Hummingbird Feeder Maintenance

A hummingbird feeder needs to be kept clean and full. The little Hummingbird is a feisty and fussy diner! If a good maintenance regimen is followed, bird watching in your backyard will be more rewarding.

How Often Should You Clean Your Hummingbird Feeder?

Many people are concerned with how often their nectar feeder needs to be cleaned. This will largely be determined by four factors:

1. Seasonal temperature.

2. How effective pest control is managed?

3. How often the feeder is being emptied?

4. How much shade a feeder receives?

Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned thoroughly once a week in moderate temperatures. In hot weather, every two or three days will be necessary to prevent the syrup from fermenting and producing mold.

If pests are a problem to the point of driving the Hummers away, then it may be necessary to empty the feeder and give it a thorough cleaning. Be very careful when refilling not to drip syrup on the outside of the feeder. See the section titled “Unwelcome Guests to Hummingbird Feeder Nectar”

Violet Ear Green Hummingbird

If hummingbird food sits in the sun most of the day then the feeder may need to be cleaned every day or every second day.

It is not advisable to refill your feeder when it is empty without cleaning it. A small amount left in a feeder for only a couple of hours, will ferment much quicker.

Cleaning and Care

Maintenance of hummingbird feeders will take some care and cleaning. Use warm water and vinegar, or warm water with a drop of bleach and a couple of drops of dish detergent. Take note that detergent and soaps may interfere with some vacuum type feeders.

I have also heard of people putting uncooked rice with water in the feeder and shaking vigorously to clean out any mold that may have grown in the feeder.

Whatever solution is used great caution should be taken to thoroughly rinse it out.

This is how I clean syrup feeders.
I clean mine outside with the garden hose and two pails, (one for washing and one for rinsing).

In the washing pail, I use two drops of dish detergent for the stickiness and two drops of bleach for disinfecting. I rinse by immersion in the rinse pail and then I hose each part down after.

I clean all of the syrup feeders and any seed feeders that need cleaning at the same time, changing the water in the pails often.

Doing it outside takes care of the risk of salmonella poisoning and other bacteria worries. I use rubber gloves and my pails and brushes stay outside. This method makes it safe, quick and easy.

Brushes of all shapes and sizes made specifically for cleaning hummingbird feeders can be purchased in wild bird specialty stores. They are particularly useful for getting into hard to reach areas.

Nectar feeders can be gently sprayed with a garden hose if the syrup has been leaking and attracting pests. This is a quick fix for in-between regular washing days.

Don’t let your hummingbird feeder become dirty or empty. This will discourage the Hummingbirds from visiting your feeder. A dirty feeder could also make the little wild birds sick.

Of course, it will be necessary to purchase a new feeder from time to time!

Before purchasing a feeder it is a good idea to consider:

1. Glass is an easier and more hygienic material to clean than plastic.

2. Are there nooks and crannies that are hard to reach.

3. Will specially designed brushes be needed to get into some parts of the feeder?

4. Will the position of the feeder in your yard be convenient for frequent cleaning?

5. Should the feeder be hung or pole mounted for easy access?

Hummingbird feeding may seem to be a more complicated endeavour than was first understood. But the Hummingbird is a beautiful, character-filled, active little bird that will give you many hours of pleasure in return for your efforts!

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