Bird feeder hygiene

[wilderness]

I've just started a feeder in my back garden which holds fat balls, food and a source of water.

After I have touched the water (to get out the ice - I replace with fresh water every day), I clean my hands thoroughly. Should I wear gloves?

Also, how often should I clean my feeder environment to make sure the birds don't pass on germs to one another (presuming that one of them is sick and contagious).

Thanks

[Littlesparrow]

I clean water containers about once a week and bird seed containers about once a month and move the ground feeding about a bit. I don't know what other people do, so you may find they have different views on this.
Always use good quality seed and remove anything that looks moldy,and take extra care if you know there are any bird diseases in your area.

[actionfinch]

I used to clean once every fortnight ...mainly the feeders that get used a lot,bu with the weather and all i have just cleaned out one of my feeders that needed topping up.
try and get a bottle cleaner the ones with bristles and a wire handle...my dad got me one i find them good for cleaning my feeders.
i dont wear gloves mind but wash my hangers first then do the tables , making sure i was hands between duties and before i refill.
like littlesparrow said its personal prefrence.
good luck and happy feeding

[SomeMight]

I have a peanut feeder and just left it with a quarter of peanuts in from the summer. I wondered why the birds were passing it by and found all the peanuts had rotted and stuck together. Made me think that I should at least replace the food every few weeks or so..

[Malcolm Banks]

I would definately recommend washing your hands afterwards, garden birds may carry salmonella and the occasional pox virus, amongst other potential zoonotic agents
M

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by wilderness

I've just started a feeder in my back garden which holds fat balls, food and a source of water.

After I have touched the water (to get out the ice - I replace with fresh water every day), I clean my hands thoroughly. Should I wear gloves?

Also, how often should I clean my feeder environment to make sure the birds don't pass on germs to one another (presuming that one of them is sick and contagious).

Thanks

Please READ this link re: Feeder hygiene:

The RSPB: Advice: Hygiene - vital precautions

It's particularly important to remember to clean up DAILY dropped seed from below feeders as this is where Chaffinch and Greenfinch regularly pick up seed from but that becomes very quickly contaminated by scat from birds on feeders. (Birds also carry salmonella and ground food can attract Rats which carry a host of nasties!)

I don't personally where gloves but disinfect bird baths, feeders, bird tables every few days and disinfect hands after.

If it takes a MONTH for your feeders to run down, then you are putting too much food out at one time. Reduce the amount of food and when feeders are empty, replace with spare feeders and disinfect the old ones thoroughly before putting them back up - ideally every few days. ROTATE feeders around the garden and spread them out as much as possible. (This helps prevent accumulation of scat in one place and also reduces concentration of birds in one very tight area as well as reducing violent confrontations between birds competing at the feeders)

If one can not be bothered to excercise strict hygeine, it's better NOT TO FEED BIRDS in the garden - it does more damage than good.

[Malcolm Banks]

On the gloves issue, this may introduce a false sense of security since, unless you remove the gloves using microbiological technique (difficult to impossible with most garden gloves) how do you remove the second glove?
M

[solus]

I assume the gloves would be those cheap disposable latex (or similar) ones you buy in packs - like the ones dispensed at petrol stations so you don't get diesel on your mitts, or those worn by mechanics etc., and not proper gardening ones!

[Malcolm Banks]

Yes disposable gloves are fine, and most people who use these at petrol stations etc should have worked out how you take them both off without contaminating your hands with petrol/diesel. Could get through a lot of pairs though if you fully observe all the recommendations of the RSPB site.
M

[Deb London]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Banks

On the gloves issue, this may introduce a false sense of security since, unless you remove the gloves using microbiological technique (difficult to impossible with most garden gloves) how do you remove the second glove?
M

Technique when wearing disposable gloves:

If you are right handed, since you work with your right hand, this is the dirtier hand. You use your gloved left hand (the cleaner hand) to remove the right glove, starting at the wrist, touching the outside of the glove only. You use the fingers of your right hand slipped inside the wrist of the left glove, which is pinched and pulled so that glove comes off.

Done 'correctly', both gloves come off inside out and one inside the other for easy disposal.

Yes, still wash your hands. You are not out of the woods until you wash your hands.