Is the feeder in the sun The first few times the weather may have been cooler and now that it has gotten warmer it may cloud up. Another option is to use vaseline to keep ants off your feeder. The only thing I do is stir as it nears the boiling point (at this point the sugar is all dissolved) and then turn the heat off the minute it starts bubbling. ![]() Readers have mentioned adding some oil to the water helps as well. When hung above the feeder and filled with water, these traps form a moat to prevent ants from accessing the hummingbird food. Luckily, there’s a simple and clever ant trap made specifically for hummingbird feeders. What about ants? Those determined little critters will find a way to get to your hummingbird food no matter how high you hang your feeder.Where should your hummingbird feeder be placed? It’s best to hang it near some trees and away from windows and any busy activity.If the food starts looking cloudy in the feeder sooner than that, it’s time to swap it out. ![]() How often should hummingbird food be changed? It’s recommended to change and clean your hummingbird feeder at least once a week in cooler months, and twice a week during the warm summer months to avoid mold (even every 1-2 days!).It’s not necessary, and any extra ingredients could potentially harm the hummingbirds. Will red food coloring help attract more hummingbirds? Please don’t add any food coloring, honey, brown sugar, or anything else to your hummingbird food.Maybe if you plan on making extra food to store in the fridge, or if your water quality isn’t the best, then that’s when you should consider boiling your water. It’s also important to note only refined sugar (white granulated sugar) should be used in this recipe. To boil or not to boil? According to, simply using really hot clean water is enough to dissolve your granulated refined sugar.So, if you have space, plant a garden with plenty of Hummingbird and bee-friendly flowers (no pesticides, please) and put a hummingbird feeder out for them to drink your homemade Hummingbird Food out of.Hip tips for making your own hummingbird food: Once the feeder has been rinsed well and dried it is safe for the hummingbirds. A ratio of 10:1 water to bleach is strong enough to kill any harmful bacteria. This is the same solution used in restaurant kitchens and is very safe and easy to make. If you are cleaning by hand, I use a diluted bleach water solution for sanitizing and disinfecting. I have two feeders that I rotate, one outside with food in it and one that is being cleaned and dried, ready for the next rotation. Preferably, choose a feeder that can go in the dishwasher. The fancy, super ornamental feeders might be the worst because they aren’t easy to clean. The first thing you want to do is choose a feeder that can be easily disassembled and cleaned. The feeder has the potential to grow all sorts of fungus, mold, and mildew so it is very important to clean it regularly. ![]() There is one thing that is extremely important for the health of the hummingbirds, and that is the cleanliness of the feeder.įeeders are out in the hot air and any contaminants, such as dust, ants, bees, pollen, and bacteria from the bird’s beak, etc., will cause the sugar in the Hummingbird food recipe to start fermenting. We should never add red dye, honey or other types of sugar to Hummingbird Food, just plain granulated (caster) sugar and water. My Hummingbird Food recipe is very simple with only two ingredients, four parts water to one part granulated sugar. And although my Hummingbird Food recipe is a little different from my normal people’s food recipes, everyone needs good food, so I have a recipe for everybody, even the Hummingbirds. I just saw our first hummingbird of the season this morning, he was drinking from the waterfall in our backyard koi pond.
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