RSPB Bird Feeder Cleaning Kit
Buy everything you need to keep your bird feeders clean together in a pack, for £9.
Find out more about some of the most pressing threats affecting wild birds and how you can help.
Advice
Top tips to help reduce disease in garden birds
Find top tips, and a step-by-step bird feeder cleaning guide to help protect garden birds in your green space.
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Some of our garden birds have been hit hard by the spread of disease, landing them in serious trouble.
Take the Greenfinch – its wheezing song was once a common sound in gardens and green spaces around the UK. But, over the past 30 years, their population has plummeted by almost two thirds. This little green finch is no longer Green-listed, and instead, now finds itself on the Birds of Conservation Concern’s Red List.
What’s the cause?
Trichomonosis: it’s a disease which caused staggering declines in some of our most precious species. Think of it like a deadly, highly contagious throat infection for birds.
It spreads quickly when sick birds pass the disease to other birds in places where they can share food and water. Just one infected bird can turn your high traffic feeder into a parasite hotspot.
How you can help
By following these tips, we hope we can help to reduce the spread of trichomonosis together and support our garden birds to thrive.
- Feed seasonally – Peanuts and seeds should only be offered between the beginning of November until the end of April.
- Feed in moderation – make sure all the food you put out is eaten within one to two days. Suet products can be left out for up to 7 days. Adjust the amount you offer based on demand to avoid overfeeding
- Move your bird feeders regularly – this prevents the build-up of bird food and droppings below the feeders.
- Keep food as dry as possible – damp food allows disease to survive and spread. Choose feeders that prevent rain getting in and limit condensation
- Avoid putting feeders under where birds roost – such as under trees. This will help to avoid contamination through droppings
- Clean bird feeders at least weekly – follow our steps below to regularly clean and disinfect your feeders
- Clean away any old food or droppings from beneath feeders
- If possible, set up several different feeding stations to reduce the number of birds in one place and mixing of different species
- Avoid flat feeders – following our scientific review, we no longer recommend using bird tables and offering food in other flat surfaces due to the high risk of disease transmission.
- Keep bird baths clean – refill with fresh tap water daily and thoroughly disinfect weekly. If you’re unable to keep up with the maintenance, it’s better to leave the bath dry.
How to clean a bird feeder: your step-by-step guide
What you will need
- Rubber gloves
- Bottle brush
- Sponge
- A bucket of warm soapy water
- An animal safe disinfectant spray
Our step-by-step guide
- Cleaning should be done outside, with gloves on.
- Throw away: Empty out any leftover food from the feeders into an outdoor household bin. Do not reuse the food or compost it.
- Dismantle: Take the feeders apart completely to ensure every part is thoroughly cleaned.
- Clean: Use a bucket of hot soapy water and a long-handled cleaning brush (if you have one) to scrub and clean away any old food, waste and debris. Then rinse off.
- Disinfect: Use a non-toxic disinfectant such as Ark-Klens or a mild (5%) bleach solution.
- Rinse: Use fresh water to rinse the individual parts of the feeder. Leave outside to completely dry before you reassemble and refill.
- Thoroughly wash hands and forearms afterwards with soap and water.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I clean my bird feeder?
It’s best to give the feeders and baths a thorough clean every week.
How long will it take to clean my bird feeder?
Unless you have lots of feeders, no more than 15 minutes.
Can I use bleach to clean bird feeders?
We recommend using an animal safe disinfectant but a weak solution of domestic bleach (5% sodium hypochlorite) can be used as an alternative.
Should I clean my bird bath?
Yes, cleaning any space where birds congregate will help them stay healthy. Ideally, clean water should be provided every day. By replacing the water in bird baths with fresh water daily, you can prevent mosquito larvae developing. This is an important step towards reducing the risk of spreading Usutu virus.
If I see a sick bird what should I do?
If you think the birds have been affected by disease, it is best to stop feeding for at least two weeks and empty any bird baths. Only start feeding again if you are no longer seeing birds with any signs of disease.
Can I help the sick birds?
Treatment for wild birds is rarely an appropriate action and often it may be in the bird’s interests to be left in the wild.
Please report sickness or death of any garden wildlife to the Garden Wildlife Health (GWH) project. This is a collaborative project between the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Froglife and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), that aims to monitor the health of, and identify disease threats to, British wildlife.
Declines, disease and dangers – the issues facing birds
