Spring cleaning should include your bird feeders. Why it's so important

Spring is almost here, and if you're excited for your fine feathered friends to visit your home for a meal, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources recommends making sure you clean your bird feeders regularly to keep them happy and healthy.

Why is it important to clean your bird feeder?

Cleaning your bird feeder ensures you are providing birds with clean, safe food and doing your part to help prevent diseases among birds.

“Bird feeders are high contact areas where you have a lot of birds congregating around one shared food source,” said Dr. Christine Casey, wildlife veterinarian for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “If one of the birds visiting a feeder is sick, it has the potential to spread disease to other birds at the feeder.”

How often should you clean your bird feeder?

According to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, you should clean your bird feeders every two weeks.

How do you clean your bird feeder?

The Kentucky DNR recommends following these steps for cleaning your bird feeders:

1. Start by removing and discarding old food and debris. Rotted or moldy food can make the birds sick.
2. Thoroughly rinse the feeder with water to knock away any remaining debris.
3. Soak the feeder in a solution of one part bleach and nine parts water.
4. Rinse the feeder once again and allow it to dry completely before refilling.

Another tip from the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is to rake up seed hulls and other waste located under your feeders — the old food on the ground can make birds sick, too.

Be sure to practice good hygiene when cleaning bird feeders and baths to protect both you and the birds from bacteria like Salmonella.

• Wear disposable gloves while cleaning.
• Avoid touching your face during this process.
• Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds after handling feeders and birdbaths.

Should you clean birdbaths, too?

Yes; you should also clean your bird baths every one to two weeks. Here is what the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife recommends:

1. Fill the bird bath basin with a solution of one part bleach and nine parts water.
2. Cover the bath with a trash bag and let it soak for 15-20 minutes.
3. Drain the bleach/water mixture in a safe area. Rinse the bath thoroughly and let it dry in the sun before refilling.

What should I do if I find a dead bird at my feeder?

If sick or dead birds are found at a feeder, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife recommends:

• Taking the feeder down immediately and removing any remaining seed from the feeder. Clean and store the feeder for two weeks to stop the birds from gathering in common areas.
• After two weeks, put the feeders back up, but place them in a different location, if possible, to avoid contaminated soil. Leftover seed still in the bag should be safe to use. Watch for sick birds. If any are seen, take the feeders down again and clean and store them for another two weeks.
• Follow the same protocols for cleaning and storing birdbaths.

If multiple deceased birds are discovered at feeders, report observations to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife via the online sick or dead bird reporting portal or by calling the agency’s Information Center at 1-800-858-1549, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (ET) weekdays, excluding holidays.

Katie Wiseman is a trending news intern at IndyStar. Contact her at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter@itskatiewiseman.