http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-keep-bird-feeders-clean.html
Non-Toxic Bird Feeder Cleaning
Cleaning your bird feeders once a month, year round, is important for the health of the birds. It is recommended that hummingbird feeders be cleaned every four days. And it is important to make sure you avoid toxic cleaners.
Fungi such as Aspergillus fumigatus, a fungus which causes respiratory infections in birds, can grow on the feeders.
Here is a non-toxic solution and technique to make this chore easier and safe for the birds.
If you are enthusiastic about bird feeding and operate more than a couple of feeders, cleaning them on a rotating schedule will prevent having to clean them all at once–a potentially burdensome task.
Obtain a tub big enough to hold your birdfeeder(s), a scrub brush, outdoor hose, gloves, scent-free liquid soap or detergent, and white distilled vinegar.
Place your feeder in the tub outdoors, fill it it with warm water and a squirt of liquid soap or detergent. Wearing gloves, scrub the parts of the feeder you can reach, and rinse thoroughly with a hose. Empty the tub and fill it with clean water and 4 cups of vinegar.
Let the feeder soak for 1 hour. Rinse thoroughly.
Also, make sure that you call wildlife officials immediately if you notice that the birds in your vicinity seem sick.
Annie Bond is the executive editor of Care2’s Healthy and Green Living content and the author of a number of books including Home Enlightenment(Rodale Press, 2005).
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5 comments
add your comment »Thanks for the info; we feed birds through the winter months and have used hot water and liquid soap to clean the feeders, will introduce the vinegar the next time the feeders are cleaned.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Simple Green IS NOT a safe non-toxic cleaner...
http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2007/07/30/think-simple-green-is-a-good-eco-friendly-cleaner-think-again/
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Maybe there are legitimate reasons for using bird feeders in the first place, like lack of room for wildlife viewing. Do a search sometime on feeding wildlife and you will open a vast chapter on the subject. Yes, the food is neither indigenous or free of pesticides. Planting natives keeps the birds reseeding what they are designed to eat. I am lucky enough to have the room to allow natives to grow and enjoy hummingbirds and all kinds of migrating birds. It's much more interesting to see them feeding themselves naturally them making pigs out of themselves at a feeder.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Great! now that you have the feeder cleaned with non-toxic methods please consider the bird seed/nuts that you put into the feeder. If it says "not fit for human consumption" on the bag, then it probably isn't a good idea to feed it to the birds. This has been a long pet peeve of mine. Many of the sources for these seeds have used pesticides, questionable fertalizers...etc. There are places online that will sell organic seeds. Or buy orgnanic seeds in bulk from your local health food co-op. Yes it is a little more expensive but it is worth it knowing you are doing more good than harm.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Simple Green is a pretty safe cleaner as well.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
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