Scrub, Rinse, Repeat

What you should use to clean feeders and how often to do it to keep birds healthy.

- JILL STAAKE

Watching birds at backyard feeders is one of life's greatest simple joys-but with that joy comes responsibility. "Just as you wash your own dishes for guests before you have a party, it's good to wash your bird feeders periodically," says Emma Grieg, project leader for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch. "It helps reduce the spread of diseases transmitted by germs left by sick birds."

To-Do List

Emma recommends cleaning your seed feeders every two weeks. If you see sick birds, you should clean your feeders more often or consider taking them down. But if you have few visitors and everyone seems healthy, you can clean a little less often. It's important to regularly check your birdseed, suet and other foods to ensure they haven't gone moldy or rancid, especially in hot or wet weather.