When to take bird feeders down

Depending on your personal circumstances, then all regular bird feeders can be kept up every day of the year, with no need to pull them down.

Do not take down regularly bird feeders to accommodate certain bird species needs; while one group of birds eat fewer seeds or insects in summer or wintertime, others continue to feed as normal. Take down feeders to avoid them damaging in a storm or the forecast predicting frost, then get them back up.

When I am referring to not taking down bird feeders, I am of course only talking about feeders made to be put up in the yard all year round.

Feeders for seed mixes, peanuts, suet or dried mealworms should never be pulled down and stored away. Birds continue to feed on these food groups all year, even with birds that feed on less of one thing, but more on another.

Circumstances where bird feeders can be taken down is not to do with wild birds feeding habits, but more to do with safeguard of your bird feeders currently in use.

It won't make much sense to keep feeders outdoors in a storm, so bring them indoors to prevent them breaking - or indeed prevent them flying off around the neighborhood.

Similarly, an overnight frost can freeze up wild bird food so much, birds won't be able to feed on rock hard seeds, nuts or suet first thing in the morning. Take down bird feeders for this reason, but be sure to get them back up before birds arrive.

With that, bird feeders can be taken down to avoid common backyard pests in squirrels, raccoons or even bears that will raid your feeders in the day.

If the feeders are too heavy to move, as in a platform feeder, then remove bird food only.

Now that I've established bird feeders should not be taken down, the policy of never pulling down feeders isn't the same on the subject of hummingbird feeders.

Hummers are migrating birds, thus won't be in the States come the early fall; its therefore possible to take these feeders down, whilst cleaning them up to get ready for next year.

Feeders don't need taken down

If you mean regular bird feeders that are made to feed birds peanuts, seeds, suet or mealworms, then not at all.

Birds must be fed every day of the year as your wild birds can come to depend on feeders, especially in times of need. Drought can occur in summer, whilst tough winter months can deplete their natural food sources in the wild.

Feeders do not not need to be taken down as all birds that feed off them, are quite happy to return to the same feeders on a daily basis.

Less so in certain times of the year, but these common backyard birds can depend on a fully replenished group of bird feeders.

I will say it is perhaps possible to prioritize seed feeders all year, while feeders for use with mealworms only - I suppose can be pulled down until winter - when certain birds revert to feeding on insects in the wild.

One thing to note, not all wild birds eat insects in winter or seeds in summer; its therefore possible you can cater to one species whilst others have to go without.

Bird feeders should not be taken down at all then, as you guarantee all birds that come to your yard, can feed on what their diet requires - which can depend on the time of year.

Bring indoors with impending storm

When you should genuinely take down bird feeders is not dependable on wild birds needs, but more so to safeguard your bird feeders in use.

What use is keeping often fragile bird feeders outdoors when a storm is predicted in the coming days.

I am not advocating bringing all birds feeders indoors for the duration of the storm, as wild birds must continue to have access to wild bird food.

Instead, wait until the storm eases off slightly to keep feeders out in the yard, whilst pulling them down with any sign of the storm strengthening - to store all feeders safely indoors when the weather conditions pick up.

You'd bring bird feeders indoors with strong wind, torrential rain and a hurricane obviously.

In the meantime you'd want to keep these bird feeders up as long as you can, as birds can find it difficult to keep up their strength if they can't consume the food in the wild, or indeed access it at feeders in long spells of poor weather.

If your feeders do remain outdoors in a storm, at least if they break in the process, wild birds can forage for the food on the ground.

Overnight to avoid frost

Now this can be a bigger issue than the potential for bird feeders to be damaged in a storm, so you'll need to be extra cautious with overnight frost.

Good news is any frost will burn off later into the morning, but below freezing conditions over the duration of days or weeks, can prevent wild birds feeding off your bird feeders for the entire time.

What you'll have to do on your part is indeed take down these bird feeders, whilst storing them in an outdoor structure or the house where they can't freeze over.

Birds struggle to feed in the wild in times of long spells of frost, as the ground can't be forage for insects or bugs because its hard as a rock; whilst wild fruits die off or seeds are inaccessible.

Continue to make sure wild birds have access to an abundance of wild bird food in times of harsh winter months, by securing the feeders for a short time to prevent them freezing.

What happens is seeds or peanuts can freeze, whilst being fused together in the process - while dried mealworms can turn into rocks and so to can the suet cakes.

To avoid this happening on your bird feeders, it can be avoided if only taking down these feeders overnight, while putting them back up on the bracket or tree branch nice and early to beat the important morning feed.

Pests become a nuisance

When to take down bird feeders would of course depend on your circumstances, with perhaps an impending storm or frost freezing up bird food overnight.

What other reason you can take down bird feeders is if common backyard pests become a nuisance to you.

Squirrels, raccoons and beard can be a regular visitor to your yard, while in the process they raid your food intended for wild birds only.

You'd have to find a common ground here, because to bring bird feeders indoors to avoid this ever happening, will in the process remove a vital food source for your birds, in which would defeat the purpose of taking feeders down.

But this is where it relies more on you, as you try to find a common ground.

You could take down bird feeders and store them away overnight if nighttime raiders prefer to come to feeders at this time.

But if its in the day time with bears and squirrels steeling food, or indeed damaging bird feeders in case of bears - then pull feeders down when these pests are due in your yard, then put them back up when they are gone.

To keep bird feeders out of the yard for several days, this can in turn result in these same pests going elsewhere, and never to return - so do give this a go as it might work.

Empty bird feed only

I've so far suggested times when bird feeders only should be left up or indeed taken down to accommodate certain bird species.

And while I have made it apparently clear never to stop feeding common backyard birds with seed mixes, nuts, suet and, or dried mealworms - what's stopping you only removing bird food, rather than the fuss of bird feeders.

Now I would say to remove bird food at certain times to avoid it getting stolen or lost in poor weather, can be more hassle than its worth.

But in case of anyone using an open top platform on a pole, with one that hangs or is a specialty platform ground bird feeder, the idea of bringing these larger than normal bird feeders indoors, is not a likely one.

Platform bird feeders are made in wood so are heavy-duty, so unless you can drag them out of their spot - I would recommend simply cleaning the feeder of its food instead.

I won't say its a good idea to brush off the leftover bird food to then put back when the time is right - as it can rot or be contaminated by then - but to remove the wild bird food to replace it with fresh food only, is an easier solution for anyone involved

I would also say you must be careful when handling wild bird food as this can make you sick through the transmission of rotten bird covered in Salmonella.

All you have to do then is replenish this platform feeder with fresh bird food once any storm, overnight frost or indeed pests have disappeared indefinitely.

Remove Hummingbird feeder policy

In my explanation thus far of recommending never to take down bird feeders for seeds, peanuts and other popular wild bird food, the hummingbird feeder policy is very different.

Its therefore likely any hummingbird feeder of yours must be taken down, as hummers across North America will migrate to Mexico or Central America for the winter.

Come the fall then, these hummingbird feeders won't be used at all, until six or so months later when hummers return to the United States and Canada.

Hummingbird feeders shouldn't continue to be hung up in this time, as to do so can see them expire if not attended to regularly.

Feeders for hummingbirds must be taken down when you can be sure all hummers have left; only then should this plastic or glass hummingbird feeder safely be cleaned out, then stored away for later.

Don't be lazy by simply taking down a hummingbird feeder and not cleaning it before it goes in storage. Nectar left inside the feeder can indeed rot with mold forming in the interior - and if this is allowed to stay for when hummers return, there will be a lot of poorly birds.

With hummers expected to all be gone come early September, wait until a few more weeks to be sure there's no late stragglers, before taking down all hummingbird feeders.

To summarize

Continue to keep your regular bird feeders that are made for seeds, peanuts, suet, dried mealworms and other popular wild bird food, made available every day of the year.

Bird feeders do not need to be taken down to accommodate certain bird species needs.

Birds belonging to different species feed on all kinds of food throughout the year, while also favoring more insects or seeds in winter or summertime.

And whilst this applies to fewer common backyard birds than you think, taking down feeders whilst believing they won't be used, you'll very wrong. Remember to do so would only result in other birds going without.

I therefore ask you to never pull down your bird feeders if you think certain species would stop using them, as many others are sure to continue to feed off them 365 days of the year.

Having said that, there can be times when all bird feeders must be taken down, to avoid feeders getting damaged in a storm, or indeed the bird food being eaten up be common pests in your yard.

Frost can damage bird food so again feeders can be brought in to avoid an overnight, below freezing forecast.

In regards to hummingbird feeders, there is a time when to take down bird feeders for hummers.

Wait until hummers have completely disappeared from your yard come the fall, so in early September hummingbird feeders can be taken down. Six months or so later the hopefully cleaned out feeders can be put back up, ready for hummers to return.

Whilst I have only recommended taking down bird feeders, it is possible to only remove the food source if you are unable to move or store heavier, more awkward bird feeders.

Share this article: