How to keep your bird feeder clean and hygienic

So, you have bought a bird feeder to attract wildlife to your garden, which subsequently will enable them to not only survive, but thrive. But, now that you have it, what do you do?

Keeping a bird feeder clean and hygienic is an important first step. If you’ve never had to clean a bird feeder, worry not, we’re here to help! These simple guidelines will help you maintain a flawless feeder that birds will love to visit.

Why A Clean Bird Feeder is Important

Not only are our feathered friends more likely to visit a fresh, clean feeding station, but a clean food source is healthier for them as well! In addition to protecting your birds, cleaning your feeders will help you maintain an attractive garden and ensure a long life for your feeder.

Cleaning your Feeder

Keeping your feeder clean is easier than you may think. Follow these four easy steps to ensure a consistently clean and healthy food source for your resident birds.

1. Empty out and dispose of any leftover food.
2. Depending on the type of feeder you have, detach the removable parts so you can easily clean every inch.
3. Using a mild solution of hot, soapy water, scrub away residual food and dirt.
4. Rinse with cold water and allow to completely dry before refilling with fresh food.

How Often to Clean

The frequency that you need to clean your feeder depends on many factors. Here are a few to consider:

• Number of Birds – Do you have just a few resident birds, or do your feeders host an entire flock? The more heavily your feeder is used, the more regularly it should be cleaned.
• Weather – In the winter months, the cold weather will preserve seed longer, ensuring a fresher feeding station that requires less frequent cleaning. However, during the summer when warmer weather appears, food can go off quicker, making it more important to clean at least every other week.
• Type of Food – What are you serving to your birds? If you provide millet or peanuts in shells, cleaning can be done slightly less often. Oily treats that birds love such as suet or sunflower hearts can become caked, so they need to be freshened more often.

Other Ways to Maintain Hygiene

In addition to cleaning the actual feeder, you can take a few other steps to ensure that your bird-feeding experience is hygienic as possible.

• Sweep up – When you’re providing seed to your birds, there’s a good chance some will end up on the ground below. Regularly sweeping this area with a broom will help keep things tidy and free of seeds, hulls, and any droppings.
• Fresh food – Birds like fresh food as much as we do! Food that gets wet, or sits in the heat for too long can become mouldy. When you clean your feeder, refill it with fresh food, rather than the leftovers. To avoid waste, only fill your feeder with enough food to last a few days.

If you don’t have a bird feeder yet or want to add another feeder to help your birds thrive even more, you can choose from many options. Whether you’re looking to keep out squirrels, feed multitudes of birds at once, or add a decorative element to your garden, you are sure to find one to fit in with your theme and needs. Just don’t forget to clean it!