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4046 W 83rd St
Corinth Square Shopping Center
Prairie Village, KS 66208
Its Hummingbird Time!
Written by Karin "Kitty" McKelvey of Wild Bird Center
June 27, 2011
It's that time once again put those hummingbird feeders into full swing. Mid July through mid October is actually our busier time for hummingbirds in the Kansas City area. Some people are able to keep them throughout the spring but for the most of us we have to wait until this late summer time slot. With that being said, it is time to make sure you are cleaning your feeders regularly and using the proper nectars.
As long as you are maintaining your feeders every few days normally a little dish soap and water is more then enough to get those feeders clean. If your feeder is getting little black dots inside this is a nasty mold that can hurt your hummingbirds. You might want to use a 10% bleach solution to clean your feeder if you have this gross mold. For those tough corners, or if you have a bottle style feeder, we have bottle brushes available that can bend and flex to reach every last corner of those tricky feeders. Another hard place to clean are the ports, the tiny little feeding holes, which they make tiny little brushes that fit perfectly and keep any mold from being missed.
There are many choices when it comes to hummingbird nectar for your feeder. There are pre-mixed nectars, powders, dyed, clear, or you cam make it yourself. Below is a list of types with descripitions. Remember though no artificial dyes in your hummingbird food. These can cause tumors.
Pre-mixed Nectar - These nectars are ready to go you just open the bottle and pour right into your feeders. It comes in both clear and a naturally dyed red, carminic acid and hibscus extract. If you are looking for the ultimate convenience and ease when mainting your feeders this is for you. Oh, and your hummingbirds will love it to.
Powders - Powders come in a variety of sizes and are red or clear. All you have to do with the powders is to add in the right amount of cold water according to the package stir and fill your feeder. Hooray, hummingbird happiness!
Homemade - This method is for you do-it-yourselfers. All you need is a little sugar and some water and a way to heat it (i.e. stove). The proper recipe is 4 parts water to one part sugar. Heat your water to a boil on the stove and then pour it into a container with your sugar. Heating the water helps the sugar go into a solution instead of a suspension. Let cool and add to your feeder. You can always make more than you need and refrigerate! This is the most labor intensive but can be fun as well.
No matter what nectar you use remember to change it out regularly to have the best success with your hummingbirds this summer. Keep the birds happy and they will come back again and again.