Tips for Feeding Hummingbirds
Before you decide to add a hummingbird feeder to your hummingbird garden, you should consider the following:
- Never use honey or artificial sweetners when feeding hummingbirds. Honey spoils and can pass on a fatal fungal infection to the birds while artificial sweetners offer no nutritional value and cause the hummingbirds that feed on it to starve.
- Keep the feeder clean. Each week, discard any unused nectar solution and sanitize the feeder before refilling. You can sanitize the feeder using a 10 percent vinegar solution (do not use soap or detergent). Use a bottle brush to clean the inside of the bottle. If needed, submerse the bottle in boilign water to remove any dirt or residue. After sanitization, rinse the bottle with hot water, then with cold water to remove all cleaning fluids.
- Never use dyes to color the nectar solution.
- Select a feeder that has red feeding stations.
- Refrigerate unused nectar solution and store for up to two weeks. Discard if not used in that time.
Sources
For a list of sources used in the creation of this visual guide, please see the Recommended Reading page.