Those Hummingbirds Outside Your Window? You Might Be Murdering Them

Photo by Erin Testone on Unsplash

Food News! 

Hummingbirds are obviously amazing… but did you know you might be MURDERING them?

Vox just did a big article on how the hummingbird feeder in your yard might be POISONING them.  The “too long, didn’t read” version is you’re probably not cleaning it enough.

Whether you make their food or buy it, it’s basically just sugar water.  And sugar water SPOILS faster than you’d think, especially in hot weather.

If you don’t clean their feeder and replace the liquid, they can end up with bacterial or fungal infections that can kill them.

A study in 2019 found most of the microbes aren’t deadly enough to cause HUGE declines in hummingbird populations, but it happens.  One expert said it’s “fairly common” for dirty feeders to at least make them sick.

So how often should you be cleaning your feeder?  Ideally, every DAY OR TWO.

Quote, “If you wouldn’t leave YOUR drink sitting out in the sun for three days and then drink it, don’t do it for hummingbirds.”

If you replace the liquid every few days, you can just rinse your feeder with hot water.  But if it’s been a while, you should deep clean it with water and vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide.

SOURCE: Vox