It’s time to clean your birdfeeders! In fact, you should clean your birdfeeders regularly to help keep our songbirds healthy year-round.
Why should I clean my birdfeeders?
Birds can spread diseases through feeders. These diseases include avian pox, avian conjunctivitis, and salmonellosis (caused by the salmonella bacteria). In particular, salmonella outbreaks are often reported in the winter months when birds are more reliant and crowded on feeders.
How do I clean my feeders?
Take apart your feeders as much as you can and spray with or dunk them in a 10% bleach solution which will disinfect harmful bacteria. Use soapy hot water to finish cleaning and then rinse and dry thoroughly before refilling with fresh seed and hanging your feeder back up.
How often should I disinfect feeders?
A monthly cleaning for feeders will help deter bacteria, but more frequent disinfection is recommended if your feeders are heavily used, if there is wet weather, or if salmonella has been reported in your area. We recommend weekly cleaning of your bird feeders in the winter in Sunriver.
What else can I do to help keep birds disease-free?
Keep an eye on the ground beneath your feeders as feces and seed debris can accumulate and contribute to the spread of disease, especially among ground-feeding birds. Rake and shovel up the debris in this area, especially if there has been a lot of moisture. Debris around the feeder can be minimized by using an optimized seed mix such as the “No Mess Blend” from Wild Birds Unlimited. You can also reduce crowding at your feeders by giving the birds more room to spread out with additional feeders and variety in your feed.
What do I do if I suspect a bird is sick?
If you suspect a bird may be sick, contact Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory at 541-593-4394. Take down your feeders and give them a good clean and refill with fresh food before hanging them back up. If a salmonella outbreak has been reported in the area, you should take down your feeders for a few weeks to minimize the spread of the disease.
Photo: Tom Lawler