Health & Care · Wildlife
Backyard Bird Feeder & Bath Biosecurity
Keeping Feathers Fresh and Flocks Safe
A feeder is a crowded diner, and crowded diners spread disease. 10 modules on why concentration equals contamination, spotting pox and conjunctivitis, the weekly 10% bleach scrub, raking hulls to stop deadly mold, shallow safe baths, Bti dunks that kill mosquito larvae and nothing else, when to take the feeders down (and for how long), rodent-proof seed storage, Salmonella hygiene, and reporting outbreaks to your wildlife agency.
About this course
Feeding birds is a kindness that quietly turns into a disease vector the moment the feeder gets dirty. This course keeps it a kindness. You'll learn why a feeder concentrates birds and germs the way a crowded diner does, how to spot the swollen eyes of conjunctivitis and the warts of avian pox, the weekly routine (hot soapy scrub, 10 minutes in 10% bleach, rinse, sun-dry), why the damp hull pile under the feeder breeds molds that kill ground feeders, how to build a bath that's shallow enough not to drown a finch and moving enough not to breed mosquitoes, what a Bti dunk does and doesn't harm, when sick birds mean the feeders come down for two to four weeks, why the seed bag in the garage is a mouse buffet, why feeders never go in the kitchen sink, and how reporting a die-off helps your state track an outbreak.
What you'll learn
- Why concentration equals contamination at any feeder
- Spotting avian pox and conjunctivitis, and what they mean
- The weekly scrub-and-bleach routine and raking the hulls
- Shallow, moving, safe bird baths and Bti mosquito dunks
- Feeder shutdowns during outbreaks, and pest-proof seed storage
- Salmonella hygiene for you, and reporting die-offs to the wildlife agency
Who this is for
Everyone with a feeder or a bird bath, especially anyone who's seen a puffed-up finch with crusty eyes and wondered what to do.
Course outline (10 modules)
Quiz & Certificate
Knowledge quiz
After completing all lessons, take a short quiz to test your understanding.
Go to quiz →Completion certificate
Pass the quiz and earn a shareable certificate of completion.
View certificate →Frequently asked questions
Ready to get started?
$9.99 · Lifetime access · 10 lessons