Many of us enjoy watching birds at our feeders, and while we want to entice numerous birds to visit, it is vital to ensure the environment is safe for these visitors through regular feeder cleaning.
Cleaning feeders weekly will help reduce the spread of avian diseases such as House Finch eye disease, avian pox, salmonellosis, and avian flu.
Wild Birds Unlimited suggests these steps to clean your feeders properly:
- Discard old food and debris from the feeder
- Fill tub/container with water and some dish soap
- Thoroughly scrub the feeder with brushes/rags
- Thoroughly rinse all parts
- Use a tub/container to create a bleach solution of nine (9) parts water to one (1) part bleach
- Soak feeder for a few minutes, rotating it to submerge all parts
- Remove from bleach solution and thoroughly rinse all parts
- Let the feeder dry completely
- Refill with fresh food
If you observe sick birds at your feeders, take them down for two weeks to encourage birds to disperse, discard used seed/suet, and thoroughly clean the feeders. Report sick or dead birds through the Michigan DNR Eyes in the Field form.
AVIAN FLU AND BIRD FEEDING
Avian flu continues to be monitored closely and the Michigan DNR has not suggested that people need to take down their bird feeders at this time.
If you would like to stay up-to-date on the status of avian flu in Michigan, subscribe to receive email notifications from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development by visiting MDARD’s website and clicking on the “Avian Influenza” link. After entering a valid email address, subscribers will receive updates and alerts regarding the status of avian influenza in Michigan whenever there are new developments to report. Additional resources can also be found at Michigan.gov/BirdFlu.