Janet
24th September 2006, 05:42 PM
It is very important to disinfect your table and other feeders once every two weeks. This is essential to prevent disease occuring and rapidly spreading in these areas where there is a high density of birds feeding and defeacating.
If you feed the birds please ensure that you make your garden a safe place for the birds to eat not an a place that has lots of old left over food, dirty feeders and food/waste build up on the ground. The following advice is from the BTO:
Regular cleaning and disinfecting of bird tables, bird baths and hanging feeders is an important part of good hygiene practice when feeding garden birds. Alongside these measures, it is important not to provide more food than birds need. Ideally, bird tables should be swept clean each day to remove droppings and any uneaten food.
Tables and other feeding surfaces should be disinfected on a regular (weekly or fortnightly) cycle using an appropriate disinfectant such as Ark-klens or Tamodine-E, followed by thorough rinsing and air drying before subsequent use.
Cleaning equipment should not be used for other purposes and should be kept and used outside. Rubber gloves should be worn for the purpose, and hands and forearms should be washed thoroughly after handling or cleaning feeders. The ground beneath feeders may be kept clean by regular sweeping and disinfected through the use of products such as Gardenklens powder. Bird baths should also be cleaned in a similar manner.
If you feed the birds please ensure that you make your garden a safe place for the birds to eat not an a place that has lots of old left over food, dirty feeders and food/waste build up on the ground. The following advice is from the BTO:
Regular cleaning and disinfecting of bird tables, bird baths and hanging feeders is an important part of good hygiene practice when feeding garden birds. Alongside these measures, it is important not to provide more food than birds need. Ideally, bird tables should be swept clean each day to remove droppings and any uneaten food.
Tables and other feeding surfaces should be disinfected on a regular (weekly or fortnightly) cycle using an appropriate disinfectant such as Ark-klens or Tamodine-E, followed by thorough rinsing and air drying before subsequent use.
Cleaning equipment should not be used for other purposes and should be kept and used outside. Rubber gloves should be worn for the purpose, and hands and forearms should be washed thoroughly after handling or cleaning feeders. The ground beneath feeders may be kept clean by regular sweeping and disinfected through the use of products such as Gardenklens powder. Bird baths should also be cleaned in a similar manner.