Food Storage
There are five main aspects to ensuring your bird food is stored in good condition and ready to be used when you need it:
If seeds get even slightly damp they will either start to germinate and sprout, or can go mouldy. In either case, the seeds then can’t be fed to birds, so ensuring they are always kept completely dry is essential.
There’s obviously a limit to the extent this can be achieved, particularly in the summer. The cooler you can keep stored bird food the better, as this will prolong the useable life of the seed and help preserve its condition. Using a garage or similar out-building for your bird food storage is ideal, as the lack of heating and concrete floor ensures a relatively low temperature. Timber sheds and green houses are not ideal, as they typically become hot if they’re in direct sunlight.
If you use an out-building for storing your bird food, mice and rats will be attracted if it isn't kept in a well-sealed container. As well as eating the food, rodents will also contaminate remaining food, so it really is essential to keep it in well-sealed containers like those shown.
For most people this isn't a problem as their garden birds ensure that it’s never stored for too long! But if for any reason your supply is out-stripping demand, then having enough for no more than six months is a good idea.
Sealed plastic containers such as our Food Storage Buckets are ideal, with this ensuring, along with the other points above, that your bird food will be kept in good condition.
Keeping bird food dry
If seeds get even slightly damp they will either start to germinate and sprout, or can go mouldy. In either case, the seeds then can’t be fed to birds, so ensuring they are always kept completely dry is essential.
Keeping bird food cool
There’s obviously a limit to the extent this can be achieved, particularly in the summer. The cooler you can keep stored bird food the better, as this will prolong the useable life of the seed and help preserve its condition. Using a garage or similar out-building for your bird food storage is ideal, as the lack of heating and concrete floor ensures a relatively low temperature. Timber sheds and green houses are not ideal, as they typically become hot if they’re in direct sunlight.
Preventing rodents getting to stored bird food
If you use an out-building for storing your bird food, mice and rats will be attracted if it isn't kept in a well-sealed container. As well as eating the food, rodents will also contaminate remaining food, so it really is essential to keep it in well-sealed containers like those shown.
Don’t keep bird food for too long
For most people this isn't a problem as their garden birds ensure that it’s never stored for too long! But if for any reason your supply is out-stripping demand, then having enough for no more than six months is a good idea.
The best container and place to store bird food
Sealed plastic containers such as our Food Storage Buckets are ideal, with this ensuring, along with the other points above, that your bird food will be kept in good condition.