To clean your bird feeder DO NOT USE SOAP! Use vinegar and water and shake it in the feeder. If there is mold in it, then add some grains of rice that will scrub it.
I lost my last feeder in the big wind we had a few weeks ago. It ripped the feeder right off of the hook, and it cracked when it fell to the ground. It was not a good day when I had already made the nectar.
This new one is rather quirky, and I like it! The hummingbirds took no time at all to figure it out.
I have told the story about moving into mom's home, and deciding not to put up a feeder. They began peering in at the window, looking for their feeder. Mom had been doing this since 1991. I put one up.
Hummingbird Nectar Recipe- 1 part sugar/4 parts water
- Boil the mixture for 5 minutes to kill bacteria
- Thoroughly clean the feeder by rinsing with one part white vinegar to four parts water.
- Do this weekly after the feeder is up and going, especially in hot weather.
- Check to see if the nectar is cloudy, which could mean (deadly) bacteria.
- Let cool and store excess in refrigerator until ready to use.
- If the feeder is dirty, add a few grains of dry rice to the vinegar solution to help scrub it clean, as an abrasive.
- Rinse out the vinegar wash by rinsing three times with clear, warm water before refilling with sugar solution.
- Do not add food coloring, honey (which ferments), or artificial sweetener, which has no nutritional value.
3 comments:
There was an interesting show on PBS last night about hummingbirds. We have one that always frequents our front porch, but we are afraid to put up a feeder because of the hornets and wasps. - Margy
I have noticed that there are more hummingbirds around this year. They have been hovering around my flowers. I don't have a feeder though because I have heard that a feeder will attract the bears. By the way, I love your header picture.
Jenn -- I can just see those hummngbirds knocking on the window wanting their dinner ;>). I've heard you should stop feeding them as Winter approaches so that they'll leave? Do you do that?
BTW, You have a spammer who snuck in in the comment above there -- the one that says it is from "Obama". I've had the "pleasure" of a visit from this website . They are such Idiots.
(Just delete that last part of my comment before you publish if you want to do so.)
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