I have tried, a number of times, to explain to my sister why she needs to keep her bird feeders clean. Alas, it seems to be falling on deaf ears, and her feeders are in a dreadful state. She either can't grasp or doesn't care why it is important to keep them clean. But she isn't the only one.
"In the wild . . ."
In response to my adamant advocacy of cleaning garden bird feeders, the argument has sometimes been thrown my way that in the wild no one is cleaning the spots from which birds feed and drink. This is, of course, a nonsense; bird feeders are manmade and require human attention for them to serve their purpose, whereas healthy natural spaces require no human interference for birds to exploit them. Indeed, they are probably better off with as little human contact as possible.
When birds feed from trees or bushes, the fruit or insects on which they are feeding will need time to replenish, and so birds will have little reason to return again and again to exactly the same spots. By comparison, bird feeders will provide an almost constant supply of food and water. This means that feeders will attract large numbers of birds that use exactly the same spots over and over again. This in itself makes feeders a perfect place for parasites and disease to be spread.
Some of the diseases spread through dirty bird feeders
Trichomoniasis
This is a parasite spread through the saliva of infected birds. When picked up, the parasite lives in the mouth and crop of the bird. The bird itself can develop lesions, swelling that makes it impossible for the bird to swallow. Therefore the bird will starve before it dies. Given that this is spread through saliva, owners can do much to slow any spread by simply cleaning their feeders; a hotspot for cross contamination.
Salmonella
There is no reason to fill your feeders to the brim if you notice that full feeders tend to sit there for a while, or that certain of the food you use lasts longer than others. Just as with our own food stuffs, food that sits for too long will rot and go bad. When that food is exposed to changing elements, it can create perfect conditions for bacteria, such as Salmonella, to breed and spread. If you are concerned that food you have to throw away is going to cost you money then adjust the amount that you put into your feeders. And there is definitely no reason for allowing mould to grow in your feeders!
Avian pox
According to the RSPB website, avian poxvirus is a resistant virus and lasts for a long time on contaminated surfaces. And as we've already covered, bird feeders, being an environment that will attract a relatively large number of birds of different species, it is more likely that feeders will be a hotspot for cross contamination. The RSPB website also suggests what this post is trying to make a case for, namely that proper regular cleaning of feeders is the correct practice for ensuring prevention of such viruses.
This is not an exhaustive list of avian illnesses, and for more information you may wish to learn more on the RSPB website.
Cleaning feeders
I use nothing more complicated than soap, hot water and a sponge. It takes me all of fifteen or twenty minutes to scrub the cleaners, cleaning them regularly, and then they are rinsed thoroughly and left to dry. If done regularly, it is not such a strenuous job and it prevents a lot of the problems that can occur that we have covered above. Prevention is better than the cure.
There are disinfectants available to purchase, and the RSPB even sell a bird feeder cleaning kit through their online shop.
Losing our birds
You don't need to have been a naturalist or an amateur ornithologist for very long to know that many of the statistics tell a sad story of loss amongst our birds. And you don't need to have been considering the adversity they face long either to know that much of the cause behind their decline is human activity. Many of the problems they face can be traced back to how the landscape has changed because of intensive farming practices; the destruction of hedgerows, ploughing up fields without leaving borders to nature, and even the use of chemicals.
As those of us that care for nature campaign and advocate for better treatment of our natural spaces, and better consideration for the wildlife that lives there, we must also do what we can in our own spaces to help. And there is no room for half-arsed attempts. When you know that feeders left to become unclean can spread the viruses and parasites described above, you can only but come to the conclusion that no feeder at all is better than a dirty feeder in the garden.
Signing off . . .
If any if this post reads poorly, please forgive me. I had the second dose of Pfizer vaccine yesterday and it has left me feeling quite tired. Still, a little tiredness is better than the sickness. As this post tries to make the case for, prevention is better than the cure!
I hope that this post finds you well, and that you found the read enjoyable and/or informative. If you have, then you can buy me a coffee on Ko-fi where I often update about this blog and other of my writerly endeavours. All support is gratefully received! It keeps me writing, so thank you!
Disclaimer: though this blog post contains within it references and links to the RSPB website, this blog is not affiliated with the RSPB and makes no money from any purchases made by those that might wish to purchase the bird feeder cleaning kit through the link in this blog post.
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