I've heard about diseases that can be caught by the hummers if your feeder isn't properly cleaned. The web is full of ideas but I want the opinion of more expert individuals.... you guys! I have the standard bulb top, red bottom with yellow flowers, found at Wal-Mart kind. In the summer here it gets moldy pretty quickly and needs to be changed ever other day. I want to make sure every bit of it is clean enough to keep the hummers safe. What do all of you do? Thanks!
~Christina
Hi Christina, Those types are very hard to clean. The saucer styles are much easier.
Anyway I recently heard in another forum about using vinegar and rice (shake) so you might try that but be sure to rinse many times.
There are little tiny brushes you can use that will help to a certain extent also.
I just clean mine everyday in really hot weather so they don't get that moldy buildup.
Anyone else?
BTW, Beautiful pic!!
Thanks! I wasn't sure if vinegar was safe...I would of course rinse with water very well. What is a saucer type? Does anyone have a pic of one? I may replace the one I have if it eases the cleaning process.
Heres the saucer style feeder, the top comes off and its very easy to clean.
There are other brands of saucer style feeders besides these.
http://www.hummzinger.com/
You could also mix some water in w/ the vinegar and rice.
Just never use bleach on plastic parts.
Definitely getting a saucer style!! Thanks!! Glad I asked here, one site on the web suggested bleach and didn't warn against the plastic parts!
I guess I should have explained that I meant straight bleach but I've never felt good about using it so I don't.
I use a tiny brush or chenil pipe cleaners also,and will use sand and water to shake inside the bottle. A toothbrush works well for crevices in the flowers part.
I put my feeders in the shade or semi shade area, so the water doesn't ferment too fast..
If that's the sort I had, I've been told there not very good, mainly because they're so difficult to keep clean. Much better ones are available. Here is an excellent link to everything you could ever want to know about humingbirds and feeders, including all the different sorts of feeders, how to clean them and what to put in them. I have given up on feeders after not being able to deal with the mold and the wasps, but I never tried any of the other sorts. I just grow scarlet runner beans!.
http://www.hummingbirds.net/feeders.html
LOL! Thank you all!! Due to a mishap...not intended, the feeder fell as DH was putting it up for me and busted =0( Now, I will buy the saucer one that pelletory recommended. I'll bookmark your link Indigo_gal and refer to it as I go on feeding them...they are going to be ticked tomorrow morning to find the feeder gone! Arg! I sit 3 feet away inside where they can see me and they aren't bothered as they feed...I hope they come back with a new feeder! Thanks again!
I'm sure they'll be back as soon as you get the new one up. I remember as a kid, my mom had hummingbird feeders up and I used to see how close I could stand to them and still have the birds come. I could stand pretty darned close!
I fed them at my old house, but they weren't as brave as the ones we had when I was a kid. I'm looking forward to putting up the feeders here at the new place and seeing how many we get. The WBU guy said to put them up around February 20th here. Nice that you have them all year, I guess?
Indigo-gal, are scarlet runner beans the same as hyacinth bean vine? I've been trying to decide what vine to plant on my big bird cage and that one might just be the one. I was thinking of morning glories before, but I do love the HBV.
Scarlet Runner Beans are an English Plant. It is an annual, and the seeds are large purple and black beans. The pods they produce, which are huge, are edible, quite tasty and freeze well, especially if you don't let them get too big, and they are the usual eating green bean int the UK. The vine gets really tall (If you give it enough support it can go over 20 feet) But the best part about them for me is the bright red flowers that hummingbirds love. They grow really well here in Halifax and in England. I don't know how they would grow in Texas, but it might be worth a try.
Thanks I-G. I had just checked the DG plant files for it and since it wasn't there, I thought maybe it was the same as Hyacinth Bean Vines. You should enter it in DG's files. Do you have any pictures of yours?
I don't have a picture, but there are lots of pictures on this page, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/finder/index.php?sname=Beans
allthough it took me a while to find them.
