Taking Care of Your Birds and Feeders

The best sound to wake up to in the morning is the sound of birds chirping. To attract them to our gardens requires bird feeders, bird food, bird baths, bird houses and lots of indigenous plants and shrubs.

 

Once we have the perfect bird garden, there are a couple of ways to care for our birdies and to keep our feeding stations safe and clean.

Bird Feeders

Bird feeders can become dirty very quickly, especially when it is a very busy feeder.

To reduce the likeliness of spreading disease:

• Remove bird seed debris daily. Old husks and seeds can carry pathogens.
• Wash feeders at least twice a month, maybe more if you notice them getting dirty very quickly.
• Empty feeders and submerge in clean water. Use gentle, unscented dish soap and use a bottle brush and/or toothbrushes to remove all debris both inside and outside the feeder.
• Rinse thoroughly
• Air dry and ensure that feeders are completely dry before filling them to avoid mould.

Bird Baths

• Replace water daily.
• Clean and scrub (same as above).
• Bird baths water should be no more than 5cm deep in the middle.

 

Nectar Feeders

For the correct nectar recipe see my post “6 Nectar Feeding Questions and Answers”

• Nectar water should be changed every one to two days.
• Nectar feeders should be cleaned thoroughly each time the nectar is changed. Clean the feeder inside and outside using a bottle brush.
• Nectar water should always appear clear; if it starts to look murky remove it immediately.

Nesting Boxes and Logs

Birds tend to remove old nesting material for their nest, however old nesting boxes should be inspected and cleaned after breeding season, as they can carry lice and parasites.

• Never disturb nesting birds, only clean once the box is empty.
• A good idea is to scoop all the contents out together, including old un-hatched eggs and dispose.
• Scrub box thoroughly and let it air dry before putting it back for the next season.
• Sisal nesting logs should be replaced once breeding birds have bored through the top or bottom of the log. We provide sisal nesting logs with protective caps to prolong the nesting logs life.

General Bird Care

• Never use pesticides and herbicides. Whatever you add to your garden affects everything including insects and plants which are food sources for the birds.
• Do not crush snails as they are a great food source to birds such as hadadas.
• Keep gardens free of waste and trash to prevent disease.
• Do not poison rodents, as owls and other birds of prey will be killed by a poisoned rat or mouse.

 We hope you found our cleanliness tips helpful.

Please email us, or comment below if you have any questions.