The days grow cooler, the nights are longer and folks begin to think about refilling their bird feeders that they might have let sit empty during the summer.
Before you fill you feeders with fresh seed from Wild River Audubon’s birdseed sale, though, take a few minutes to clean and sanitize them. We know that dirty feeders are one way for birds to contract diseases like Salmonella. To avoid adding to the woes of being a bird, feeders need periodic cleaning.
According to Cornell Lab’s Feederwatch Program, there are simple steps you can do to clean your feeders. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania tested three methods of cleaning: one with hot, soapy water; a second with a dilute bleach solution, soaking the feeder for ten minutes; and a third with hot soapy water followed by a dilute bleach soak. They then tested the feeders for bacterial presence. Those methods using diluted bleach had fewer bacteria than the one with only hot, soapy water. Furthermore, when they tested new, unused feeders against feeders that had been previously used, then cleaned and disinfected, the new feeders had the least number of bacteria. Researchers used a solution of nine parts water to one part bleach.
Feederwatch recommended that people clean their feeders every two weeks and every week if they detect sick birds at their feeders (editor note: I don’t know anyone who cleans feeders every two weeks, especially in January and February.) Also, readers on-line recommended using vinegar as a disinfectant instead of bleach, and lengthening the soak time to one hour.
When you inspect your feeders, you will probably find a bit of debris caked in the corners of ridges of the feeder. This will need to be removed. Try using a wire brush or a whisk.
Clean suet feeders as well as seed feeders. Your feeder birds will thank you.
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