Had a sick finch at my feeder in Tucson last month, and it spread fast

I saw one house finch with crusty eyes on a Tuesday, and by Friday three more looked the same. Has anyone else dealt with this finch eye disease and know how to clean feeders to stop it?

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3 Comments

kelly_miller804mo ago

My neighbor in Phoenix had the same thing wipe out half her finch flock last spring. Soap and water is like using a band-aid on a broken leg. You need a serious bleach soak, like one part bleach to nine parts water, for at least ten minutes. Let it dry completely before you put it back up.

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the_viola5mo ago

That sounds rough, but is it really that big of a deal? Birds get sick in the wild all the time, it's just nature. Maybe just give the feeder a good scrub with soap and water.

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the_pat5mo ago

Just nature" doesn't mean we shouldn't try to help, does it?

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