As worries about bird flu continue to spread, people are questioning what will become of their beloved backyard bird feeders.
University of Otago zoology Prof Bruce Robertson said washing the feeders with warm water and soap ‘‘should keep everything peachy’’.
‘‘Just pay attention to cleanliness ... keep them clean — and that’s good practice anyway.
‘‘Viruses don’t like warm and hot water and definitely not soapy detergent.’’
He said if, despite the advice, people were still nervous about keeping a feeder in the backyard, there was nothing wrong with retiring the equipment for now.
If by chance someone did see a sick bird using the feeder, they should contact the Ministry for Primary Industries, he said.
‘‘Helping the health of the birds is important, so just keep their seed and water clean ... if you want to keep feeding them it’s just about doing what you should normally do.’’
Earlier this month, it was announced the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu that has been affecting countries around the world had arrived in New Zealand.
Last week, two birds — a brown skua and a kāhu harrier — were confirmed to have died from bird flu.
More than 500 reports of dead or unwell birds had been made since the disease was first detected.
The Department of Conservation said this week work to vaccinate about 300 birds of New Zealand’s most threatened species was well under way.
