Clean Feeders Critical for Birds

CLEAN FEEDERS CRITICAL FOR BIRDS

Would you want to eat at a restaurant with a low inspection score?

Well, neither do birds! And in summer’s heat and rain, bird restaurants – the feeders in our backyards – can quickly become breeding grounds for bacteria and disease.

Keep feeders clean with these tips from the Georgia DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division:

• Clean bird feeders at least once a month with a nonabrasive glass cleaner or bleach. Also, check seed feeders often during damp weather, discarding seeds that are clumped or show signs of mold or fungus.
• Be sure to rinse feeders thoroughly after each cleaning to get rid of any cleanser residue, which can be harmful to birds. Dry feeders before refilling them.
• Rotate seed feeders to different sites to ensure minimal build-up of droppings below. Ground-feeding birds like cardinals and towhees, which feed from seeds around feeders, can contract diseases from fecal matter. Remove damp or moldy seeds.
• During summer, hummingbird feeder solution should be changed two to three times a week because the heat causes sugar solutions to become riddled with bacteria and mold, which can be transferred to hummingbirds.

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