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Clean Your Feeders

• Submerge your feeders in a solution of 1 part household bleach to 9 parts tepid water for two to three minutes.  Scrub them with a stiff bristled brush, and rinse thoroughly.  Dry well before refilling with birdseed.  Warm, sunny, fall days are ideal for this chore.
• Clean up the area around your feeders.  Clear away old seed and droppings with a broom or shovel.
• Check feeders for wear and tear being careful to notice sharp or rough edges.  Repair any damaged areas.

Winter Feeding

• Warming sunny days can mean moldy and decaying seed in your feeders. Birds eating spoiled seed may become sick or die, or they may avoid your feeders entirely. Inspect your feeders frequently and discard (don't compost) spoiled seed.
• Raw suet (the type purchased at grocery meat counters) will become rancid in warmer weather, so replace it with suet "pudding" blocks that you find at feed and other stores. These will remain fresh provided they are hung in the shade.

Winterize Bird Baths

• Scrub bird baths with a solution of 1 part household bleach to 9 parts tepid water.  If the bath is made of a material other than plastic, store for the winter inside a garage or basement.  Freezing water may break the bird bath. 
• Consider purchasing a heated bird bath, or invest in a heater. 

Seed Storage

• Store seed in tightly sealed containers to keep moisture and rodents out.  Moisture will cause seed to mold and render it useless.
• Check the seed in feeders that are not emptied daily for mold or otherwise spoiled seed.  

What to Feed Birds

Protect The Birds

• Protect the birds at your feeders from domestic cats by keeping your pet inside. This is safer for the birds and your cat. Locate feeders away from low growing shrubs that would hide predators from the bird's view. 
• Birds do, at times, strike the windows of our homes, often causing death or injury. The reflection of woods or sky in windows can fool birds into thinking what they are seeing is a part of their habitat. Decals or stickers can be placed on the window to break up the reflection. A more drastic approach would be to apply a film that reduces reflectance. Bird feeders should be placed at least 25 feet away from windows to reduce window strikes. See First Aide For Birds, for information on what to do with a bird that has hit a window.