Date: 1/23/25 12:09 pm From: Donna Lee Scott <dls9...> Subject: RE:[cayugabirds-l] [cayugabirds-l]) washing feeders
Sorry about the vague “mild” ref. to bleach solution. I meant people should follow directions on the bleach bottle for a final sanitizing.
I have to differ with John on the part about using a 10% bleach solution as the “wash, plus sanitize” in one step.
In Food Science education, I used to teach my Extension Agents, restaurant workers and others, in my Cooperative Extension food safety workshops, that we need to wash dishes etc. with soapy water to get all the “dirt” and food matter off,
BECAUSE BLEACH IS MADE INACTIVE BY A LOT OF DIRT AND PARTICULATES.
And certainly all the gunk from bird food and bird poop, etc. is a lot of particulate matter on the bird feeders.
If the bleach is made inactive by being tied up by particulates, it will not kill the germs.
So, that is why I say wash (scrub/soapy water) all the stuff off first, rinse with clean water, then sanitize with a bleach solution according to the bottle directions. Let bleach water dry on the feeder.
It’s not as hard as it sounds.
Donna 😊
Donna L Scott
377 Savage Farm Dr
Ithaca, NY 14850
<DLS9...><mailto:<DLS9...> 607-379-1694
From: John Gregoire <johnandsuegregoire...>
Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2025 1:03 PM
To: Donna Lee Scott <dls9...>
Cc: madonna stallmann <madonnaoftheprairie...>; CAYUGABIRDS-L <CAYUGABIRDS-L...>
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Feeders, finches & disease
Wordslike "mild" have been a problem in the past. Cleaning may be done with a 10% bleach solution used during cleaning and then allowed to dry in place with no further rinsing.
Interesting comment on the restriction you cite. It has not been promulgated to those of us licensed to handle birds for research. We have been reminded to follow strict protocols for health and safety.
John
On Thu, Jan 23, 2025 at 10:19 AM Donna Lee Scott <dls9...><mailto:<dls9...>> wrote:
I can understand why one would think tube feeders with those little holes with a perch under them, where birds stick in their head to get seeds, hence eye contact with sides of the opening, might spread eye disease more readily than a platform feeder, but platform feeders are notorious for collecting a lot of bird poop which may have other pathogens in it.
All feeders should be regularly washed, rinsed, then sanitized with a mild bleach solution & dried,
because congregations of birds on feeders can inoculate them with disease-causing microbes.
Also, a reminder: As Cayuga Bird Club member, Dr. Ton Schat, said, do not touch any dead birds these days, because of the risk of avian influenza in a dead bird.
A few humans have contracted this disease. 1 or 2 have died.
Also FYI: The new president of the US has now ordered gov’t agencies like the FDA & the CDC to stop issuing all public info announcements about things like Avian Influenza until such pass muster with one of his political appointees, who may or may not have any scientific credentials.
Donna Scott
Kendal at Ithaca-377
Sent from my iPhone
I'm wondering if anyone knows of any studies done comparing the eye infection rate of finches using open, platform style feeders as opposed to tube feeders with head openings? It just seems to me that there would be less chance for spreading infection with open platform feeders. What do you think?
