More on feeder cleaning

14 years ago

As I have previously stated I use hot soapy water and brushes to clean my feeders. Many articles have stated that hummers dont like the residue and wont come back to those feeders. I think I have blasted that myth as shown by my most recent vids. Be advised that I only use hot water and brushes to clean inside the bottle part of feeder. But now I have to make some adjustments in my methods because of the mold that forms in feeders over time and can be deadly to hummers. Im going to leave a link in an article I found that sounds like one good way to clean feeders that the base doesnt come apart for easy cleaning. But also you could just use your sink to soak your feeders using a 1:10 ratio of bleach to water and soak them for an hour or so then rinse , rinse and rinse well after. This will most likely only need to be done after several fillings of your feeder or when you see the black mold forming.

Here is a link that might be useful: feeder cleaning

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Comments (11)

donnalovesblue
14 years ago
Good advice hummersteve. I do clean mine using the method you described. Soaking them in a bleach/water solution is the only way to remove the accumulation of mold inside of non-removable bases...I try not to let mine get to that point, but there is always some present even though I clean and change the nectar every 1 or 2 days. I keep extra feeders on hand so as not to disrupt their feeding..I'll fill a clean feeder, then take one down, etc...my rotation system so to speak.

Looks like you're still in the lead and yes, I AM COUNTING!! LOL! My population may be somewhat down from this same time last year, but I'm not sure. I have just 5 feeders up right now, and there are 2 they seem to favor as they're emptied pretty quickly. OK, you've had your fun long enough, so send a few on down my way!!

Donna
eigdeh
14 years ago
Hi Donna,

What 2 feeders do they favor? What are the other 3?

Thanks!
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It depends on temperature and amount of use. When it gets to 90 degrees and above, I change it almost daily. I have several feeders and those that are in the shade, can go every other day. The more visitors also impacts how quickly the feeders need changed. I use HummZinger mini feeders which have a clear reservoir. I check the feeders every couple of days. If the nectar appears at all cloudy, out it goes. I wash my feeders in plain old dishwater with a 10% chlorox rinse. I've also run them through the dishwasher. Nothing seems to deter hungry hummers! Rule of thumb around our house: temps in the 70s I change every 3-4 days, temps in the 80s every 2-3 days, temps in the 90s every 1-2 days. Works for me.
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I agree that it's futile to try to get rid of every single organism...even if you could do it by boiling, bleaching and brushing, it would be contaminated immediately when you step outside, and would get worse every time a hummer stuck his beak in it, which for me is many times a day. The idea behind cleaning every couple days is to keep the bacteria under control (not to eliminate it altogether) and to keep the solution from fermenting. I don't boil my solution. I've done a bit of research on this, and while some sources will tell you that you need to boil the water to kill the micro-organisms, a lot of reliable sources say that you do not need to boil it because it's not the sugar or the water that has all the "germs" in it, it's the beaks of the hummingbirds. That makes a lot of sense to me. I've discovered that my solution is cloudy if I use organic sugar, but if I use regular old white sugar, and stir it thoroughly, the sugar dissolves and the solution is crystal clear. I've also read that uncoooked rice can be used to clean the inside of feeders. It serves the same purpose as BB's or pea gravel, and gets into even harder-to-clean nooks and crannies.
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hummersteve
Original Author
14 years ago
Hey Donna

I just sent some on their merry way south this morning. You should be seeing them shortly lol.
donnalovesblue
14 years ago
Oh, how sweet of you hummersteve! I promise to take good care of them!

While the 2 they favor right now are Perky Pets, it may have more to do with where they are located..perhaps a little of both. The 2 PPs hang from the eaves of my breezeway, going down to the patio and 1 is a hummzinger on a sheperds hook at the edge of the patio. The other 2 currently up are in front of my kitchen window on a sheperds hook..1 PP and 1 hummzinger. I will add more as they are needed. The breezeway feeders are the ones they are favoring..but in Aug. and Sept., I have so many hummers that all feeders are busy!

Donna
hummersteve
Original Author
14 years ago
I have a good bit of action now, but august is the fun month. I anticipate it like a kid on christmas morn. That is when I change my schedule around just for them. I set my alarm to be sure Im out with my coffee before they arrive. Then I start counting or trying to as they arrive, but of course Donna Im sure you lose count before that. Am I the only one that gets excited about august. I know it is a bitter-sweet time so I get all I can out of it. Is my excitement spilling thru this message,, sorry.
donnalovesblue
14 years ago
Hummersteve, you are in good company so don't apologize for your excitement! My "over the edge" enthusiasm is not just about hummers, but my nesting birds! I am one bird crazy lady! I was lucky to have had both bluebirds and chickadees nesting this year. It's always bittersweet to see the last brood of bbs fledge, but the few hummers at that time always pick up my spirits and ease the "empty nest" syndrome...and yes, the anticipation of Aug. is exciting! Do you get a little down in the dumps when they're gone?? I do, so by mid Oct., it's the "empty nest" syndrome all over again!!!!

Donna
hummersteve
Original Author
14 years ago
No bbs here that I have seen. Actually I start to get down when the numbers start dwindling as I realize its the beginning of the end for this season. I have many different kinds of birds here from very large to very tiny. There is a huge farmland across the street from me.
ltlhbgrl
14 years ago
hummersteve, i am totally with you! I have a bunch (for me at least) right now and know many more will arrive in August!! I can hardly wait for their numbers to grow, but also almost hate to see the time come as i know they are headed South!! It's so bittersweet! In April, when they come "home" again, it just bring tears to my eyes...good to know others love them like i do and that i'm not the only "nut" around!! :)
rob_a
14 years ago
I find it hard to believe that hygenic care of your feeders as you would wash your dishes isn't enough. I to use bleach twice a month or so, but also wash my feeders in the dish washer as well. Is there really a residue of soap left after the rince cycle that could harm them? I think not.
scaldude
14 years ago
Wow, I rarely use soap when cleaning my humzingers....after the first bug incrusted beak hits it, the feeder's "contaminated" again (LOL). Maybe, because I only fill them half way, the sugar water isn't there long enough to get moldy.

These are wild birds, yes? I'm guessing they have pretty good immune systems...survival skills...probably can tell if a feeder's gone bad??? Whatever floats your boat.

Good Humming.
jeelli
14 years ago
Anyone use vinegar to clean their feeders? I've been using that instead of bleach. I've heard it works just as well as bleach (but the smell it leaves on your hands is another story)

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