{"id":5041,"date":"2016-06-02T18:28:23","date_gmt":"2016-06-02T18:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thebackyardnaturalist.com\/wordpress\/?p=5041"},"modified":"2021-08-18T12:03:19","modified_gmt":"2021-08-18T16:03:19","slug":"mold-alert-clean-feeders-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebackyardnaturalist.com\/wordpress\/mold-alert-clean-feeders-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Check Bird Feeders for Mold NOW!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dangerous mold and fungus<\/strong> may be developing in the bottom of your bird feeders, due to the last month or more of what seems like never-ending rain.<\/p>\n

We were shocked at the amount of mold in our feeders\u2014even though we’d recently cleaned them all. They were DISGUSTING!!!<\/strong> Finding them in this state alarmed us so much, we are sending out an emergency email alert to all our subscribers.<\/p>\n

How to Rid Wild Bird Feeders of Mold or Fungus<\/h2>\n

Hot & Soapy Water. Soak. Scrub. Rinse Well.<\/h3>\n

It’s that simple. Please, we urge you to check your feeders ASAP<\/strong>. If you see mold, or the seed is clumping (a sign of pre-mold dampness), dispose of the seed and clean the feeder thoroughly with hot soapy water, as stated above.<\/p>\n

For a step-by-step guide see our resource ‘How to clean a bird feeder<\/a>‘.<\/p>\n

Clear Shell Debris from Under Feeders<\/h3>\n

Rake up any shell debris on the ground below your feeders. It will likely have mold, too.<\/p>\n

Moldy Bird Seeds, Nuts and Suets Can be Deadly!<\/h3>\n

We need to take this seriously, as birds can contract diseases from inhaling mold\/fungus spores.<\/p>\n

Check Indoor Food Supplies, Too!<\/h3>\n
\"Check

Don’t forget to check your stored food, too.<\/p><\/div>\n

Check all your stored seed, nuts and suets.<\/strong> It should smell fresh and nutty. If you notice any unpleasant musty smell or clumping, it’s gone bad. Throw it away and replace with fresh!<\/p>\n

If in Doubt, Throw It Out.<\/h3>\n

We can’t over-emphasize how important it is to keep your wild bird food fresh and your feeders clean, dry and uncontaminated<\/strong>. After all, we make sure our human restaurants achieve sanitation standards with routine inspections to protect us from spoiled food.<\/p>\n

Our Wild Birds are Vulnerable<\/h3>\n

As good stewards, it’s up to us to do the same diligence for our backyard feeder customers. Wild birds may be less discerning than we are, but they’re just as vulnerable<\/em> when food goes bad!<\/p>\n

And now the good news: it’s not hard to remedy this situation–even if you find your feeders as disturbingly moldy as ours were! It just takes some hot, soapy water, a good scrub, and a rinse with clean water!<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Check Feeders Regularly All Season<\/h2>\n

Dryer and cooler temperatures may slow growth of the icky stuff, but get this…It doesn’t die<\/strong>–even at 0\u00b0F– it just goes dormant and waits<\/strong> for the temperature to rise again. But, we should never wait<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

Our wild birds and this nesting season’s new broods will thank us by continuing to grace our backyard feeders in good health.<\/p>\n

Thank you for reading!<\/p>\n

Debi, Mike and The Backyard Naturalist Team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dangerous mold and fungus may be developing in the bottom of your bird feeders, due to the last month or more of what seems like never-ending rain. We were shocked at the amount of mold in our feeders\u2014even though we’d recently cleaned them all. They were DISGUSTING!!! Finding them in this state alarmed us so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":5052,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,33,41,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feeding-wild-birds","category-wild-bird-seeds-suets","category-wild-bird-feeders","category-the-backyard-naturalist-store"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t