Hummingbirds are beautiful little wonders to behold, and it’s lovely to see them flitting around the garden. In addition to planting nectar-rich species, many people hang hummingbird feeders to attract these sweet creatures to their property.
Here’s how to keep these feeders clean and well cared for, so our feathery friends can stay as healthy and happy as possible.
Why is it Important to Keep Hummingbird Feeders Clean?
You may think that all you need to do in order to attract hummingbirds is to put out a hanging feeder full of something sugary for them to sip.
In reality, offering them the wrong types of food or neglecting to keep the feeders in good condition can cause these birds irreparable harm and even kill them.
If your hummingbird feeders aren’t cleaned regularly, or if you use anything other than white granulated sugar in them, the nectar can start to produce fungal spores. When and if hummingbirds ingest these spores, they can take root and germinate in the birds’ gullets or on their tongues.
This causes the birds’ tongues to swell so they can’t be retracted. As a result, the hummingbirds die of starvation because they can’t feed. Although this can happen with standard granulated sugar, it’s more common when people use honey or brown sugar in their feeders.
Brown sugar, due to its high iron content, can cause terrible fungal issues and kill hummingbirds.
Please be diligent about cleaning your feeders every few days, sticking to food that’s healthy for these little ones, and changing out the nectar well before it has a chance to ferment. If you can’t commit to doing this in order to keep hummingbirds safe and healthy, please don’t hang any feeders at all.
If you love these little birds as much as we do, be sure to read our article on How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard This Summer.
How and How Often to Clean Hummingbird Feeders
You should clean your hummingbird feeders and replace the nectar inside them every few days. In particularly hot weather, change it every one to two days instead. The heat will ferment the sugar, which can seriously damage the little birds.
To clean your feeders, you’ll need a few tools and supplies:
- Small bottle-cleaning brushes: You can get a set like these at various garden centers or online, or use small brushes that come with steel straws. As long as they can clean the feeder and the feeding ports, you’re good.
- Dish soap
- Vinegar OR hydrogen peroxide
Step 1:
Every few days, empty out any remaining sugar water and soak the feeder in hot, soapy water. Use the cleaning brushes to scrub out both the canister and the feeding ports, making sure that you get into all the nooks and crannies.
If you can’t get your hands on small brushes, you can use old toothbrushes, cotton swabs, and even pipe cleaners from the dollar store. Essentially, as long as you scrub the fungus and bacteria out of your hummingbird feeders, it doesn’t really matter which tools you use. All that matters is that they remain safe enough to keep the little ones healthy.
Step 2:
Rinse the feeder with hot water to remove any soap residue, and then create a soaking solution for it. If you’re using vinegar, aim for a 1:2 ratio of vinegar to hot water. If you’re using hydrogen peroxide, that should be 1:3 peroxide to hot water.
Submerge all of the hummingbird feeder parts in this solution and allow it to soak for two to three hours. Once that’s done, rinse it thoroughly with multiple water changes until all the vinegar or bleach has been rinsed clean.
Step 3:
Let the components dry out on paper towels or a clean dish towel and reassemble. Fill your feeder with a fresh batch of sugar water and hang it back up. Then sit back, relax, and wait for the birds to realize that you’ve replenished their food source.
Hummingbird Food Recipe
Although you may have come across hummingbird food packets at your local garden center, they often contain a red dye that’s harmful to our little friends. Instead, you should only offer them a solution made with granulated white sugar. The recipe is a 1:4 ratio of sugar to water, as follows:
- In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of water (distilled or tap water) to a boil
- Add 1/4 cup of white granulated sugar, and stir frequently until fully dissolved
- Allow this mixture to cool completely, and then fill your clean, sterilized feeder
You can easily double or triple this recipe if you have multiple hummingbird feeders, but it’s better to make small batches and refill them regularly. If it’s easier for you to make larger batches at a time, you can store the extra nectar in clean, sterilized containers in the fridge for up to two weeks.
If you’d like to attract even more hummingbirds to your garden, make a point of offering them some of their favorite flowers. Check out our article on 28 Gorgeous Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds for some ideas on the best species to cultivate.
Additional Notes
In addition to keeping your hummingbird feeders in good working order, it’s important to ensure that you hang them in places that offer the birds safety from potential predators.
Hang your feeder at least five feet off the ground to dissuade animals from trying to get at the nectar, in a shady spot so the liquid doesn’t ferment as quickly.
Ensure that other food sources are available nearby, such as flowers that hummingbirds love to sip from and a fresh water source. Hanging your feeder from a tree nearby will offer them places to perch and also provide protective cover from predatory birds.
Finally, secure the feeders. Squirrels, raccoons, and other climbing species like to knock the feeders down to get to the tasty liquid inside. You can dissuade them from doing this by using wire to hang the feeder since they can’t chew through it and hanging a protective baffle over it.
