Now is the time to give your birdfeeders a good cleaning. We recommend using 9 parts water to 1 part bleach. When dry, fill with a good quality seed mix.

As our nights get colder, birds need more calories to stay warm. You may also host some birds that have worked up an appetite flying south across Lake Erie. Don't forget to offer suet cakes as they are high in energy. Woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice and nuthatches love them.

After cleaning your hummingbird feeder, continue to provide food until late October. This will not keep them from migrating but will supply much needed fuel for the long flight south. Hummingbirds from farther north will appreciate the opportunity to fill their tanks.