Cleaning Your Bird Feeder
Regular feeder cleaning keeps your wild birds healthy and happy. Dirty feeders can harbor mold or bacteria that can harm the birds you love to watch. Here are some tips for cleaning your feeders at home.
Cleaning Your Bird Feeder
Regular feeder cleaning keeps your wild birds healthy and happy.
Dirty feeders can harbor mold or bacteria that can harm the birds you love to watch.
Here are some tips for cleaning your feeders at home.
Gather Your Cleaning Supplies:
-a bag or wastebasket for disposing of old seed debris left in feeder
-bin or tray for disassembly of feeder
-tub or bucket for soaking feeder
-small bowl to keep small screws together
-white vinegar or bird feeder cleaner
-gentle dish soap (We don’t use dish soap but others do.
Just rinse well.)
-brushes. Long-handled brush and old toothbrush to scrub
nooks and crannies.
-towel to keep your workspace dry
Cleaning Your Feeder:
-Remove excess birdseed and debris into a waste basket
-Disassemble your feeder into a tray or bin to keep
track of all parts
-Spray the feeder with an enzyme feeder cleaner or
straight white vinegar
-Soak it in warm water (lightly soapy water is okay)
for 20 minutes or so
-Use a brush to scrub all surfaces, especially feeding ports.
-Use a long brush to reach into the tube.
-Rinse thoroughly and dry in the sun. Reassemble and
add fresh seed.
-Use bleach only if feeder is moldy or if there’s a sick bird
in your yard. Rinse!
Regular Maintenance:
Remember to check your feeders for signs of mold or spoiled seed, especially after rains. Never pour dry seed over wet seed.
Damaged Feeders:
If you have a damaged bird feeder with a Lifetime Warranty, bring it in to the store so we can verify the parts needed and get them replaced. Brome, Aspects, and Bird’s Choice Oriolefest feeders are guaranteed. Droll Yankees is no longer guaranteed.
ASPECTS Hummzinger, BIRD’S CHOICE Oriolefest, and other nectar feeders:
Search “How to Clean a Hummingbird Feeder” by the National Audubon Society on YouTube. (1-hour soaking isn’t necessary as long as your feeder doesn’t feel slimy to the touch.) Pro Tip: Sugar water ferments quickly in hot weather. Clean feeders and refresh nectar EVERY DAY in hot weather. 2 x’s per week in cooler weather.
ASPECTS Seed Tube Feeders:
Search “Aspects Quick Clean Seed Tube Feeder – For the Wild Birds” on YouTube. We sell long brushes for cleaning tubes in the store.
BROME–Squirrel Buster Classic:
Go to bromebirdcare.com/en It’s easier than you may think!
DROLL YANKEES Seed Feeders: Search “How to Clean Your Bird Feeder by Droll Yankees”
As of September 2024, we here at the store will discontinue our bird feeder cleaning services. But alas, we are happy to walk our customers through how to do it themselves–just schedule an appointment with us to walk you through the steps.
Until then we wish you happy and safe birdwatching! August 1, 2024
Regular Maintenance:
Remember to check your feeders for signs of mold or spoiled seed, especially after rains. Never pour dry seed over wet seed.
Damaged Feeders:
If you have a damaged bird feeder with a Lifetime Warranty, bring it in to the store so we can verify the parts needed and get them replaced. Brome, Aspects, and Bird’s Choice Oriolefest feeders are guaranteed. Droll Yankees is no longer guaranteed.
ASPECTS Hummzinger, BIRD'S CHOICE Oriolefest, and other nectar feeders:
Search “How to Clean a Hummingbird Feeder” by the National Audubon Society on YouTube. (1-hour soaking isn’t necessary as long as your feeder doesn’t feel slimy to the touch.) Pro Tip: Sugar water ferments quickly in hot weather. Clean feeders and refresh nectar EVERY DAY in hot weather. 2 x’s per week in cooler weather.
ASPECTS Seed Tube Feeders:
Search “Aspects Quick Clean Seed Tube Feeder – For the Wild Birds” on YouTube. We sell long brushes for cleaning tubes in the store.
BROME–Squirrel Buster Classic:
Go to bromebirdcare.com/en It’s easier than you may think!
DROLL YANKEES Seed Feeders: Search "How to Clean Your Bird Feeder by Droll Yankees"
As of September 2024, we here at the store will discontinue our bird feeder cleaning services. But alas, we are happy to walk our customers through how to do it themselves–just schedule an appointment with us to walk you through the steps. Until then we wish you happy and safe birdwatching! August 1, 2024