Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year?

[goeduck]

Eek! We don't go thru that in an entire summer. We get a few, but that's it. Dunno if we're too far north or if once summer comes there's enough flowers that they don't need to visit a feeder.

How often do you change the sugar water? I try for less than a week and that can be pushing it during warm weather. They will abandon a feeder if the sugar water gets spoiled.

I think I saw a Rufous Hummer today but I do not have much of a view point.

 

[ArlyA]

The sugar water we boil and mix for them, is basically nutrient agar. When its warmed above refrigerator temp, it grows whatever bacterial in it readily. These bacteria's growing in it will make the birds ill so if the air temps are warm, we should be changing the sugar water out. We do ours every 4 days in the warm days of summer.

 

[dragoneggs]

Just brewed up another quart. I read somewhere... or more likely my mom told me to make sure and not just melt the sugar but to give it a good boil to kill off 'anything'. Also boil the glass container. I don't go that far. That said, she came from a farm and generally overcooked everything. My dad finally got her to like medium rare steaks when I was a teenager. Don't think she ever tried sushi until I convinced her to try it in her later years! RIP Mom!!!

 

[goeduck]

I boil the water in a large Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave. I then add the sugar immediately afterwards and stir to dissolve. Then I let it cool. I then bring in an almost empty feeder, clean it, refill and hang it outside. I am more concerned about getting the feeder 100% clean than anything as that is where the scum would form. Mine are capable of bottle brush cleaning, I do not like those that I cannot clean well.

 

[dragoneggs]

I boil the water in a large Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave. I then add the sugar immediately afterwards and stir to dissolve. Then I let it cool. I then bring in an almost empty feeder, clean it, refill and hang it outside. I am more concerned about getting the feeder 100% clean than anything as that is where the scum would form. Mine are capable of bottle brush cleaning, I do not like those that I cannot clean well.

Yeah I went to 'big mouth' bottles for easier cleaning. I don't boil the glass but I do scrub all components with scalding water with a brush. Wouldn't be good enough for my mom but I'm sure I am a One Percenter on feeders.

 

[oosik]

Saw my first hummer yesterday - today there are, at least, three. Already fighting over the feeder. The Western Service berry just came into full bloom - so there is plenty out here for them. Patches of this bush stand out all over the property, now that they are in bloom. Later there will be the Mock Orange and homestead Lilac.

 

[sixdogs]

Can someone explain the need to boil sugar water? My wife knows nothing about this but maybe we should be doing it, especially since we have well water. She is meticulous about cleaning things and we want to make sure we are doing the right thing. Also, should we be used softened or unsoftened water?

 

[ArlyA]

Its to cook the chloride out of it, or sterilize it if you use well water. The theory is it will last longer in the feeder.

Can someone explain the need to boil sugar water? My wife knows nothing about this but maybe we should be doing it, especially since we have well water. She is meticulous about cleaning things and we want to make sure we are doing the right thing. Also, should we be used softened or unsoftened water?

 

[dragoneggs]

Its to cook the chloride out of it, or sterilize if it you have well. water. The theory is it will last longer in the feeder.

Yes that is my understanding as well. Honestly, I don't know how effective boiling is to rid of chloride or fluoride or whatever might be in the water, but I know when I boil vs just melting the sugar, the water seems to not foul as fast.

For me, it is the bugs that get into the feeder that cause the birds to shy away. Sometimes the birds will feed until the feeder is almost dry other times I stop getting action and the feeder is half full. Most all of the time there are crawling bugs that have entered the feeder.

 

[goeduck]

The hummers have bug and pollen debris on their beeks from feeding that does not help as it contaminates the feeder bowl. Some say not to use soap but I do, I just make sure I rinse very well and clean it often. A big feeder is not good, better small to medium then clean and refill often. I am refilling one of the two feeders every day it seems, 2 cups to each. I never did put up a third, probably should.