Hummingbird Feeders

[KilljoyKlown]

Its not good for a few months. Flower nectar is changed out rapidly.

"Bacteria and mold grow in sugar water, and sugar ferments, so hummingbird water should never be left out for more than two or three days, and changed daily in very hot weather. "

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/page.aspx?pid=1181

That would depend on the type of feeder your using wouldn't it? The type of feeder I used doesn't allow most of the sugar water to be exposed to the air except for the small amount in the bottom of the feeder. The system is similar to the way a Sparklets bottle allows people to get a drink of clean safe to drink water. When the hummers were active they were able to finish off a 24oz bottle of sugar water in a week.

[milkweed]

That would depend on the type of feeder your using wouldn't it? The type of feeder I used doesn't allow most of the sugar water to be exposed to the air except for the small amount in the bottom of the feeder. The system is similar to the way a Sparklets bottle ...

No. Months on end indicate both stagnation and contamination. I am not aware of any hummingbird feeder that does not have air contact with the sugar water and it only takes a drop of exposure for the bacteria to infest the fluids.

When the hummers were active they were able to finish off a 24oz bottle of sugar water in a week.

Finishing off 24 oz in a week is different than 'months on end'. While I havent spent as much time feeding hummers (I feed everything else), my neighbor went through a gallon a day in her hummer feeders and a friend goes through 1/2 gallon a day at times. At my peak hummer feeding I went through 24 oz in a day, but that was only during one year. More realistic was having to change out the big feeder when it was between 1/4 and 1/2 full. I also had sphinx moths at night sipping juice. I got away from the hummers because racoons were taking down the feeders at night.

http://soledadcanyon.blogspot.com/2011/08/seasons.html

It is bad advice to let people think 'months on end' works. It doesnt and is potentially harmful for the creatures you trying to attract.

[leopold]

pay your admission and they hand you a little bottle of sugar water. You hold out the finger of one hand with the feeder right next to it in the other hand, and hummingbirds land on your finger to feed.

i've had 3 feeders on my porch for the last 6 years or so.
i've never seen a hummer "land" to feed at ANY of them.
they hover while moving back and forth into and out of the "flower" of the feeder.
i've even seen a few hummers flying upside down but never have seen one land to feed.

[KilljoyKlown]

i've had 3 feeders on my porch for the last 6 years or so.
i've never seen a hummer "land" to feed at ANY of them.
they hover while moving back and forth into and out of the "flower" of the feeder.
i've even seen a few hummers flying upside down but never have seen one land to feed.

If you search online you can find feeders that have perches for the hummers. I read many write ups on the different styles, and the ones with perches were recommended because they can save the hummers a great deal of energy while feeding. But I didn't buy one of those because I wanted one with a large bottle to hold the sugar water and couldn't find any like that, that sported perches. Also I have seen pictures of people that have had hummers land on their hands or fingers while they feed. Personally I don't have the patience for that kind hummer action.

[el es]

This feeder was just outside my kitchen window. Hanging from an awning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lJKrKllrFc

[iceaura]

That would depend on the type of feeder your using wouldn't it? The type of feeder I used doesn't allow most of the sugar water to be exposed to the air except for the small amount in the bottom of the feeder.

One of the major hazards is a type of mold, a yeast not a bacterium, that grows on the surfaces not only inside the feeder but also right at the feeding entrance (in the little hole, underneath and around any decorative bits, etc). It looks black, like a film of dirt or grease, but It can easily rub off on the hummer's beak or tongue, and can grow in the bird's respiratory passages or even lungs, where it obstructs breathing. A hummingbird needs a lot of air, and obstructed airways can kill it.

Feeders need to be cleaned frequently, regardless of how the sugar water looks inside, for this reason - taken apart (including the little plastic flower inserts etc) and physically scrubbed in all those crannies, hot water, etc. My sister uses bleach. Just changing the food doesn't address the problem - the mold remains attached.

The accounts here describe truly large quantities of sugar water consumed, compared with my experience. With four rubythroats feeding regularly in late August, my platform ("pancake" or flying saucer shaped) feeder runs through less than two cups (one filling) of 2:1 sugar water in three or four days (I always have lots to dump at cleaning time). From my experience with bottle feeders, the "upside down" gravity fed tube type, I suspect that people who go through a lot of food (gallons?!) are losing most of it to air pressure expulsion in the heat of the day, visits by coons or squirrels (especially flying squirrels, more common than most people know and can reach any feeder), and such. Either that or really amazing hordes of hummingbirds, that would be wonderful to watch.

[milkweed]

The accounts here describe truly large quantities of sugar water consumed, compared with my experience. With four rubythroats feeding regularly in late August, my platform ("pancake" or flying saucer shaped) feeder runs through less than two cups (one filling) of 2:1 sugar water in three or four days (I always have lots to dump at cleaning time). From my experience with bottle feeders, the "upside down" gravity fed tube type, I suspect that people who go through a lot of food (gallons?!) are losing most of it to air pressure expulsion in the heat of the day, visits by coons or squirrels (especially flying squirrels, more common than most people know and can reach any feeder), and such. Either that or really amazing hordes of hummingbirds, that would be wonderful to watch.

The neighbor (gallon a day) had 20+ feeders (23 sticks in my head) on 40 acres. She also had lots of flower beds. She had feeders all over the place, scattered over 10 acres because of all the territorial behavior of these birds. The surrounding habitat was varied with lots of oak savannah and large acreage tracts (360 n on 3 farms, 200 w 3 farms, 300 s 3 farms and 120 e 2 farms). Most of these farms have around 20% as oak savannah because of hills so its good nesting habitat. It was amazing to see 50 hummers at a time, in the trees, feeding, around the bushes. Thats what I counted one day while visiting. She said over 100 at a time was common (once the babies started flying). She also had been feeding these guys for 30 years at the same location so that would have affected her numbers with generations learning of the food supply.

You have a valid point with leakage. I cant say how much of that gallon a day was leaked, but it was likely not more than average per feeder, but just that many more feeders.

The friend who goes through 1/2 gallon a day also had the oriole feeder like this one (I had this one also):

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Woodstream...eeder/16457399

Orioles do cause spillage when the land/take off and we both had orioles. Max I saw at one time was 4 pair at my feeder/surrounding trees. When I stayed at her house (friends) I had to fill the oriole twice a day, the small hummers 3-4 times a day. One was over the sidewalk and only leaked when I flipped it over to put it up (others were over grass so not so easy to see leaking). She also put up multiple feeders because of the fighting. Maybe you would get more hummers if you put up feeders on several sides of the house.

[KilljoyKlown]

The accounts here describe truly large quantities of sugar water consumed, compared with my experience. With four rubythroats feeding regularly in late August, my platform ("pancake" or flying saucer shaped) feeder runs through less than two cups (one filling) of 2:1 sugar water in three or four days (I always have lots to dump at cleaning time). From my experience with bottle feeders, the "upside down" gravity fed tube type, I suspect that people who go through a lot of food (gallons?!) are losing most of it to air pressure expulsion in the heat of the day, visits by coons or squirrels (especially flying squirrels, more common than most people know and can reach any feeder), and such. Either that or really amazing hordes of hummingbirds, that would be wonderful to watch.

I've seen hummingbird feeders with hoards of hummers around them and since hummers are very territorial they fight a lot. My mom told me she once saw a hummer spear another bird and they both hit the deck and died. Got it's beak stuck in the other bird. They also killed themselves by hitting the windows. The kind of feeders being used were just a cheap plastic base that screwed onto a 1/2 gallon plastic pop bottles and she had to fill them every 2 or 3 days. When you consider how long the days are during the summer in Washington, that's no big surprise. Starts getting light at 05:00 am and dark at 10:00 pm.

[R1D2]

The lil' green hummer with a red throat is back. Not sure but he may have brought company.