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My old feeder cleaning routine was killing birds, here's what I do now
I used to just rinse my tube feeder with a hose every couple weeks until I found a house finch dead in it last March, so now I take it down every Sunday and soak it in a 9 to 1 bleach solution for 20 minutes before drying it in the sun, has anyone else had birds get sick from a moldy feeder this time of year?
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olivia7571mo ago
Saw the same thing happen with a goldfinch two years ago and switched to the exact same routine you're using now. The 9 to 1 soak is solid but I'd add one thing, give the perches and ports a good scrub with an old toothbrush while it's soaking because that's where the gunk hides. Also make sure you're letting it dry completely, like bone dry, before you hang it back up because even a little moisture left in the cracks can start growing stuff again. I keep a second feeder in rotation so I'm never tempted to rush the drying process. That extra Sunday routine sucks but it beats finding another bird stiff at the bottom of the tube.
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