This Season
 

How to Clean a Birdseed Feeder

Many types of bacteria can infest birdseed feeders, especially if the seed has become wet. Diseases such as salmonella, trichomoniasis, aspergillosis and avian pox can be passed from one songbird to another in areas where many birds congregate. Clean your birdseed feeder once a month or as often as practical.

Related Searches:
    Difficulty:
    Moderate

    Instructions

    Things You'll Need

    • Bird Feeders
    • Bird seed
    • Broom and shovel
    • Chlorine Bleach
    • Water sources
    • Garden Hoses And Attachments
    • Stiff Brushes
    • Latex Gloves
    • Washtubs Or Large Pan
      • 1

        Remove all leftover seed and other debris from the feeder. Sweep or shovel up any waste or fallen seed from the ground.

      • 2

        Use plain water or a stiff brush to remove stubborn matter lodged in the corners.

      • 3

        Fill a large pan or tub (large enough to cover the entire feeder) with a mixture of 1 part bleach to 9 parts warm water.

      • 4

        Put the feeder into the pan and let it soak in the liquid chlorine bleach solution for 1 to 3 minutes. Allow to air dry completely.

      • 5

        Remove the feeder and let it dry completely before refilling with seed.

    Tips & Warnings

    • If you do not have a pan or tub large enough to immerse the feeder, simply scrub it well with a stiff brush using the bleach solution.

    • Having more than one feeder will allow you to clean one while leaving the other in use.

    • Wear rubber gloves while cleaning the feeder.

    • Your feeder may be damaged if you use more bleach than suggested.

    • Do not allow the bleach solution to come in contact with your skin or clothes.

    • Be sure you use birdseed that is dry.

    • Avoid attracting rodents, which can further contaminate bird food.

    • If you find dead birds around your feeder even after disinfecting, stop feeding.

    Related Searches

    Resources

    Read Next:

    Comments

    You May Also Like

    • How to Clean Bird Feeders With Bleach

      A bird feeder provides an excellent supplemental food source for wild birds. It can also attract a wide variety of birds depending...

    • How to Clean a Bird House

      If you want to keep attracting birds back to your bird houses year after year and make sure that they raise healthy,...

    • How to Clean a Bird Feeder

      Bird feeders bring enjoyment to the entire family any season of the year. You can hang them near a patio, outside a...

    • How to Clean Bird Food

      Cleaning bird food is a part of the process of cleaning out a bird cage. Keeping the bird food clean throughout the...

    • Bird Feeder Cleaning Tools

      A variety of brushes, a little bleach or vinegar and a good bit of scrubbing keep bird feeders clean and safe. Without...

    • Safe Way to Clean Bird Feeders

      According The National Wildlife Center, there are five diseases birds get from feeders. Birds that come to feed on outdoor feeders can...

    • How to Clean Diseases From Bird Feeders

      Birds tend to crowd around bird feeders. In these close quarters, disease is more likely to spread. Salmonellosis, Trichomoniasis and avian pox...

    • How to Make Hot Pepper Bird Seed

      Hot pepper powder, or the capsaicin compound derived from hot peppers, is often added to loose bird seed, bird seed bells and...

    • What Can You Use for Cleaning Bird Feeders?

      Keeping your bird feeder clean is important to prevent disease. Mold, bacteria and pathogens can be carried from a bird feeder to...

    • What Kind of Bird Feeders for Thistle Seed?

      Thistle seed, sometimes called niger or nyjer seed, is a small seed prized by bird watchers for attracting finches. Bird watchers use...

    • How to Take Control of Your Bird Feeder

      The backyard bird feeder battle between homeowners and nuisance birds and mammals goes back decades. Unwanted crows, grackles, squirrels, raccoons, mice and...

    • How to Clean an Outdoor Bird Feeder

      We love to enjoy our feathered friends and watch as they enjoy the treats that we leave for them in their bird...

    • How to Build Bird Seed Feeders

      If you are a bird enthusiast or just enjoy hearing chirping outside your window, bird feeders are an easy way to attract...

    • How Do Birds Find Bird Feeders?

      Birdwatching is a very popular activity, with more than 51 million birders in the United States. If you want to be one...

    • What Do You Clean Bird Baths With?

      Bird baths provide an important source of water for drinking and bathing for birds, especially in urban settings. If the water is...

    • How to Clean a Brome Squirrel Buster Plus Bird Feeder

      The Squirrel Buster Plus is a specially designed bird feeder made to keep squirrels from eating the bird seed. The slender, unique...

    • How to Wash Bird Feeders

      Bird feeders can bring tons of enjoyment and a variety of wild birds to your garden or lawn, but they can also...

    • How to Clean Bird Seed

      Feeding birds is gratifying, but the more of them you feed the more it costs. Growing your own birdseed is an economical...

    • Bird Feeders & Rats

      While backyard bird feeders attract many interesting songbirds, they can also attract vermin, according to the Public Health Department of King County...

    • How Do You Get to Disk Clean Up on a Computer?

      The Windows operating systems include a small utility that will allow you to remove unneeded files from your computer with a simple...

    Follow eHow

    Related Ads