Hey, Keep it Clean!

Cleanliness is another “basic” that is important to the success of your backyard birdfeeding program. Dirty birdfeeding stations can be a source of avian disease. Feeding the birds and providing housing and birdbaths comes with some responsibility; you must provide a safe and healthy environment for your feathered friends.

This is a great time of year, before the cold weather sets in, to clean all your birdfeeders. Acrylic feeders should be washed in hot soapy water to which you’ve added a splash of bleach; rinse thoroughly and dry them before you refill with fresh seed. Wild About Birds carries “Birdola Wild Bird Feeder Cleaner” ($3.99) to make this job even easier. Wooden feeders can be cleaned using a garden hose and a stiff brush.

It’s time to clean out the nesting boxes now that breeding season has passed. With a gloved hand, remove the nest and brush out the inside of each box. Add a 3" layer of dried grass to provide insulation for winter roosting.

Birdbaths should be kept clean throughout the year. Help minimize contamination by not placing baths where birdseed and bird droppings can fall into the water. In warm, fall weather, algae will continue to develop in your birdbaths so they should be cleaned daily. Scrub birdbaths with a light bleach solution – 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Wild About Birds carries birdbath brushes ($6.99) and Birdbath Protecting enzymes ($6.99) to retard the growth of algae.