THE HOUSE FINCHES AT MY FEEDER APPEAR SICK AND THEIR EYES ARE CRUSTED SHUT. WHATS WRONG?
A. House finches can become inflicted with a bacteria known as Mycoplasma gallisepticum. To a lesser degree, chickadees, nuthatches, and pine siskins are also susceptible to the disease. The disease does not affect humans. The bacteria is spread from bird to bird by contact at feeders. You can greatly reduce the chance of this bacteria spreading by cleaning your feeders twice during the winter and once a month during the summer. Use a solution of 10 parts water to one part bleach. Make sure the feeder is completely dry before filling with seed.
