Watching the adorable birds while they feed on feeders provides so much pleasure. But, sometimes rain can make it hard to maintain the feeder, which causes wet seed. So, you need to protect the bird feeder while it rains. The article will provide enough information about protecting bird feeders from rain.
What are the risks with a wet bird feeder?
If you let bird feeders wet when it rains, it means you also allow the birdseed wet. There are several risks associated with it. A few are listed below:
Diseases can quickly spread: If you keep a bird feeder in a wet condition, you will notice mold can build up all over the feeder in a few days or even take one day. This condition is ideal for bacteria to grow.
The bacteria can easily rotten birdseed overnight, which means if birds take food from the feeder, they will probably be sick. Also, birds are social animals. They can spread the disease to others from your yard’s wet feeders.
Stickiness: When the feeder gets wet, the birdseed tends to clump and stick with each other. The bird finds it very hard to feed clump seed as they have a tiny throat.
Lots of waste: Birds always like to have fresh and dry seeds. When they find that feeder birdseed is wet, they will leave the bird feeder and start finding a new source of fresh seeds. Also, you know that soaked seeds get rotten rapidly, which means lots of seed waste.
Smell: After a few times, if you do not replace the wet birdseed, they will produce a bad smell that invites unwanted creatures and rodents into your yards.
How to protect bird feeders from rain?
You already know that a wet bird feeder can cause several problems. So, you need to fight this situation. Below are listed a few easy ways to protect bird feeders when it rains:
Move the feeder’s location
The simple and easiest way to protect the feeder from rain is by shifting the location. You can choose the below place when you notice cloud buildup and there is a chance of rain:
- To protect the seeds from rain, you can hang the feeder a few inches under the awning or roof.
- You can also minimize the water intrusion by positioning the feeder under a thick tree.
- Move the feeder to your deck or patio.
Add a rainproof bird feeder
Birds also eat from feeders in the rains. So, if you want to feed a bird when there is rain, you need to introduce a new feeder that can protect the birdseed and birds. For this, you can introduce an all-weather bird feeder to your feeder.
All-weather feeders aim to withstand extreme weather and provide fresh food. Generally, you need to find an all-weather feeder with a long enough cover to protect the seed from rain and prevent the buildup of water in the seed container.
Our recommended all-weather feeder is Songbird Essentials Weather Feeder. It comes with a rain protector, and the good part is when there is rain in your area, the feeder can provide enough shelter from the rain.
Add a rain guard
If you want to feed a bird in the rain but do not want to introduce a new bird feeder, then you should add a rain guard. You will find it at any home improvement store, hardware store, or online retail store.
The rain guard work as a bird feeder umbrella. The most common rain guard looks like a dome. For a better view, you can go with a transparent rain guard. You should select a large size that can protect the seeds and provide shelter for birds when there is heavy rain.
You can also use a baffle to keep the bird feeder safe from rainstorms. Though the aim of baffles is to keep squirrels away, you just need to lower their position, and it will start like a rain guard and a squirrel preventer.
Adding drainage system
If you do not want to add a rain guard or new bird feeder, you need to ensure that your recent bird feeder has enough drainage holes to drain the water after rain. However, many feeders do not come with adequate drainage.
So, you need to make some small holes below the feeder that easily drain the water. For this, you can use a drill. If you follow the method, you need to dry the feeder every time after the rains stop.
Do birds feed in the rain?
Yes, birds feed in the rain. So, if you have a bird feeder in your yard, you will probably notice birds feeding on the feeder. But, if there are so many rainstorms and cold, you will rarely see a bird.
Should you bring bird feeders in when it rains?
It depends on what type of bird feeder you own. If you have an all-weather bird feeder like a rain or wind proof bird feeder, you do not need to bring it back to the house or in the shade. Even it will help birds keep shelter if there is so much rain.
However, if the feeder does not have such a feature, you should bring it back. Otherwise, you will notice a seed wastage, and the feeder can not help birds in the rain.
What should you do with the bird feeder after the rain stop?
You need to ensure whether the birdseed is in good condition or not. If the seeds wet, you should remove the bird seeds from the feeder and dry them. Also, look out whether the feeder is in good condition and dry the feeder. Then fill it with fresh seed and again serve for the birds.
Final Words
Backyard birdwatching provides so much pleasure as well as is a responsibility. You need to monitor the bird feeding station frequently. In the rain, it is such a situation where your monitoring must be needed. You need to check whether the birdseed is in good condition or not and many more.
You can also reduce the monitoring by doing some beginning tasks to protect bird feeders from rain. I hope our today’s guide helped you in this regard.
