Are You A "Responsible" Bird Feeder?

If you enjoy feeding and watching your backyard birds, then you probably want to do as much as you can to practice your hobby safely and ensure the birds’ overall health and well-being. Just as people can catch colds or other illnesses from people who are sick, birds that feed at crowded or dirty feeders have the potential to develop diseases that are harmful to them.

While the incidence of birds falling ill from feeders is small compared to other natural hazards birds face, there are things you can do to help your birds stay healthy:

Provide multiple feeding stations in different areas of your yard to disperse bird activity.
Provide seed from a bird feeder rather than scattering it on the ground.
Keep areas clean under and around your feeders by regularly raking the ground beneath feeders.
Keep fresh seed in the feeder and be sure it doesn’t get moldy. Hot, humid weather can impact seed freshness much faster than you'd think! If your seed is clumping, moldy or sprouting, dump it out and clean your feeder before refilling.
You should clean your feeder between refills using a brush and warm water, letting it dry thoroughly before refilling. Disinfecting is also important, which is done by cleaning your bird feeders regularly (once or twice a month) with a solution of one part bleach and 10 parts water. First, empty all seed and debris from the feeder. Next, use warm water and a brush to clean out any remaining seed. Then, let the feeder soak in the bleach solution for a couple of minutes. Rinse well with warm water, then rinse again! The feeder has been rinsed thoroughly once it no longer smells of bleach. Let it air dry, in the sun if possible. Then refill and enjoy your birds as they flock to fresh feeders.

For other tips or questions, stop by our store and talk to one of our Certified Birdfeeding Specialists.