Birdfeeders

For most of us, the warm weather is finally arriving! The days are long, the sun is shining, and the hummingbirds are visiting our hummingbird feeders often. This is all good news, but now is when it is most important to keep these hummingbird feeders clean. Between the sugar water and the warm weather, the feeding ports often start collecting black fungi and bacteria. This is easily avoided if the feeders are emptied every 3-4 days and cleaned thoroughly. I use hot water and a little vinegar to clean them and then rinse the hummingbird feeders thoroughly. Remember, our feeders are stops in a hummingbird’s travels looking for food. Our feeders certainly do not offer a balanced diet. Therefore, do not be surprised if suddenly there are very few visitors to your feeders. This could just mean one or more of their favorite flowers are blooming. If your area has blooming wild honeysuckle, trumpet vines, mimosa, etc. the hummingbirds may be temporarily too busy to bother with your feeders, but don’t worry, they will return very soon.