How to clean a hummingbird feeder (and how often)

Step by step: how to clean a hummingbird feeder

1. 1

   Empty the old nectar

   Bring the feeder in and pour out all the old nectar, even if some is left. Do not top up old nectar with new, because the mix ferments and grows mold faster in warm weather.

2. 2

   Take the feeder completely apart

   Remove the reservoir, base, feeding ports, flower inserts, bee guards and any ant moat that comes off. Most feeders twist or snap apart; check the maker’s instructions if a part seems stuck.

3. 3

   Soak the parts in hot soapy water

   Fill a sink or bucket with hot water and a small squirt of dish soap and let the parts soak for 5 to 10 minutes. This softens dried sugar crust around the ports.

4. 4

   Scrub the reservoir with a bottle brush

   Scrub the inside of the bottle or reservoir, especially the bottom and the threads where film collects. Feel the inside with a fingertip: it should be smooth, not slick or sticky.

5. 5

   Clean every feeding port

   Push a small port brush or pipe cleaner through each feeding hole and flower, twisting it to remove sugar and black specks. Clogged ports are where mold hides and where birds feed, so do not skip them.

6. 6

   Treat any mold with vinegar

   If you see black spots or a slimy film, soak those parts in a mix of 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water for about an hour, then scrub again. Throw away a feeder with mold you cannot remove.

7. 7

   Rinse thoroughly

   Rinse every part in clean running water until there is no soap or vinegar smell left. Leftover soap can put birds off the feeder.

8. 8

   Dry and refill with fresh nectar

   Let the parts air dry or towel dry them, then reassemble. Fill with cooled nectar made from 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water, and hang the feeder back up. Store extra nectar in the fridge.

How often should you clean a hummingbird feeder?

Clean it every time you refill, which means at least every three to five days, and more often in hot weather. Sugar water spoils fast, and mold in a feeder can sicken birds.

Cornell Lab’s Project FeederWatch says hummingbird feeders need cleaning more often than seed feeders, ideally every time you refill them, because mold and fungi grow readily in sugar water, particularly in warm temperatures. It advises emptying and cleaning the feeder right away if you see cloudy nectar or black mold, and taking the feeder apart and washing it with warm water and dish soap, then rinsing thoroughly.

Penn State Extension says to replace the sugar solution every three to five days and to clean the feeder before adding a new supply, because nectar left in a feeder longer goes bad. In hot weather, when mold grows fastest, empty and wash the feeder sooner than that, and fill it only with what the birds will finish in a couple of days.

Change it sooner if the nectar looks cloudy, has floating specks or smells sour, whatever the weather.

What not to use (in the feeder and in the nectar)

Keep cleaning simple: hot water, mild dish soap, brushes and vinegar for mold. A few common shortcuts are bad for birds or the feeder.

• Honey, brown sugar or sweeteners in the nectar. Audubon says not to substitute honey, which can promote dangerous fungal growth. Use plain refined white sugar.
• Red dye. Audubon says red food coloring is not necessary and could prove harmful to birds. The red parts of the feeder attract hummingbirds on their own.
• Strong-scented or antibacterial soaps. A residue or scent can stay in the ports. Use a small amount of mild dish soap and rinse well.
• Undiluted bleach. If you choose a dilute bleach soak for heavy mold, rinse many times until there is no smell. Never mix bleach with vinegar.
• The dishwasher, unless the maker says it is safe. FeederWatch notes that not all feeders are dishwasher safe; heat can warp plastic reservoirs and ports.

Choosing a feeder that is easy to clean

The easiest feeders to keep clean come apart completely and have wide openings. Saucer or dish-style feeders, where the base unscrews from the lid, can be cleaned with a sponge in a minute. Bottle feeders with narrow necks and fixed ports need brushes every time.

• Look for a reservoir with a wide mouth you can fit a brush or hand into.
• Pick feeding ports that pop out or a lid that comes off for scrubbing.
• A built-in ant moat keeps ants out of the nectar so it lasts longer; fill it with plain water only.
• Smaller feeders are better than big ones. Penn State Extension suggests a feeder that holds enough nectar for three to four days.

Keep the area under the feeder tidy too, and clean seed feeders and birdbaths on their own schedule. If ants are trailing up the pole, see how to get rid of ants outside, using methods that keep pesticides away from the feeder.

Mistakes to avoid

• Topping up old nectar instead of emptying and washing the feeder.
• Rinsing with water alone and leaving sugar crust inside the feeding ports.
• Using honey or red dye in the nectar.
• Leaving soap or bleach residue because the parts were not rinsed well.
• Putting a big feeder out and filling it to the top, so nectar sits for a week in the heat.