Regularly cleaning and disinfecting your bird feeders is just as important as filling them. Unsanitary feeding stations and bird baths can encourage the spread of wild bird diseases like salmonellosis, so good bird feeder hygiene is essential if you want to help your feathered friends stay safe and healthy.

PICTURED: Peckish Bird Feeder Cleaning Brush

Read on to learn how to clean and disinfect your feeders in order to limit the spread of disease among your local bird populations.

How often should I clean my bird feeder?

Feeding surfaces should be scraped at least once a week to remove bird droppings and old food. More frequent scraping is recommended during busy periods and spells of wet / humid weather. A scraper tool is handy for this job.

You should also disinfect your feeders once a fortnight. Use a quaternary ammonium disinfectant (we recommend Ark-Klens™) and be sure to read the instructions carefully before use. You'll need to dilute the disinfectant with water and wait a few minutes before rinsing it off.

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How to clean a bird feeder

NOTE: Always wear gloves when cleaning bird feeders. Clean your feeders outside, and don't use any of the utensils you use to clean your own dishes, cutlery, etc.

• Before you start cleaning your bird feeder, throw away the contents so that the feeder is totally empty.
  
  
• Once the feeder is empty, soak all of the parts in warm water and washing-up liquid for 15 to 20 minutes.
  
  
• Use a suitable cleaning brush to make sure the feeder is totally clean. A long cleaning brush may be needed if you're cleaning a long tube feeder.
  
  
• Rinse the feeder thoroughly with clean water to remove all soap, then let the feeder dry completely before refilling it.
  
  
• Wash your hands when you're finished.

TOP TIP: Investing in an easy-clean bird feeder can make your life much easier!

For more information about keeping your bird feeders clean, check out our Feeder Hygiene page or get in touch with the experts here at Really Wild Bird Food. We'll do our best to answer any questions you have!

Ask a Question   Wild Bird Care Tips

Avian Pox
Avian Pox is a relatively new (and emerging) disease in the UK, which seems to be increasingly identified in garden birds. The disease is caused by an AviPox virus - a thick walled virus. The virus causes two types of disease – a dry ‘cutaneous’ (skin) form which stimulates excessive skin growth and nodular warty lesions. This type of pox infection is most commonly seen in our garden birds. The other ‘wet’ form of the disease, is more commonly seen in domestic chickens and turkeys, where the virus infects the mucous membranes of the digestive and respiratory tracts. This electron micrograph of a pox virus, shows how thick walled the virus is. This thick wall enables pox viruses to be extremely resistant to environmental factors (such as disinfectants), and the virus survives and multiplies really well in dry conditions. This is why Pox lesions are seen more commonly in the summer months than the winter.

It would seem that currently Great Tits are more predisposed to Avian Pox infection than other UK garden birds however lesions have been recognised in Dunnocks, Wood Pigeons, Blue Tits, and I have also seen Blackbirds with Pox lesions.

In most other species, the virus will cause mild lesions, usually on the featherless areas - the legs and around the eyes and beak. Often seen as bald/scaly patches, or pinky/grey plaques, these birds often mount an immune response to the virus and survive the infection.

Bird baths add both beauty and functionality to your garden and come in various shapes and sizes. However, choosing the right garden bird bath can be challenging. An ornamental bird bath might bring an artistic touch to your garden, but the main function of a bird bath is to give birds a safe place to bathe, drink water, and clean their feathers. The best bird bath needs to be capable of all of this.

So, what is the best bird bath for your garden? Let's find out.