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Bird feeders

DaisydayDaisyday Posts: 373
in Wildlife gardening

I cleaned out my bird feeders to refill for the bird watch hour I had comitted to do. What a job it was. Why can't someone invent a feeder that is easy to pull apart and put together again after cleaning?

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  • Peanuts3Peanuts3 Posts: 759

    I have this, it all comes apart, so with a brush its pretty quick and easy to clean after a quick soak.

    https://www.reallywildbirdfood.co.uk/seed-feeders/ring-pull-feeders/rpsf2g

    Hope that helps.

  • DaisydayDaisyday Posts: 373

    Thanks for your reply Peanuts. Unfortunately I bought a feeder just like the one advertised from the RSPB at the Tatton garden show but I find the top difficult to line up and have had it drop onto the ground more than once. I have, however managed to put it together for the bird watch and it hasn't fallen yet! The easiest one to clean is the one I bought from Aldi but it is a bit flimsy and only has a small rod for the birds to settle, only really suitable for bluetits.image

  • DaisydayDaisyday Posts: 373

    Thank you Patsy for your reply. I will certainly check Wilko's out. They do sometimes have some good things   In their store. I once bought a bird box there very cheaply.

    I do soak my feeders and use a baby bottle cleaner to remove those stubborn bits but it is a chore!

  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,498

    I have these feeders:-

    https://www.livingwithbirds.com/feeders/tubular-feeders/ring-pull-pro/seed-feeder

    They can seem pricey at first but they do last,I have had mine over 5 years now with no problems.Easy to clean.I have 2 hanging in the garden at any one time and another as a spare so I can change the feeder quickly and then give the dirty one a good clean.

    I have bought cheaper ones in the past but it is false economy in the long run as they are fiddly to clean and don't last long,some barely making it through a season!

    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • DaisydayDaisyday Posts: 373

    Thank you madpenguin I will explore all possibilities. We have repuditley rats in the area so it is important for me to find a reliable feeder which will not collapse!

    Thanow everyone for your input.image

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,149

    I only use feeders to hold peanuts, fat balls and fat blocks and find them easy to clean after a good soak.  Loose seeds go on a bird table but then I have no problems with grey squirrels here and am unlikely to get red ones as the habitat isn't there.

    My main problem was finding a magpie proof fat ball holder.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • ShepsSheps Posts: 1,718

    All my feeders are metal and strip down to the individual parts and I soak them in a large bucket filled with a Jeyes / Water solution, leave over night, then use the pressure washer to blast them clean.

    I then disinfect below the feeders ( paving flags ) with the same Jeyes solution and scrub with a yard brush and then pressure wash away.

  • DaisydayDaisyday Posts: 373

    Sheps, you certainly have a good cleaning routine. I'm afraid the seeds which escape to the ground get eaten up by the pigeons and blackbirds. I do move the feeding station  from time to time.image

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 52,134

    I use one of those little plastic scrubby brushes with a handle  you can use for doing dishes. They work quite well. I soak them for awhile, then use some hot soapy water with a bit of disinfectant afterwards.

    I hasten to add that I don't use the brush that we also use for the dishes.....image image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Johnny canoeJohnny canoe Posts: 367

    Sparrows hanging out close to the feeders this morning.image

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