Hanging Bird Feeders and other Types of Feeders

Metal or hard plastic feeders may be more durable than wood depending on the climate in your area. The feeder should be reasonably large to save you from the requirement of filling it frequently. Do not allow mold to form on the feeder or the food. Cleaning bird feeders every ten days or so is essential. The best way to clean your feeder is to wash it in soapy water and then soak it in a solution of one part bleach and nine parts water. After that, wash the feeder with clear water and dry it completely before filling with seeds. Clean the ground below or around the bird feed of accumulated waste food. A simple garden rake will suffice for this clean-up chore. Discard the wasted seed in a tightly sealed garbage container since varmints like raccoons or opossums will rifle through the trash to get to the bird seed.

Placing Your Bird Feeder

Place the bird feeder near cover but not too close. You don't want to make it easy for cats or squirrels to get at the feeder. The squirrels will scatter and eat the seed and the cats will scatter and eat the birds! Try to keep the feeder about ten feet from any potential predator "launch pad." If necessary you may have to use baffles or other anti-squirrel devices since they can be creative and tenacious when they decide they want at that feeder.

Many stores give feeding advice along with selling birdseeds. They will held you pick the best wild bird seed for your area and can point you toward appropriate mixtures. You may find that it's better to buy various types of wild bird food separately to avoid waste.