with warm water and mild dish soap.
- Soak the feeder in the soapy water to help loosen dirt and debris.
- Use your cleaning cloth and tools to thoroughly scrub the feeder components.
- Refill your bucket or container with clean water.
- Rinse all the feeder components to ensure no soap residue remains.
- Disinfect the feeder by creating a bleach solution with nine parts water and one part bleach, or equal parts white vinegar and water, and soak for 15-30 minutes
- Rinse the bird feeder in fresh, clean water after disinfecting.
- Dry the bird feeder completely to ensure the new food stays dry and that no moisture is left, which could promote mould growth.
- Reassemble the dried bird feeder and refill it with new bird food — do not reuse the old food.
While your bird feeder is drying, this is an excellent opportunity to clean up unwanted debris, such as droppings or old food, from beneath your feeder or in the surrounding area.
Fresh water
Providing fresh clean water is also key to keeping garden birds! healthy Not only do birds need access to fresh water for hydration, but it’s an important way that birds care for their feathers. Providing a bird bath is a fantastic choice – just make sure that you clean it regularly and keep it full and fresh.
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