Why EVERYONE should keep their Bird Feeders CLEAN 

From myself and my bird buddies, thank you ALL for watching. It's greatly appreciated! If you enjoyed the video please help the channel by Liking, Leaving a comment, or sharing it on Facebook, Twitter, etc. It all helps me out tremendously!

Lesley is aboot to drop some good knowledge on us. When I had large sunflower feeders in the past I would soak one feeder all day in a 10% bleach solution then wash as usual with Dawn, rehang and fill the next morning. Then that day I would soak the second feeder so the birds always had at least one feeder up with seeds available. Great vid.

I have seen sick house finches at my feeders two years ago with the eye problem. Now I know I'm cleaning my feeders right. Thank you Leslie for the links and great information. Much appreciated!

Today I learned that I’ve unknowingly turned my yard into the Cruise Ship buffet of bird feeding. ..I will be changing many things for the birds’ sake. I had no idea! Thanks, Leslie!

I clean my feeders once a week. I wear gloves. Usually by the end of the week the feed is gone so that every Sunday night I take down and Monday morning I clean and replace. And I use Hot water and light soap. Oh and I Dump out the last of the feed and take the feeder apart, every piece gets cleaned, And yes the ground gets raked And that includes Hummingbird feeders

I love the idea about using a tray to catch seed :) Great information, thank you for sharing :)

I get the strange looking birds at my bird feeders that are furry, and have bushy tails...

Happy flocking birding 💙💜💚💛🐤

Underrated video. Incredibly important

I keep two hummingbird feeders. I hang one and always have a clean one ready to go. I soak them in super hot water and light soap with a 15% bleach solution rinse and soak. Then a soak in hot water and a thorough rinsing of hot water. I feed the juncos and house sparrows on the back deck. Makes a mess, but I hose it down regularly. No feeders. About once a month I use deck cleaner and scrub the deck off. I get so much joy from the birds I feed and watch. I have year round Anna's hummingbirds here in Oregon. They are so territorial!! They even dive bomb me when I go in and out my front door!! One of the males lets me get quite close to him and will continue to feed even if I'm close. In the spring and summer I keep 7-10 fuschias around the feeders and oh boy do the hummers love that!! I was deadheading a fuschia last summer and a female Anna's came up to the fuschias to feed and she brushed my hair back with her wing beats. I stood perfectly still and she continued to feed for the longest time..buzzing about me while I was enthralled by her. I cried after she flew away, it was a most beautiful experience. I love your Jays. Here in Oregon we have Scrub Jays and I've seen many Stellar Jays. I've got some who visit for peanuts. I just love how raucous and loud they are. They screech when I clean up my yard sometimes and I know they must have a food cache somewhere close. Thank you for sharing your birds.

I'm happy to report that I washed my feeder with Dawn soap and water today, in large part because of this fine video. It will now be a regular part of my routine. Long Live the Birds!

Great information! I have not had a proper cleaning regime for my feeders but I now have the information I need to do it correctly. Thanks Lesley!

Thank you for not showing photos of sick birds. Great video!

My 4 year old and I just adore your videos! We just cleaned our feeders today! Thank you for all the great info! 🐦❤🐦

There's always room for improvement on my part that's for sure. I will be taking some down to give that area a break as there are a lot of seeds on the ground and it's snow covered. Thanks 😊

So as I mentioned on my last comment, I think this should apply to bird baths as well. They can get really messy!

Thanks Leslie! I know I can do better and will get right on it.

Whenever I refill my feeders (about every week or so,) I clean out the feeders by getting all the seed shells and debris out of them, wipe out the inside and outside using unscented disinfectant wipes, and refill the feeders. I have only seen a sick bird once, and it was a Downy Woodpecker at the suet feeder that was very approachable, and had its mouth open panting. I took down the suet feeder for a few days, brought it home, cleaned it, replaced the suet, and brought it back. Thanks for the great video, and all the helpful info Lesley! By the way, that seed catcher for feeders sounds like a great idea, I am considering getting one myself. Cleaning up all the spilled seeds on the ground is always quite an annoyance, and the fact that birds can eat the spilled seeds from the seed catcher sound awesome.

Wonderful! I have been sharing your recent videos with my neighborhood online community, many of whom feed and water our birds. The whole Pacific NW region in the US has had a salmonella outbreak. I will be more systematic about cleaning my feeders and bathes from now on. Thank you again for your hard work keeping song in the air.

So informative! I shared it on Facebook 💛

So true - I clean my bird feeding station every weekend.

the Goldfinches at my feeder have taken domination of the feeder and there is about 12 that come at the same time! it’s like they are having a bird party and inviting their friends to feast😎

Dear LesleytheBirdned I am a huge fan of your RU-vid channel and of bird watching in general. Recently I put up my own bird feeder and have been enjoying witnessing avian life in a new way, until I heard of the Solomon bird outbreak. The one that spreads at busy bird feeders and is particularly dangerous to pine skins. I live in the state where most people get salmonella from their bird feeders, I just happen to have a busy bird feeder where pine siskins visit. Even though I clean my bird feeder out regularly, my sanitation standards were not as thorough as the one you recommended in your video about the importance of maintaining a clean bird feeder (which is where I heard about the Salmonella incident anyway.) There have been some spots I haven't been able to rub out, earlier I thought not much about that but now I'm worried about the safety of the birds. Not to mention with spring quickly coming in my area, hotter and wetter conditions combined with more birds could be a breeding ground for disease. Also the birds were very messy with their food, at first I did not thick too much of this. I later observed some small birds, a few large birds like crows and even a squirrel eating some of the leftover food from the bird feederI. I'm worried that the squirrel or other small mammals (Like rats or raccoons) may grow an unhealthy reliance on the leftover bird food, and may try and break into the bird feeder or into my house. For all these reasons I immediately took down my bird feeder, gave it the short of a thorough wash you recommended, and began researching the salmonella bird outbreaks. The problem was I couldn't find any information on the salmonella bird situation after 2021.I am not going to risk it and put my bird feeder back up, and I still don't have solutions for my other problem anyway. I would keep my bird feeder down forever if it kept the birds safe, but that doesn't mean I would like it. Watching the birds from my window has brought me so much joy, motivation and inspiration recently, and I would hate to give it up. I have and will continue my research on the subject. If no new news comes out about the outbreak by autumn i might put it. However, if possible I wouldn't want to wait that long, I was excited to see some new spring and summer birds. I have learned more about bird identification since I took my feet down, and I would love to test my bird identification skills. So if you have any knowledge of the church situation ( or for the other problems ) it would be much appreciated. If you have any, just responding to this comment would be easiest for me. I will also Leave links to my social media where you can find me. I think I will also contact some other Internet birder’s I like. If there is anyone you think might know more about this than you ro me then please contact me. If anyone in the comments reading this knows anything about this feel free to tell me as well. I think that the bird feeder I got came with a thing saying that they would refund the bird feeder if it got damaged. I'm not sure if my bird's subpar sanitation is bad enough it needs to be replaced and I'm not sure it would count as being damaged. I'm not completely sure they even said the refund thing. So if they did it might come in handy Thank you for any and all help and for Teaching and inspiring birders like me and just being a friend of the birdsLinks to my social media Readdit u/Awesome-AnimationHQ Twitter @Twisaffer

You’re the best Ms Lesley, thank you for all you do. Aloha

we need a video on song sparrows! theres one that sits outside my window and sings to me while im doing online school.

Thank you, my Blue Jays do like to pick through the seed I put out even when I've supplied them with plenty of peanuts.

I always clean mine. Thank you for sharing this important information. We actually have a better turn out. Several loyal Cardinals. And woodpeckers. Love all the Hummingbirds. I did it for my Mother as she loves the view as she sits on her deck. I love all your advice. Please keep up the great work.

Thank you so much for the education. I cleaned all my feeders today with a bleach solution. I had no idea about the disease transmission and am very grateful to you.

Clean mine every time I fill it. Also clean my suet cage.

I am in southern California and took my feeders down. After about two days, the birds sought food elsewhere so fears about dependency are misplaced.

Spell check and I need to go to sleep .... great work Leslie ❤️

Thanks for spreading this important information!

Yes all very good info. Salmonella bacteria is the birds' equivalent of animal E coli and is why you clean very well around your kitchen after handling raw chicken or other poultry. Sunlight, heat and dryness are killers for all bacteria, so a good self-cleaning option is to keep the feeder in a dry sunny airy space. Our big problem is the 2 fountains, they love drinking, bathing and of course pooping in them. It's basically a daily rinse out with the garden hose and then once a week a bleach soak and super thorough rinse. A quick daily spray with Lysol , wait 20 seconds and wipe dry with paper towel will do wonders for feeders too. It's alcohol based so will evaporate quickly even if you get a little on the seed, no worries.

I grew up where they used to spray DDT in residential areas. Some birds would get deadly sick. If we caught them earlier enough we could nurse them back to life by feeding them bread soaked in milk with a dropper. This would make the bird throw up the poison. It was a 50/50 chance for survival but worth it when you saw a bird fly away. My bird feeder does lose a lot of seed to the ground. I have never seen a problem as some birds like the morning doves are ground feeders along with other birds. The deer come by at dusk and clean up the rest. I also move my feeder around so that the ground/lawn doesn’t get trampled down too much.

This really helped a lot! Thanks so much!

Thanks for this great information. I see where I need to be more vigilant about my cleaning routine.

Thanks for your kind information Leslie

Thanks for sharing this.

Very informative video. Thanks!

Thank you for sharing all this great information, Lesley!

Thank you for the tips.

Wow - those green spring scenes look fantastic - thanks for the great info.

As someone who is new to birding, I found this very informative and helpful. Many thanks for the post.

I really look forward to your Sunday evening videos

Love your work, thanks!

Appreciate the feeder tips! 👍 👍

Yeah, its time for me to buy brand new two feeders. I have cleaned them before. But its very difficult to keep them clean especially in the "nooks and crannies".

Thank you for this informative video. I love this channel.

Great reminders and info.

Thanks for the video! 🥰 Great tips and useful to know!

I’m fastidious about keeping my stone birdbath clean and filled with fresh water. However, it is heavy stone and It’s a beast to try and tip and refill. I figured out a cool trick: LEAF BLOWER! Depending on how powerful yours is, this will quickly and throughly empty your birdbath. The winter is the most challenging when hoses have been taken down and water shut off. I use a very large watering can filled inside for refilling as well. Good luck!

Thanks for the information 💜

This was a good reminder, thank you for sharing.

Very important video!! Thank you ❤️

I’m thankful to have learned that the nets are a good option for proper bird feeding. Thank you Lesley! You have the BEST channel on our little feathered friends! 😊

Thank you, Leslie.

Thanks for the very helpful video.

Oh no i had no idea! Thank you so much for the info

Thanks for all the tips. Something I've been doing, wondering if it's just best if I keep doing it this way but I spread seed lightly around multiple trees to kind of keep the birds spread out from each other. I don't fill the feeder much because there's plenty of seed usually for a day, especially from trees in my yard. I'm actually adding two kousa dogwood, a flowering dogwood and a service berry tree to my yard that will be free to the birds to eat from. Also give them some extra coverage.

Very informative and always enjoyable! Thanks Lesley!

Thank you for the informative video

I love my birds, thank you for your information...

Very helpful!

Thank you so much for this video 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

Thank you, very informative video

This is well timed. Thanks to a recent video of yours, I cleaned my feeders today. I was surprised to find as much dirt as I did. I've only hung feeders recently, so I'm glad I've found your informative videos.

Reddit recommended me to this channel. I'm very new to this so I'm really appreciated all your videos.

Thank you so much!! I was a bit unsure about how to clean my feeders, but I'm really glad I watched this. My feeders are gonna be squeaky clean!

I live on Vancouver Island west coast of Canada and this year we had a salmonella outbreak predominately pine siskins. Wild Arc (our local wild bird rehabilitation) advised we take our feeders down. It is so important to keep feeders squeaky clean for our feathered friends.

Excellent informative video. Great tips from the perspective of someone who we all know truly loves her feathered friends.

Good information, thanks 👍

This is my favorite new channel. Keep up the great videos! I am going to take better care of my feeders. I love having birds in my yard.

I'm glad you reminded me, because after this last freeze, I really need to clean my feeder and bird bath!!! Someone said "bird nerd" in the comments and I was crackin' up!!! Lol, 😂😂😂!!!

The SF Chronicle had an article today about salmonellosis and pine siskins. Apparently it is spreading fast due to all the people like me who got into backyard birding during the pandemic, plus there was a winter irruption. The CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife recommended removing all bird feeders and baths for about a month, so I immediately did that. Thank you for you for your very entertaining and educational video, as usual!

Great info, thanks!

Your videos have helped me so much I started feeding birds over a year ago I do clean my feeders every 2 to 3 weeks weather permitting since I do not have copies of feeders .

Interesting about the seeds on the ground. We have California Quail and Ring Neck Doves that love to scratch through this seed so, I have left it on the ground.

Bottle brushes help get into the little windows and areas like that.

This made me excited for spring.. Although the winter has been great for the feeder birds. Lots of Cardinals, Juncos, Doves, Goldfinches, and of course my Blue Jays. I try not to use bleach or any type of strong smelling substance on the feeders. I would suggest rubbing alcohol on the surface once dry after soap and water treatment. As well I notices almost a "Nutritional Wisdom" with the birds, in that they tend to stay away from areas that are not sanitary or food that is past its prime. We also have to remember they are wild animals and they can withstand more than the science credits. They do not depend on us. The feeders are for us! in reality and we wouldn't have a dinner party with dirty dishes.

I sprinkle seeds atop the big rolling bins this time of year, that's aok with them!

Thanks for your information, I'll try to be better with cleaning them.

thank you for this! I just got my first feeder last week & just cleaned it today. I'll b using that bleach idea in the future

I feed seed and suet to birds from late fall to mid spring, cleaning feeders every second filling. Late spring to early fall, I feed humming birds mostly. I make my own, to save on cost cause them little suckers eat the fire out of it. However, I only put a little into each feeder and clean it mostly daily(heat and sun will make it undesirable to them.) Also, while warm I put out some fruit, to attract Baltimore Orioles, and others one day at a time. It's a bit of work but I get so much out of seeing them around! Fill bird baths every other day or so and clean them every other week. BIRD IS THE WORD!

All those diseases sound horrible! This is great information... especially because there's so many people new to bird feeding during this pandemic. Thank you for putting out this very important video!

Thank you

Thank you so much for this tutorial on keeping your bird feeders clean. My bird population was scarce around my feeders, but flocked to the trays. After watching your video, I checked out the tube feeders and found something growing in the bottom...spider webby and a worm fell out! Anyway, thankfully the birds apparently knew to stay away. I've now washed and soaked in a clorox solution so I'm confident the tubes are clean and ready to fill again. Have you ever reviewed bird feeders? These were super hard to clean...they're tubular with six holes and perches. Again, thanks so much for your youtube site!

Thank you Lesley, I have started cleaning our feeders more often. I don’t ever want to make our little birds I’ll !!🕊🪶🐦

Are there better types of feeders to keep it clean and avoid birds from infecting one another? Also is there a website or Twitter to follow in order to find out when outbreaks are happening?

In the New York City area you can take an injured or sick wild bird to the wild bird fund in Manhattan they are fantastic they are on Columbus

I love platform feeders, very easy to clean. Plus with the tube feeders the starlings are so messy and spill out way more than they eat. The squirrels here keep the ground clean.

I have a large feeder in my backyard. I can't clean it as it is not portable. Also when it's -20C with 2 feet of snow I can't clean it as described. I have lots of debris underneath the feeder winter and summer. I haven't noticed any sick birds ever but I will change the feeder to comply with your suggestions when the weather warms.Thanks for the tips.

Leslie..... love your dedication to our feathersed friends....... but it’s in realistic to keep seeds from hitting the ground.......... hey the ground feeders have to eat as well ........ don’t forget there fuzzy mammal friend s mr mrs squirrel 🇺🇸😎

🐦 always have clean my feeders 👍

Thank you.

Interesting video thank you Lesley, we also just recently released a video where we are putting out bird feeders, I'll have to mention your advice on cleaning them next time!

Interesting. I quasi clean my feeders just for appearance sake. Who knew?! Oh wait, that’s right bird nerds 😂 btw ur blue jays are huge!

I really wanted a bird-feeder and a bee hotel but I discovered they take a lot more maintenance than I thought, maybe in the future I’ll try it, when I trust myself more about sticking with cleaning routines. Lols

I live in an apartment in Kitchener Ontario. I was thinking about drilling some holes in the balcony above to install some hooks and have a few bird feeders. Your video was helpful. I do have bleach for cleaning. I was wondering if hydrogen peroxide was also helpful for cleaning purposes? I used to own a Pacific Parrotlet years back. I don't want to do any harm to any wild birds. I also enjoy the song of the North American Robin...he truly is the harbinger of Spring. You make AWESOME videos Lesley. Thank you!!!

Thanks for this video. I do clean my feeder regularly but I have a unique situation that doesn't involve the hanging feeder. I put seed directly onto my snow-covered deck. They seem to prefer feeding that way. I get a lot of birds! Frequently if there is no precipitation, I will shovel snow over the old seed before throwing some new seed out for them. They all seem to be healthy. But I worry that on warm days when the snow melts, they have access to the old seed that was once buried. Is this a bad thing?

For me, the best bird feeders are the ones that are not complicated. Easy to clean and to take apart and put together.