Sewell (Washington Township), New Jersey

 

Are You A "Responsible" Bird Feeder?

HabitatIf you enjoy feeding and watching your backyard birds, then you probably want to do as much as you can to practice your hobby safely and ensure the birds’ overall health and well-being. Just as people can catch colds or other illnesses from people who are sick, birds that feed at crowded or dirty feeders have the potential to develop diseases that are harmful to them.

While the incidence of birds falling ill from feeders is small compared to other natural hazards birds face, there are things you can do to help your birds stay healthy:

 

  • Provide multiple feeding stations in different areas of your yard to disperse bird activity.
  • Provide seed from a bird feeder rather than scattering it on the ground.
  • Keep areas clean under and around your feeders.
  • Keep fresh seed in the feeder and be sure it doesn’t get moldy!
  • Clean your bird feeders regularly with a solution of one part bleach and 10 parts water. 
  • Do not fill your feeders with bird seed that has fillers (look for milo, oats, or wheat on the ingredient label).  Our NJ birds (and birds east of the Mississippi) do not eat these grains which then build up at the bottom of your feeder.  Your feeder will eventually get yucky as well as moldy and unhealthy for your birds.  Seed that you buy from Wild Birds Unlimited DOES NOT have fillers.

Having just completed another annual feeder wash, we felt compelled to include this article on our website this month.  While, most feeders just needed a good cleaning, other feeders were, quite frankly, a bit appalling with mold, stinky smelling seed, sprouts, and bugs!  In fact, at this feeder cleaning, we all voted on the worst/nastiest feeder brought in for cleaning.  It was a unanimous vote for the finch feeder shown in the picture!  There was white mold in the seed, it stank really badly and we just about needed a jack hammer to get the seed out!  Of course, the owner will remain anonymous to protect their standing in the community .....

When we accept he responsiblity of birdfeeding then we should take that responsiblity seriously.  Would we feed ourselves or anyone in our family moldy, rotten, putrid food on dirty plates?  Of course not!  Nor should we do this to our feathered friends.  If we cannot handle this responsibility then it is better to let the birds feed naturally in the wild.  But all is not hopeless:  Of course, you can participate in our Annual Fall Bird Feeder Event but that is only once a year and most likely your feeders will need a cleaning in the interim.  So follow the tips noted above.  Also, today's feeders are not your grandmother's feeders (although some are).  Stop by to see our "Quick Clean" feeders (or click on the website tab under In the Store to see these feeders in action) where with a quick easy click, the feeder bottom removes itself from the tube.  There are also hopper type feeders that are now made from recycled plastics and are a breeze to fill and clean and do not warp, get moldy or fade.  Also, a relatively new product, Feeder Fresh, can be interspersed in the seed when you fill your feeder and does a fantastic job in controlling moisture in the seed while remaining totally harmless to birds.  So you see, there is hope in maintaining a tidy feeding area for your birds.  For other tips or questions, stop by our store and talk to one of our Certified Birdfeeding Specialists.