The Gardener’s Rake

Hummingbirds are fun to watch and add hours of entertainment to your yard. They also have many healthy benefits to the environment. I have both a feeder and plants that the birds are attracted to in my yard.

It’s very important to keep your hummingbird feeders clean. Many diseases can be spread through dirty feeders. The feeder also looks better and cleans faster if you clean them often.
 
How to clean your hummingbird feeder

• Take the feeder apart.
• Scrub all parts thoroughly with warm, soapy water. (Some people do not recommend soapy water. They say it leaves behind a residue that the bird can taste. Other options are red vinegar cider, bleach or ammonia.
• Scrub inside the feeder using a bottlebrush. If there are small hard to reach area a cotton swab will clean those areas.
• Place two tablespoons bleach inside the feeder. Fill the feeder with warm water and let sit for 1/2 hour or until all the mold has disappeared. 
• Soak other parts of the feeder in a similar bleach solution if they show signs of mold or grime.
• Rinse the feeder thoroughly. This can be up to once a week in warmer weather.
• Dry the feeder and parts and reassemble.
• Refill the feeder with nectar or sugar water and hang for feeding.

Most importantly, enjoy your hummingbirds!

Tags: happy humingbirds, cleaning hummingbird feeders, dirty feeders lead to diseases