!: How to Keep a Healthy Environment in a Bird Feeding Station

Bird watching is a recreation that is enjoyed by millions of people every year. One of the ways these people find their subjects is by providing food for their feathered friends in especially made for bird feeders. However, many forget that these feeders, just like dinner plates for humans must be kept clean and germ free so that the birds visiting do not pick up any diseases. But, with a minimum of effort, these feeding stations can be kept germ-free and become a wonderful stop for birds on a regular schedule. Following are a few tips to help keep bird feeders clean:

Feeders should be disinfected on a regular basis every few weeks with a weak bleach solution (1/4 cup bleach to 2 gallons of warm water). This should be done more often in rainy periods and in the summer. The feeders should be rinsed and allowed to dry before refilling. Seed feeders should be given a good shake before refilling in order to dislodge any compacted seed. Wet clumps of old seed should be dumped and hulls should be cleaned off platform feeders and out of seed trays on a daily basis. Seed should be stored in a dry, air-tight container such as a metal or plastic garbage can. Seed should not be permitted to become wet. When it becomes wet outside, one should feed from a covered feeder that will keep seed dry or put out, only, a handful of seed. Sunflower hearts or bits should be offered in a tube or hopper feeder to keep them from getting wet, causing them to spoil. If you supply birds with suet, reduce the amount that you provide in the hot weather of summer. Hot weather can make suet rancid causing illness in birds. If the suet is too runny, it can stick to birds' feathers making it difficult for birds to keep clean and their feathers working as they should. Rendered suet or heat-resistant blocks, available commercially, help eliminate this problem. Sick or dead birds found near feeding stations should be removed immediately. Stop feeding the birds for a few weeks to allow the healthy birds to disperse. This will lessen the possibility of transmission of disease among the bird population.

By following these few tips, you will be providing birds with a much healthier and happier feeding station, insuring that they will continue to come and entertain you.