Feeding station hygiene

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Probably preaching to the converted but as I was just doing it myself today I thought it might be a good idea to remind people of the importance of cleaning bird tables and feeders regularly in order to prevent the spread of infection. It is a!so a good idea to change the location of your feeding stations regularly, if at all possible.

Bsal

This is a great reminder to people that have feeders out, I know most bird enthusiasts would clean their feeders regularly and that is fantastic, but I think most other people that would have feeders out that think their doing the birds a great favour with peanuts etc never think to clean the feeders and feeding area. I have a neighbour that has food out since the summer and my birds frequent their feeders too, I have noticed some ill Sparrows recently and I'm certain its not from my garden as the only feeder I have out is a nyjer feeder, so i went around to them last week to have a talk with them and cleaning their feeders never crossed their minds, hopefully they will take my advice. I hope I don't sound like some mad f**ker with this post.

fryup

why do you need to change the location of your feeding station ?

Dozen Wicked Words

fryup wrote: »

why do you need to change the location of your feeding station ?

Yeah the hygiene bit I get, but not sure of reason to move feeders. Mine are on a tree which isn't overly movable.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

fryup wrote: »

why do you need to change the location of your feeding station ?

Mostly because there can be a build up of droppings. If over grass you also get an accumulation of seed husks that can rot and carry bacteria.

fryup

Bsal wrote: »

so i went around to them last week to have a talk with them and cleaning their feeders never crossed their minds, hopefully they will take my advice. I hope I don't sound like some mad f***ker with this post.

jeepers that took some nerve,

"excuse me but shouldn't you keep your feeders clean"

if i said that to my neighbour i'd get a swift F O :pac:

Bsal

My neighbours aren't that bad thankfully.

Alun

Grady Enough Strawberry wrote: »

Mostly because there can be a build up of droppings. If over grass you also get an accumulation of seed husks that can rot and carry bacteria.

I use some stuff called GardenKlens (http://www.birdfood.ie/ctrl/node:131;product:510;/gardenklens) under mine as it's not that easy to move.

Also use Citrosan in the water and clean feeders regularly with Ark-Klens.

Kess73

Alun wrote: »

I use some stuff called GardenKlens (http://www.birdfood.ie/ctrl/node:131;product:510;/gardenklens) under mine as it's not that easy to move.

Also use Citrosan in the water and clean feeders regularly with Ark-Klens.

Two very good products that will go a long way to giving your regular birds a better than average chance of avoiding infection when in your garden.

whyulittle

Just giving this thread a bump!

DBB

I give my feeders a clean from time to time, but I'm aware I should do so more often. Does anyone have any thoughts on how often this job should be done?

OpenYourEyes

The way I do it is to have spare feeders, so maybe 3 or 4 out and two spares, and rotate and clean as they get emptied!

Otherwise, something along the lines of only filling them 3/4's of the way, and then cleaning them once they get emptied, would be grand!

For water dishes, maybe every two days or so, just to be sure? I'm sure others have different habits.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I know it probably should be more but I do all cleaning once a month and have had no issues. I use Jeyes Fluid.

OpenYourEyes

I used to clean my feeders less often, but last winter I was getting big numbers of House Sparrows, Greenfinch and Goldfinch, as well as decent numbers of other species, so with so many birds visiting it'd increase the chances of disease spreading - better safe than sorry!