Winter is a tough time for many people, but it’s also one of the best times to feed your backyard birds. After all, they need food as we do! This post will teach you what to do and what not to do when feeding your backyard birds in winter. We’ll give you plenty of dos and don’ts that will help make this process much easier.
Do Buy Quality Seeds For The Birds
The price of good birdseed is worth it. You don’t want to feed them cheap food! That won’t attract the birds you want! Instead, buy good-quality seeds at FeedsAndSeeds.com. It’s also best not to buy big bags of seeds because they can go bad if they sit around too long and aren’t used up quick enough. Smaller bags with a sell-by date are the best bet.
Make sure to not give them stale bread or moldy fruit either. Also, don’t feed them bread and crackers, they need nutritious food to survive the cold weather! Bread is fine as long as it’s not moldy, but you’ll want to avoid anything that has added sugar or salt because those things aren’t good for their little birdie bodies.
Don’t Feed Your Birds Just Before a Snowstorm
Most birds do not need supplemental food during the winter months. You should feed your backyard birds only when it is necessary to help them survive through harsh weather conditions like snowstorms. If you are feeding your backyard birds, only provide enough food to last a week. During this time, birds can store extra fat in case they are unable to find any more food or it becomes too cold for them to go out and search for food.
Do Provide Them With Water If It’s Freezing
Birds need water at least as much as they need food. If it’s too cold for the birds to drink from a birdbath, keep them supplied with seed so that they can at least eat.
Birds will also appreciate being able to bathe if there is no other source of water. If you have a small fountain or other running water near where your feeders are, this can help attract birds to bathe and drink at the same time–a win-win for everyone! If it’s too cold for any open water to stay unfrozen, try putting out some suet blocks that the birds can peck at to get a bit of water.
Don’t Buy Cheap Seed Mixes
You get what you pay for. Cheap seed mixes lack the nutritional value that a high-quality mix will have. They’re also not going to attract as many birds, as they don’t have a high variety of ingredients them when compared to other blends. So don’t buy cheap seed mixes if you want your backyard birds fed well through winter.
One of the most important ways to help backyard birds in winter is by feeding them quality seed mixes. Remember, there are no grocery stores where wild birds live! So you must provide nutritious food that has everything they need for survival.
Don’t Forget To Clean Your Feeders
Cleaning your bird feeders is an essential part of having a healthy yard. It’s also important to clean the area under and around the feeder, as well as any surrounding plants. This will help prevent any disease from spreading throughout your entire backyard. When you’re finished cleaning: restock with seed that won’t attract rodents, mold, or fungi. It can be difficult to know exactly what seed is good for the birds in your area, so you might want to consult with an expert. This will ensure that all of the feeders are stocked properly.
Also remember: if possible, try not to leave your feeders out in freezing temperatures. If water gets into the seed, it can freeze and expand inside of the feeder, causing damage to your birdseed! Don’t use caustic chemicals though! These are dangerous for both people and animals and will kill or poison the birds that eat from your feeders. Don’t use a pressure washer, which can damage the plastic.
Don’t Forget to Replenish Your Feeders
Birds need food throughout the winter to keep warm, so don’t forget to replenish your feeders as needed. If you don’t have a backyard birdfeeder, now is a great time to get one! This will make it easy for birds and people alike to enjoy watching them in their backyards or on nearby trails.
If you decide to feed birds, remember that this is an invitation for lots of other wildlife too! Squirrels are especially good at hanging around birdfeeders and stealing food from them, so keep your eyes open when feeding birds in winter. You can also consider feeding birds in ways that don’t attract other wildlife.
Don’t Leave Feeders Up After the End of Winter
A good rule to follow is that if you see any leaves on trees or plants starting to grow, it’s time for your birdfeeders to come down. This includes suet and nectar feeders as well! Leaving them out too long can lead to problems with insects and diseases.
Also, remember that the ground around your feeders will be very muddy after a long winter of snow and ice – so make sure to clean up any food scraps or spills from underneath them! And if you live in an area where it rains a lot during spring, take out all nectar feeders before March hits. This helps prevent the spread of a fungal disease called “wet tail” which can kill birds. Finally, if you find that your feeder is empty most of the time during warmer weather, it might be because there are already plenty of birds in your area. If this happens to you, don’t worry – just remove the feeder! You can always put out a birdbath or other water source instead.
Feeding the birds can brighten your day, but these are some rules when it comes to feeding them in the cold months. Follow these dos and don’ts for keeping backyard birds healthy all season long
