We love attracting songbirds to our gardens with seed and other types of foods, and it wouldn’t be summer without beautiful little hummingbirds zipping around our gardens. But if you’re not cleaning your feeders on a regular basis, you may be harming your birds.
“Cleaning bird feeders can help reduce the spread of disease among your avian neighbors,” says Holly Grant, project assistant for NestWatch at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “It’s like if you have friends over for dinner—you’d want to serve them food on clean plates!”
Many factors can contaminate your feeder. “Bird droppings, wet moldy seeds, old feathers, debris like rotting leaves, and so on can harbor bacteria, mold, and parasites that can contaminate food,” says Jordan Rutter, ornithologist and communications director at American Bird Conservancy.
“The biggest concern of spoiled seed is the impact it can have on a bird’s health,” says Rutter. “Just being around moldy seed can potentially cause respiratory issues for birds, and ingesting it can cause major digestive issues. At worst, birds can die from eating spoiled seed.”
Birds that are sick pose additional health issues. “Birds that have or are carrying disease can spread those diseases at your feeders,” says Grant. “For example, house finch eye disease can cause swelling around a bird’s eye, and birds can spread that disease when that swollen eye rubs against the porthole of a tube feeder.”
Ahead, here’s why and how to clean bird feeders to keep your feathered friends happy and healthy:
Why You Should Clean Bird Feeders
The number one reason to clean your feeders is to keep birds healthy and to prevent the spread of disease. Common diseases that affect birds are Salmonella, house finch eye disease, avian pox, and bird flu, also known as HPAI, says Grant.
An outbreak of bird flu began in 2022 and has affected domestic poultry, waterfowl, raptors, shorebirds, and other species of birds. However, “there have been relatively few documented cases of HPAI in songbirds and other typical feeder visitors to date, which means there is currently a low risk of an outbreak among wild songbirds,” says Grant. As such, there’s no official recommendation to take down feeders unless you also keep domestic poultry, according to the National Wildlife Disease Program.
Of course, you should be cleaning hummingbird feeders regularly, too. “Because mold readily grows in sugar water, hummingbird feeders should be cleaned every time you refill the nectar, which should be every two to five days, depending on the outdoor temperatures,” says Grant.
How Often to Clean Bird Feeders
Clean your seed and suet feeders at least once every two weeks but more often in warm or damp conditions or during times of heavy use. But if droppings are present on the feeder, it should be cleaned immediately, says Rutter.
Also, whenever you handle feeders, wear gloves and wash your hands after you’re done. “Some bacteria can cause illness in humans as well as birds,” says Grant.
Hummingbird feeders typically need to be cleaned more frequently—about every few days, especially in hot weather because the solution can spoil rapidly in the heat. You also should discard the solution and clean the feeder immediately if you see cloudy water or black mold in it, says Grant.
How to Clean Bird Feeders Properly
It’s essential to do a thorough job. “Research has found that scrubbing debris off feeders and then soaking them for 10 minutes in a diluted bleach solution is more effective at removing bacteria than using soap and water alone,” says Grant.
The best way to clean bird feeders is to fill a container with water, then add some mild dish soap. Scrub all parts with brushes, rinse it all well, and then soak the feeder for a few minutes in a bleach solution of nine parts water to one part bleach. Rinse thoroughly, let it dry completely, and refill with fresh food, says Rutter.
While you’re at it, rake up dropped seeds and hulls or spilled seeds from underneath your feeder to prevent accumulation of waste. “Moldy or spoiled food is unhealthy not only for birds but also for your outside pets,” says Grant. “Bird food scattered on the ground also can attract rodents.”
For hummingbird feeders, clean with a brush and a white vinegar mixture that’s one part vinegar to four parts water. Rinse thoroughly and let dry before refilling with fresh sugar water, says Rutter. (Side note: The mixture should be one part white sugar dissolved into four parts warm to hot water; never use dyes or other types of sugar, which can harm the birds).
