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8 bird feeder cleaning tips that will make your life so much easier

Believe it or not, putting up your bird feeder is only half the undertaking — you have to keep it clean, too. Harmful microbes build quickly in, on, and under your feeder, so it’s a little more than brushing off the top every time you fill it. Instead, you’ll want to put together a simple but essential checklist for regular cleaning — skipping too many weeks could cause too much damage to be worth fixing. We’ll walk you through this process with a few bird feeder cleaning tips that will maintain a good setup for you and your feathered friends. 

Birds at multiple feeders in a yard

Use a 10% bleach solution

By nature of being left outside all the time, your bird feeders are getting a gentle bath every so often, but that doesn’t entirely do the trick. Water will wash off some of the grunge but not all the germs and can actually encourage growths, like certain types of fungus. When you need a bit more, make a spray for cleaning the surfaces. Animals and chemicals don’t mix, but if you water down bleach enough, it’ll kill off the bacteria without harming your dinner guests. 

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Run feeder parts through your dishwasher

Check the box first — this won’t work with any wooden parts or feeders too difficult to disassemble and take inside. But lots of parts will go right in the dishwasher, and this will save you tons of time that might otherwise be spent trying to get into every little corner (more on this later). A good hand wash works just as well, naturally. Choose only extra-mild soaps and dry completely before refilling.

Two hummingbirds eat from a red feeder

Rotate out hummingbird feeders

Think about getting a backup feeder if you have hummingbirds and putting the new one out while the old one is getting a thorough cleaning. That way, your birds will never show up and get turned away by an empty branch (they often won’t return). This will work with other types that require a full disassembly, like tube feeders, and can ease the whole affair. 

Sweep the ground

As the local avians come and go, you’ll see piles of seed litter the ground under their feeder. Some birds, like jays, even do this deliberately, throwing out the things they don’t like while swallowing what they want to eat. Unfortunately, rats and squirrels love the leave behinds, and as the leftovers sit there, more animals notice. Taking a broom to the stack won’t get rid of every seed but will whisk away the temptation. You can also vacuum up seeds and shells with a leaf collector to completely remove all extras. 

Man hangs a yellow bird feeder on a tree

Try a bottle brush

Many feeders include difficult-to-reach areas that defy all attempts at cleaning. That doesn’t mean you should just let them be. A bottle brush will go down tubes or into corners that otherwise might go unscrubbed. Combine this with your cleaning solution, and you’ll have this chore done in no time.

Get an easy-to-reach window feeder

Just a heads-up: The second you attach your window feeder, it will look dirty (we’re pretty sure this is a law of the universe). Sadly, birders specifically put these in easy-to-see areas so as to admire the visitors, which means the grime piles up right at eye level. Don’t let that deter you from getting one but do have a plan in place. If you have an easy-access window that will allow for more frequent cleaning, choose that spot. It makes hosting a feeder much more enjoyable, especially when errant dung inevitably winds up stuck in plain view. 

Bird perches on a window feeder

Hose it off

We already covered water a bit, but you can take more intentional action here as well. If you have an extra-sturdy wooden or metal feeder, crank that hose up to full blast and get all the gunk off that way. In addition to removing waste, you’ll get rid of some of the excess seeds or shells and can use this method to help avoid ground accumulation. 

Keep washing in winter

We don’t see as much of the unpleasantness in winter; even the leftover seeds oftentimes disappear into the snow. That doesn’t means all the bad microorganisms have died off, though. It’s important to keep up with the cleaning throughout the year, even during the cold months and bad weather. Be extra mindful if the temperatures drop below freezing since plastic will crack if it gets wet. Make sure your feeders have dried and cooled completely (they don’t do well with drastic changes in temp, either) before refilling. 

Once you get into a backyard bird routine, you’ll have this all down to an exact science. Whenever you go to top off the feeder, you can bring the necessary accouterment and give the feeder a good wipe down in the process. You should get a pretty good idea how often it needs a refresh just by looking, but don’t go more than a week without giving any feeder a once-over. Plan your spots carefully when setting up your feeders, too — they all need to be in reachable areas, even if you have a brush or bottle in hand. If the birds could say thank you for your work, they would. 

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Even if you've been a dog or cat lover your whole life, jumping into bird ownership means taking on new tasks and new responsibilities. Instead of thinking about litter, you'll need to change his cage liner; instead of toy mice, you'll have swings and ladders. Many of these necessary items seem obvious, but others don't occur to first-time owners until the need arises. Get ahead of the game by stocking up on necessities before even bringing your pet home and stick with a good starter animal. Here are the best birds for beginners along with the requirements for taking care of them.

 
What is the easiest pet bird to take care of?
If you haven't had a bird before, you want to start with a parakeet (also known as a budgie). These little parrots don't do much talking, but they more than make up for it with their big personalities. You don't need too much specialty equipment or training for these little guys, and they can spend much of their time in a large cage (though you want to let them out sometimes). For best results, bring home a pair of budgies, so they can keep each other company at all times. Two males work better since the females can get pretty territorial, and a mixed pair will bring you more birds than you're ready for. 
What is the friendliest pet bird?
Budgies would certainly make the list, but canaries or cockatiels also make great friends while not requiring expertise. Known for their beautiful song, canaries provide accompaniment to your daily life. On the other hand, all finches (including canaries) need room to fly, plenty of exercise, and mental stimulation through toys. Cockatiels are inquisitive and friendly. This species takes more work and a little more knowledge than the others, so get a cockatiel only if you feel that you're up to the challenge.

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Sharing a snack with your pet can be a delightful part of animal companionship, but sometimes they eat things that we should probably avoid. While many birds will take a nibble of banana from you, they also enjoy bugs as occasional snacks, which you probably won't want to partake in. Lots of avians are omnivores and live on seeds, insects, and fruits. One of the best ways to give your pet a hit of protein and a delicious treat is by feeding him mealworms (yum). What birds eat mealworms and how often can you give them? You'll need to know that first before diving into the baby beetle game. 

What garden birds eat mealworms?
You already feed your bird neighbors seed, sugar water, and suet — if you want to attract everyone to your avian restaurant, that is. Many of them will enjoy mealworm treats, too, particularly in the late winter to gear them up for springtime. Insects in general, and especially these larvae, contain a lot of protein that wild birds need when preparing to lay eggs (and all the time, really). You can include mealworms in your feeders by adding them to your seed. When bugs are on the menu, you'll spot extra woodpeckers, chickadees, and robins, who particularly go for these creepy crawlies. 
What kinds of pet birds eat dried mealworms?
Inside the home, you'll find birds who beg for worms as well. Both parrots and finches eat bugs as part of their diet in the wild, so you can offer them to your pet sometimes. The bird range includes budgies, lovebirds, cockatiels, canaries, and macaws, which means basically any standard pet bird will love to gobble up some grubs. You don't have to stick with just mealworms, either, and can include other delectables such as crickets and flies. 

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Picture the iconic birdbath, decorative and inviting to the neighborhood flying visitors. While it's important for feathers to never get completely drenched, most birds (both inside and outside ones) love a chance to get their wings clean now and then. For birds, there are two types of baths: dust and water. You can easily make your own dust bath and offer it to your pet during playtime. You can't really overdo it with dust baths as long as you don't force her. Water takes a bit more finesse. If you notice your bird try to dunk in her water or the sink, that means it's bath time. And when you bathe her, this is what you need to know to wash your bird.

Can you give a bird a bath?
Definitely. Birds bathe in the wild and they like to at home as well. You can use a few methods here to let your bird rinse. Try them out when you first bring her home and see what works for the both of you. In all these options, you'll skip the cleansers and let her do the washing herself.
Shower
We love this option because it's so easy. Choose a time you'll already be in the shower and let her come with you. Lots of birds enjoy the sound of falling water and will jump right in. You can add accessories as well, like perches, to help her navigate. Make sure the water is a little bit chillier if you normally take blazing-hot ones. Warm but not hot is better for our animals. 
Bowl
You can mimic those lovely birdbaths in the comfort of your home. Find your widest bowl and fill it with just a couple of inches of water, less if you're bathing a small bird like a parakeet. Then, allow her to fly into it and wade to her heart's content. Skip the toweling and instead let her shake and preen the water off. 
Sink
The sink lets you combine a mini shower with a bowl full of water. Fill up a few inches and then let her come in and splash around. As it starts to cool, turn the tap back on to a trickle and see if she likes it. Lots of birds want a combination of still and moving water for best bathing results.

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